The American public's views of National Security Agency leak source Edward Snowden have flipped in the past month, according to one poll — and now most support him being charged with a crime.
According to the ABC-Washington Post poll, 53% say that Snowden should be charged with a crime after exposing a trove of NSA secrets, compared with 36% who disagree. That's a sharp turn from the point immediately after his revelations in June, when Americans opposed him being charged by a 48-43 margin.
According to the ABC-WaPo poll, 57% of Americans believe that it is more important for the NSA to "investigate possible terrorist threats, even if that intrudes on personal privacy" — the Obama administration's justification for the programs. Only 39% think it's more important for the government not to intrude on personal privacy, "even if that limits its ability to investigate possible terrorist threats."
You know I am one who was very upset to learn that the Bush era domestic surveillance had not only continued but that it had expanded. However Snowden was never a sympathetic figure in my mind, and I was always suspicious of his motivations.
Now that he is hiding from the authorities in Vladimir Putin's Russia I have nothing but disdain for him and believe that if he ever DID have a crack at heroism he pissed it away the day he landed in that Moscow airport. Or perhaps even earlier when he landed in the Hong Kong airport.
If Snowden had really wanted to become a martyr that people would rally around he needed to stay in America and make sure the details of the American NSA program were made public to Americans, and NOT make them vulnerable to America's enemies.
I am not a nationalist but this to me is treason, and may NOT have been considered so if he had made it a top priority to protect his country as well as the sensitive information of its citizens.
Believe me I have a completely different emotional response to learning that MY country is scooping up my data then I do if I find out that Russia is now capable of doing so as well.
I agree with you, Gryphen, also, too.
ReplyDelete"The tide of public opinion has turned on Edward Snowden."
ReplyDeleteAnd YOU, Gryphen have helped to do that.
Question: since he hasn't been tried and (as far as I'm aware) there's no solid proof of his true motivations yet, why are you so sure Snowden deserves the vilification you've helped to create ?
NOTE: I am NOT claiming Snowden doesn't deserve it and I am NOT defending his actions.
I'm asking what makes you so SURE that he deserves to be demonized ?
Now, I love Gryphen and his blog and he certainly has a lot of readers, but do you really think he helped turn the tide of public opinion?
DeleteWe all have our own brains and can read and can form our own opinions.
@anonymous 4:31
DeleteIt clearly says 'helped to' not 'singlehandedly.'
If you read here regularly then you know there have been a bunch of posts re: Snowden -
http://theimmoralminority.blogspot.com/#uds-search-results
All the ones I read were totally negative & got lots of dumb. angry comments, like "yeah he should be kicked almost to death then thrown in jail to rot forever!!"
And if you think your sources for information, like this blog, don't have any influence on your opinions then that plus the dumb questions pretty much disproves your second sentence.
Well, the fact that he's an Ayn Rand fetishist and also someone who pick and choose when to like or dislike the act of Uncle Sam doing a nosey on us all, depending on who's running the government at any given time, those fact certainly makes his motives suspect
DeleteYou only had to google Glen Greenwald to see what this pair were up to. Once upon a time I followed Greenwald religiously. Especially when he was discussing Bruce Ivins and the anthrax debacle. When I later returned to read his column at Salon, I didn't like him so much.
ReplyDeleteThey were out to nail Obama.
Hope Ed likes it in Russia.
I-girl,
DeleteI'm with you on Greenwald. I used to feel that he was at least passionate about his work for the right reasons, even when I might not be in agreement with him, so I read him regularly. But IMHO, he has let his anti-Obama fervor cloud his judgement, and he comes off as a shill for anything that opposes POTUS.
Today, I can't help but feel his objectivity has been compromised for reasons other than he has divulged. I still read him selectively, but he's tainted. If he came out now and admitted he was snookered on this Snowden deal and has been taken for a ride, I'd have more trust for him, but he's in the death spiral of credibility because of his unequivocal advocacy of Snowden. We will see how it plays out, I guess.
Exactly
DeleteAmong other things, I don't think that Snowden is so smart. Had he stayed in high school and paid attention, he might have learned that Russia until a couple of decades ago was the Soviet Union, one of the places on earth that honed spying on your own people to a fine art. I think he chose poorly in going there; Putin hasn't forgotten his years in the KGB.
ReplyDeleteI also think that Snowden should have had the courage to return to the US and face the charges against him. You cannot commit treason and expect to be given a "get out of jail free" card.
