Salem-News.com Wikileaks articles Page 3

Why Snowden`s Fate Matters

The far-reaching scope of the NSA’s infringement on private communications has stunned and enraged U.S. friends and foes alike; foreign governments and their publics are now insisting on accountability from Washington...

(WASHINGTON DC Consortiumnews) - Exclusive: There’s an old saying that a reporter is only as good as his sources, meaning that there’s a need for people inside government who see wrongdoing to speak up.

It is also a test of a democratic Republic whether truth-tellers like Edward Snowden are appreciated or persecuted, ex-intelligence analyst Elizabeth Murray notes.

A Democracy Long Gone

Those who violate the law and our privacy are accountable to no one, while the hero with a conscience will be imprisoned for life.

(JAMESTOWN, RI) - I no longer understand my country. The changes I see frighten me and the indifference of the public is in indication that freedom and democracy are on the verge of extinction.

Democracy is based on openness and transparency; they cannot co-exist, as they are opposites.

Let`s Be Very Careful About Who We Call `Traitor`

The charging of Edward Snowden is intended to intimidate any country that might be considering standing up for his rights.

(WASHINGTON DC) - It has now been a year since I entered this embassy and sought refuge from persecution.

As a result of that decision, I have been able to work in relative safety from a US espionage investigation. But today, Edward Snowden's ordeal is just beginning.

Will Snowden`s Trip to Ecuador be Thwarted by a Secret US Deal?

The whistleblower is seeking political asylum in Ecuador.

(SACRAMENTO / YORK) - Will Edward Snowden be sent back to the US through deceptive tactics and back room international relations?

That is the word according to our Human Rights Ambassador, William Nicholas Gomes in the UK. His Tweet is circulating widely, explaining that Snowden may be returned to the US sooner than expected.

Michael Hastings Said He Was Being Investigated by FBI Hours Before His Fiery Death

Hastings is best-known for his Rolling Stone cover story called "The Runaway General" that led to the resignation of the commander of the entire Afghanistan War, General Stanley McChrystal. He also wrote about the Petraeus scandal and media's cozy relationship with military elites.

(LOS ANGELES) - About 15 hours before dying in a fiery car crash at about 4:30 a.m. in L.A. on June 17, journalist Michael Hastings sent an email to several colleagues that said the FBI was investigating him and he was "onto a big story."

The 33-year-old had been working as a BuzzFeed writer and Rolling Stone contributing editor at the time of his death.

Jews, God and the NSA

"As Jews, the concept of being watched is not new to us. We read in Ethics of our Fathers, "Know what is above you: an eye that sees, an ear that hears, and all your deeds are recorded..."

(HOUSTON) - A friend sent an email they received from a Chabad in Illinois.

The friend was horrified that a Rabbi in Illinois had put out a message to his congregation and newsletter recipients, directly equating God's loving, all-seeing knowledge of everyone and everything, with the NSA's massive illegal surveillance of every person in the country.

Computer Espionage: Our Spies are Spying on Your Spies

We don't want your spies to spy on our spies.

(PORTLAND, OR) - Snowden, Manning and Ellsberg are possibly the best known recent figures who have been seduced into this kind of intelligence dirty work in which they all considered it abhorrent and said so.

Spying as an instrument of government and war strategy has been going on even before we had written words.

The Bradley Manning Matter

It is important to note that Manning testified that "most of the cables were unclassified” indicating that possibly some were not.

(SAN FRANCISCO) - Bradley Manning, a U.S. Army soldier, admitted sending 700,000 government documents to Wikileaks in 2010. It was the biggest leak of classified information in U.S. history.

Manning is now charged under Articles 92 and 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) , which incorporates parts of the Espionage Act in Article 106a of the UCMJ. The Manning case is ongoing at Fort Meade, Maryland.

Prosecuted for Embarrassing Obama

Knowing his obligation to report war crimes, Manning went to his superior officers to report war crimes and other atrocities he discovered. His superiors refused to act. Eventually he gave the information to Wikileaks.

(RICHMOND, RI) - If you or I do something bad, we would prefer that others not learn of it. Criminals go so far as to bribe, beat or kill witnesses to prevent them from testifying.

But presidents have another option. A president anxious to keep secret an illegal action or an embarrassing memo simply classifies it “secret.” Then if a whistleblower reveals something, prosecute him for “aiding the enemy.”

A Fly on the Wall in Barack Obama`s White House

"Exactly, sir. Without some indication that you are doing everything possible to track terrorists, we know that the Republicans will try to lynch you."

(PATAGONIA) - White House, sometime in late January, 2008... "Well, Mr. President, that about wraps up our national security briefing. Will there be anything else?"

"One thing. The total information awareness program, you didn't say anything about that."