Beaglemom
Hear Hear, Beaglemom! Totally agree.
DeleteYep. First he went to China (!!!) and then Russia (!!!) and I remember thinking, REALLY? REALLY, SNOWDEN? Crud, even I know how expert the Chinese are at hacking electronics and that Russia under Putin is going backwards - most decidedly NOT the place to run to. Snowden was so busy thinking himself a brilliant hacker that he basically screwed himself royally. I believe the phrase, from Shakespeare, applies: He is hoist by his own petard.
DeleteM from MD
Snowden Lawyer Says No Clearance to Leave Airport
ReplyDeleteAfter a month holed up in the transit zone of Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport, Edward J. Snowden, the former intelligence contractor sought by the United States on espionage charges, received a change of clothes and a copy of “Crime and Punishment” during a meeting with his lawyer on Wednesday, but still no clearance to enter Russia.
Mr. Snowden has applied for temporary asylum in Russia, and Russian news agencies had reported earlier on Wednesday that the Russian Federal Migration Service had issued a certificate confirming his application and permitting him to pass through Russian border control. A huge throng of reporters and camera crews gathered at the airport terminal in anticipation of Mr. Snowden’s departure.
But about 6 p.m., Antatoly Kucherena, a Russian lawyer assisting Mr. Snowden with his asylum request, emerged from the transit zone and said that the certificate had not been received.
He did not cite any specific reason for the delay but said officials had informed him that Mr. Snowden’s situation “was not a standard process” and that the paperwork needed to allow him to depart the airport required more time.
Mr. Kucherena said he had met with Mr. Snowden and described him as being in good spirits, with plans to learn Russian. He said he had brought him the copy of “Crime and Punishment.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/25/world/europe/snowden.html?hp&_r=0
Daniel Ellsberg, who is a hero, is wrong on this one.
ReplyDeleteSnowden's a bad dude.
Exactly right, Beldar.
DeleteSnowden is fucked and I don't think he even knows it.
ReplyDeleteYes, the KGB (now under a new acronym) has brought him a copy of Crime and Punishment, and he still can't see the irony. I can't imagine his mental state at this point, and doubt he has had a shower in the past month. He has no earthly clue about what the Russians are about to do with his mind and soul.
DeleteI think he knows it, but do we know that we are fucked, too?
DeleteWhat happened to the 4th Amendment?
Are we all guilty and have to prove our innocence?
Why isn't there the outrage for Clapper lying to Congress?
Why would any whistle blower want to stay after seeing what has been done to Bradley Manning?
How about all the children we kill with drones?
This whole mess causes many to distrust the government--it looks like there is no rule of law when "systemically important banks" get away with breaking the law, but only Bernie Madoff goes to jail, and maybe a hedge fund guy or two. Yet HSBC gets to launder money for a drug cartel or two in Mexico and it's all right with our Justice Department? Ray Kelly of NYC stops and frisks people who doesn't look like a Wall Street banker and now we should have him replacing Napolitano for head of Homeland Security? After the FBI and our militarized police abused and sprayed the seated UC Davis protesters?
Big Brother is Watching US.
Do we have Stockholm Syndrome? Are we battered wives? Should we put up with this?
From the blogroll on the left of this blog:
DeleteFreed by Snowden Revelations, Wyden Warns About U.S. Surveillance State, 'Secret Laws'
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=10152
The funniest thing is that Snowden could have gotten some lawyers, made some calls to the big media outlets, and presented his case while on American soil. Given the present atmosphere, it's likely he would have been touted and protected by being in the public the public eye. He's not another Bradley Manning.
ReplyDeleteInstead, he's stuck in Russia (a country not exactly known for free speech or privacy) with our state secrets and nobody to bail him out.
He made this about himself instead of about what our government is doing. He's cocky and he grossly over-estimated his own appeal.
He should marry that Russian hooker spy who made the offer. He'll be lot better off.
DeleteAnonymous @ 4:36 pm
DeleteFunny that I responded to your comment quite a while ago but it still hasn't posted. Maybe it got caught in a spam filter, maybe it cut a little close to someone's bone ... or maybe it'll show up and you'll have two fairly scathing responses instead of just this one?
No matter. Let's see if THIS one will "pass muster" ...
Ummmm, pretty much every point you make is wrong.
NO, Snowden could not POSSIBLY have "presented his case while on American soil." He'd have been hunted down and arrested long ago.
NO, "some lawyers," "some calls" and "being in the public eye" could not POSSIBLY have provided him with any protection -- nothing can protect you from our government when it wants your ass dead or in jail.
And had he stayed in America ? YES, in many ways he WOULD be "another Bradley Manning," specifically: he'd almost certainly be held without bail, his communications would be extremely limited if not prevented, and he'd be facing the same kind of absurdly aggressive charges Manning is facing -- like an intention to aid America's enemies.
You saved your biggest crock of shit for last: "He made this about himself instead of about what our government is doing."
Just HOW exactly has he done THAT ? Has he given any interviews? Posted any videos? Written a daily blog telling his side of things? NO.
Wake up and face the truth: it's the MEDIA, including SOME bloggers and people like YOU who are responsible for focusing all the attention on demonizing Snowden while totally ignoring the ramifications of what he's revealed and/or confirmed.
Further proof that the dumbing down of America is clearly working ...
Bradley Manning is a special case because he operated within the military. He's being tried in military court and does not have the same protections as civilians (I think that is completely wrong, but it's the way it is).
DeleteNow, imagine if Snowden, smart as he supposedly is, had made a big show of "blowing the whistle," retained a big wig lawyer, then sent a press release to all the media outlets and appeared publicly where he couldn't be hunted down and killed. Snowden is exposing the fact that our government is spying on us. The government would be under scrutiny by us, the American people, and all the power of our media (including the internet). You are reaching if you think the government would get away with holding him indefinitely without trial.
He might have been held without bail. That is a decision made by a judge and it does happen, especially for a person who has the ability and the means to leave the country (which, in fact Snowden has proved). Being held without bail isn't the same thing as being held indefinitely without trial.
Snowden made it about himself by running away (to Hong Kong and then Russia). You don't need interviews or a daily diary to see that.
This isn't about forgiving the government for spying. This is about a guy who has found himself alone and unprotected while carrying information that could be dangerous to United States security. How did this go from reporting on the US spying on US citizens to that? Is it Snowden's stupidity? Is it a veiled threat? Or maybe it's hubris (considering his statement about being impervious to torture, I'd say he's got hubris in spades).
You throw out your trite comment about the dumbing down of American. I can tell you that many of us are committed progressives. We can be simultaneously outraged by the government's disregard to our privacy AND believe that Snowden seriously fucked up this opportunity by trying to play international man of mystery.
Snow den is an American hero and true patriot
ReplyDeleteFor revealing Obama's surveillance state
Believe me when I tell you--- your cell phone company, credit card company and Facebook knows more about you than the American government does. People like you fall into the the "scared the government might know where I am" group---while not recognizing that you handed your privacy over to corporations years ago. Maybe Michele Bachmann can make you feel better about it. She thinks the government is going to put you in a FEMA camp.
DeleteBoo!
You said it. We've all been living under the constant watch of big corporations since they got smart about the uses of the internet.
Delete4:36
DeleteWelcome to the 21st century, the third millennium, and whatnot. Even been to London? No, of course you haven't. But have you ever seen any photos of London and studied them? Probably not, huh? Okay, since this could take forever and you still wouldn't get it, there are lots of cameras. Everywhere. Do you think they're looking for the good guys there in UK? Think. If you're cooking meth or if you're a child molester or selling weapons illegally, then you personally have a reason to be paranoid. The rest of us are glad the authorities are keeping an eye out for you. If you're not up to something illegal, they're not going to come take you away for just being ignorant and paranoid. They'll just view you on camera drooling and dragging your knuckles and breathing out of your mouth and laugh at you. And we will do it in person or over the Internet whenever you espouse your foolish notions. Ignorant baggers.
@Anonymous4:36 PM
DeleteYou're right, it IS good to be frightened and severely conservative!
Anyway, this whole Snow den (sic) business is just a big smoke screen perpetrated by that so-called President Obama character who Gryphen is so fond of. Snow den and BENGHAZI!!! is what Obama uses to keep the Amercian people from noticing he's black! Right?
Right?
This confusing and disturbing comment sponsored by:
Ron Paul/Rand Paul for Presdient 2016 Comity
Get it through your head. You have no more privacy. It was sold to the highest bidder in the name of capitalism. If there is money to be made from your private information, there is a corporation doing it. What information the government has on you is pathetic compared to the corporations.
Deleteangela @ 4:55 PM
DeleteThis is the second day in a row you've posted totally bullshit claims like:
- the only people voicing concerns about NSA overreach are ALL paranoid, FEMA camp-fearing, tinfoil hat-wearing kooks ....
- Facebook, your bank, etc. know more about us than the NSA ....
Worse, you cite these LIES like they're reasons to do NOTHING about the NSA or any privacy issues at all.
You need to either PROVE that those claims are true -- that means with links to sources that are more believable than Breitbart or Alex Jones -- or, if you can't? (And you and I both KNOW you can't!)
Then STFU !!!!
P.S. angela
DeleteJust saw this NBC poll:
55% of those polled say they're more worried the United States will go too far in violating privacy rights.
Why exactly are you spreading misinformation ?
Oh my . . . Who pissed in your coffee?
DeleteThis is a blog. People. Comment. On. This. Blog.
If you have a problem with my comments---fuck you and don't read them.
@ 5:27PM
DeleteThat's quite some language there Gasman.
Anonymous @ 4:15 pm
DeleteQuibbling about profanity and claiming I'm someone I'm not?
That's all you've got??
Pathetic.
@ 3:54PM
DeleteWhatever you say Gasman.
Obama has lied to us, and disappointed me in the process. Snowden told the truth and in the face of a pretty wealthy propaganda machine that threatened to kill him or imprison him in solitary for life he fled.
ReplyDeleteHe's a young man who did something brave but didm;t have the courage to stand up against a pretty hate filled easily swayed and led public. There are very few who could.
He's no demon. The Sandanistas weren't communists until Reagan offered no help to the new democracy and then threatened them. They ran to whomever offered them some protection.
Snowden is just one kid, not a government. To demonize him is illogical at best and hatefully cruel in any circumstance.
Snowden isn't a kid. He's a 30 year old man.
DeleteHe pursued employment with Booz specifically to get access to the NSA, where he stole a wide range of classified documents, then proceeded to flee the country and give copies of his files to China and Russia.
He is a spy, whether he was employed before or after the fact.
And in all of it he had no PLAN for what he would do after he committed his crime. Yes, it was a crime. A premeditated crime. Just not a very well thought out crime.
I rank it right up there with the Kunsthal thieves who burned priceless masterpieces because they couldn't sell them and thought it would protect them from prosecution.
Just another dumb thief.
No, the president didn't lie to you---it seems you are just illiterate and never read the Patriot Act. Snowden is a pawn or a spy. He would have been a whistleblower and heroic if he had stayed. I think you'll find this was not brave---just ill thought out. And I think everyone will find out soon enough is that money exchanged hands. Coming soon . . . .
Deletepropaganda machine
Deletehttp://www.zerohedge.com/contributed/2013-07-25/july-25-2013
bank guy in Brussels
bank guy in Brussels's picture
The dream come true of Nazi Joseph Goebbels, pictured so brilliantly above by William Banzai, is the CIA internet control duplex of the CIA's Wikipedia and the CIA's Google Inc
Sadly, even ZH commenters often support and link to the CIA's Wikipedia, not thinking about how Mossad - CIA - NSA staff might well alter that Wiki page to print total lies, even in the next few seconds.
The fraud 'founder' of Wikipedia, Israeli-Mossad and CIA asset Jimmy Wales, is so high up in Mossad, he goes to intimate birthday parties of the President of Israel.
and
http://www.globalresearch.ca/contempt-for-the-bill-of-rights-obamas-willing-executioners-of-the-fourth-amendment/5343871
and
this from The Mudflats:
http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/my-war-on-stupid-is-facing-defeat-on-every-front
Read from sources around the world, not just our totally controlled MSM.
Think about it: why have they given all the attention they have to the famous Attention Whore Sarah Palin and the DWTS BS and not the fake baby/square pillow? Why is McCain on the Sunday Bobble Head shows, every f'ing week?
Snowden is a lying ,thieving traitor.That anyone thinks differently reflects poorly on their character God that those who think he is some romantic hero are not in positions of responsibility to the security of this country.Those who defend him may as well label themselves traitors as well.
ReplyDeleteYou REALLY need to get your eyes checked because you apparently can't see any shades of gray.
DeleteMaybe Snowden really IS, as you claim, "a lying ,thieving traitor." Or maybe -- just MAYBE -- he's a patriot willing to sacrifice living in America in order to warn its citizens about some REALLY bad shit our government is doing to us.
Maybe he's desperate for attention, maybe he's insane, or maybe the answer is "All of the above."
Whatever he is, it's up to a court -- not you -- to decide, and that decision will be based on evidence, not mere butthurt ignorance.
See, there's this little concept in American law that we're innocent until proven guilty ? It's one of the shades of gray you can't see but trust me, it's there and what it essentially means here is that your judgement is (to put it midly) premature.
Far scarier is your condemnation of any and all Snowden supporters as "traitors." The only word to describe THAT is un-American.
See, there's another shade of gray in America called freedom of speech ? Though you can't see it either, you'd definitely want it if YOU were ever accused of being a traitor to your country simply because of your political beliefs.
Just a guess but I think your vision problem might be stress-related.
Calm down. Snowden isn't being convicted by people commenting on blogs. We are all allowed to express our opinions. "Innocent until proven guilty" is a legal concept.
DeleteAnd, by the way. Freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom from consequences of that speech. Snowden can say whatever he wants. He may have to pay a legal price for that.
Freedom of Speech also allows us to express our opinions on Snowden and how he's painted himself into a sad little corner.
Anonymous @ 6:54 am
DeleteFYI, telling commenters to "Calm down" is often a tactic used by trolls to impugn and dismiss their opinions as mere hysteria.
Commenters who need to calm down are those who post long, unbroken paragraphs of nonsensical ranting IN ALL CAPS WITH LOTS OF FUCKING PROFANITY AND EXCLAMATION POINTS, GODDAMMIT !!!!!!!! (See the difference ?)
Something else a lot trolls do is to simply deny facts. Snowden IS being convicted -- in the proverbial "court of public opinion," a kangaroo court where bloggers often "prosecute" with far more hyperbole than evidence, the only "defense" are comments which the "gallery" tries to shout down, and bizarre, inhumane "sentences" (like "he deserves to be kicked to death") start flying long before any verdict is handed down.
Many trolls also use wild conjecture. Who said anything about not allowing people to express opinions ? Not I.
Who said freedom of speech should be free of consequence ? Not I.
Another troll tool: illogic. Do legal concepts -- especially those supporting fair treatment like "Innocent until proven guilty -- not apply to anything outside a courtroom ? I'd imagine (or at least hope) most people would consider objective, rational inquiry far wiser than jumping to conclusions.
More typical troll tricks: digression and diversion. Yes, Snowden may have painted himself into a "sad little" corner. He may also have painted his bedroom blue when he was a kid. But the far more salient and vital points that his document-leaking has painted of NSA surveillance which accurately portrays it as a frighteningly vast (yet almost certainly unconstitutional) government spying program which has been purposely withheld from the electorate who are funding it.
(And no, I'm not implying you're a troll, just trying to spare you from unintentially posting like one.)
@ 3:09PM
DeleteHello again Gasman. It's been a long time. Still shouting at clouds I see. Why be anonymous, we all know it's you.
Anonymous @ 4:17 pm
DeleteI am not "Gasman" nor do I know who that is.
The rest of your comment exposes the sad fact that you can respond to the facts and opinions I provided with only clouds of rhetorical flatulence.
@ 3:49PM
DeleteSure Gasman, no problem, I'll keep your secret. Guess how I know it's you.
Your country is scooping up data in every part of the world, not just inter-US communication. They're spying on the whole world with the permission of foreign governments and they are spying on those same foreign governments as well.
ReplyDeleteYou have no right to point the finger at anyone.
Who's pointing fingers? Most of us are saying that Snowden has blown the whistle on something everyone already knew was happening. And any country that complains about the US's activities is just being hypocritical.
DeleteWas not Glenn Greenwald (with whose the backing) offer him succor and advice? Just a kid? When that 'status' allow criminal lawbreaking thievery?
ReplyDeleteSay WHAT ?
DeleteWhile he's waiting he has a free copy of Crime and Punishment to keep him occupied. I wonder if it's in Russian? Perhaps someone gave him a dictionary (in Cyrillic) so that he can start learning the language.
ReplyDeleteI think Mr. Snowden is going to find that he would have more freedom in the U.S. in prison than he will have in Russia as a free man.
Short sighted much?
We have not had a treason trial in quite some time in the USA. It might be a good educational experience for us all if we had one now. In the interim, this idiot is in limbo at the Moscow airport. That has got to be some kind of hell on earth - can you imagine living in an airport for months on end?
ReplyDeleteAttorney General Eric Holder has told the Russian government that the U.S. will not seek the death penalty for former National Security Agency systems analyst Edward Snowden.
ReplyDeleteIn a letter dated July 23, the attorney general said the criminal charges Snowden faces do not carry the death penalty and that the U.S. will not seek the death penalty even if Snowden were charged with additional death penalty-eligible crimes.
Holder says his letter follows news reports that Snowden, who leaked information on largely secret electronic surveillance programs, has filed papers seeking temporary asylum in Russia on grounds that if he were returned to the United States, he would be tortured and would face the death penalty.
The attorney general's letter was sent to Alexander Vladimirovich Konovalov, the Russian minister of justice.
Holder's letter is part of an ongoing campaign by the U.S. government to get Snowden back.
The attorney general's letter may allay reported Russian concerns about how Snowden might be treated if he is deported to the U.S.
Some Russian politicians, including parliament speaker Sergei Naryshkin, have said Snowden should be granted asylum to protect him from the death penalty.
If Snowden were to go to a country that opposes the death penalty, providing assurances that the U.S. won't seek the death penalty may remove at least one obstacle to his return to the U.S.
"I can report that the United States is prepared to provide to the Russian government the following assurances regarding the treatment Mr. Snowden would face upon return to the United States," Holder wrote. "First, the United States would not seek the death penalty for Mr. Snowden should he return to the United States." In addition, "Mr. Snowden will not be tortured. Torture is unlawful in the United States," Holder's letter said.
The attorney general said that if Snowden returned to the U.S. he would promptly be brought before a civilian court and would receive "all the protections that United States law provides."
Holder also said that "we understand from press reports and prior conversations between our governments that Mr. Snowden believes that he is unable to travel out of Russia and must therefore take steps to legalize his status. That is not accurate; he is able to travel."
Despite the revocation of Snowden's passport on June 22, Snowden remains a U.S. citizen and is eligible for a limited validity passport good for direct return to the United States, said the attorney general.
A spokesman for President Vladimir Putin said Russia has not budged from its refusal to extradite Snowden.
Snowden, who is believed to have been staying at the Moscow airport transit zone since June 23, applied for temporary asylum in Russia last week. The United States wants him sent home to face prosecution for espionage.
Asked by a reporter whether the government's position had changed, Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies that "Russia has never extradited anyone and never will." There is no U.S.-Russia extradition treaty.
Peskov also said that Putin is not involved in reviewing Snowden's application or discussions of the ex-NSA contractor's future with the U.S., though the Russian Security Service, the FSB, had been in touch with the FBI.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/26/snowden-death-penalty_n_3658771.html
Holder also said that "[...] That is not accurate; he is able to travel."
DeleteAble to travel, yes. Sure he'll be allowed to reach the advertized destination of the plane, surely not.
Remember that plane that was diverted from its route, even though there was a South-American leader inside it, because it was believed to contain Snowden ? It even made a diplomatic row.
How can an American politician lie so openly, and be sure no MS media will immediately jump on him, is beyond all marvels.
Dumb is not what America should be called. It's a corporation-controlled theocracy. An oligarchy, just like Russia.
From here, there's not much differences now between the US and Russia, besides who is leading them.
Edward Snowden’s leak did not happen in a vacuum. He was helped by a network of associates, all with varying ties to either Wikileaks or the Russian government (in some cases, both).
ReplyDeleteIt’s easy to get caught up in the daily news and speculation about Edward Snowden and his flight from America to Russia. But there has never been, as best I can tell, a timeline published of Snowden’s decision to leak documents and flee the country, along with who helped him do it. I’ve assembled a first-round try at such a timeline here — it is suggestive of many things, including the unsavory nature of many of the characters involved and a clear, long-standing involvement with Wikileaks (and their relationship with the Russian government), but nothing is very conclusive. As we learn more, it will be updated.
This timeline does not try to chart Snowden’s previous online activities, but because of his close association with Wikileaks after fleeing the country — and the complicated relationship between Wikileaks and the government of Russia — that background is included. This timeline is composed of publicly available news stories, videos, and other data highlighting both Snowden’s decisions and those of his associates. It is not a case for his guilt or innocence of any alleged crimes.
Snowden (& Associates) Timeline: (zoom in on the timeline to get a clearer breakdown of key events)
http://joshuafoust.com/a-timeline-of-edward-snowden-associates/