Glenn Greenwald, A New Journalistic Venture

7 Comments

1. 

   seabe on October 16, 2013 at 12:14 pm

   I hope they hire a good editor because GG can’t write for shit. Long-winded diatribes and I get bored quickly with his 5000 word essays that essentially say the same thing over and over.

   Scahill is a gem though.

2. 

   Oui on October 17, 2013 at 12:39 pm

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   New York Times says UK tried to get it to hand over Snowden documents

   (The Guardian) – The editor of the New York Times, Jill Abramson, has confirmed that senior British officials attempted to persuade her to hand over secret documents leaked by the former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.

   Giving the newspaper’s first official comments on the incident, Abramson said that she was approached by the UK embassy in Washington after it was announced that the New York Times was collaborating with The Guardian to explore some of the files disclosed by Snowden. Among the files are several relating to the activities of GCHQ, the agency responsible for signals interception in the UK.

   “They were hopeful that we would relinquish any material that we might be reporting on, relating to Edward Snowden. Needless to say I considered what they told me, and said no,” Abramson told the Guardian in an interview to mark the International Herald Tribune’s relaunch as the International New York Times.

   Guardian ‘naive and arrogant’ to publish Snowden articles, says Straw

   ○ Hillary Clinton at Chatham House in London: ‘We need to talk sensibly about spying’
   ○ GCHQ accused of monitoring privileged emails between lawyers and clients
3. 

   Oui on October 17, 2013 at 12:41 pm

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   MPs set to investigate Guardian’s involvement in Snowden leaks

   (The Guardian) – Keith Vaz, the Labour head of the Commons home affairs committee, said he would look into “elements of the Guardian’s involvement in, and publication of, the Snowden leaks” hours after the prime minister suggested a select committee might look at the issue.

   It had emerged the matter would be considered by Vaz’s parliamentary committee after former Tory cabinet minister Liam Fox asked him to investigate what damage the Guardian may have caused to national security.

   Earlier in the day, Fox asked David Cameron for a “full and transparent assessment about the Guardian involvement in the Snowden affair” at prime minister’s question time in the House of Commons.

   The Conservative former defence secretary had argued that the Guardian had been guilty of double standards for exposing the scandal of phone hacking by newspapers and yet had gone on to publish secrets from the US National Security Agency taken by Snowden.

   In response, Cameron encouraged investigation of the issues through parliamentary select committees. “The plain fact is that what has happened has damaged national security and in many ways the Guardian themselves admitted that when they agreed, when asked politely by my national security adviser and cabinet secretary to destroy the files they had, they went ahead and destroyed those files.”

   ○ Bloggers pro-Obama and anti-Greenwald – A Distraction on Issue
4. 

   Oui on October 17, 2013 at 12:46 pm

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   Feds Demand Supreme Court Thwart Challenge to NSA Phone Spying

   (Wired) – The President Barack Obama administration is urging the Supreme Court to reject a challenge to the National Security Agency’s once-secret telephone metadata spying program.

   The filing — the first government briefing on the topic to reach the Supreme Court — was in response to the Electronic Privacy Information Center‘s petition asking the justices to halt the program that was disclosed by NSA leaker Edward Snowden.

   Among other defenses, the administration said that only the phone companies can challenge the secret orders from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to hand over metadata of every call made to and from the United States.

   “Congress established that only specified parties — the government or the recipient of an order — may seek review in this Court of a FISC decision under Section 1861,” the administration wrote. The Patriot Act, which authorizes the phone snooping, “impliedly precludes a third party” (.pdf) from making a challenge, the government added.

   Appeals usually go through an appellate process beginning at the district court level and are not often lodged directly with the Supreme court. The Washington, D.C. based non-profit privacy group went straight to the justices after Snowden’s June leak because of the gravity of the phone spying, which includes telephone companies having to provide the NSA the phone numbers of both parties involved in all calls, the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) number for mobile callers, calling card numbers used in the call, and the time and duration of the calls.

   One of the most controversial provisions of the Patriot Act — Section 215 — allows the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to authorize broad warrants for most any type of records, including those held by banks, doctors and phone companies. Lawmakers have repeatedly voted to prevent the act from expiring. The government only needs to show that the information is “relevant” to an authorized investigation. No connection to a terrorist or spy is required. A 1976 purse snatching paved the legal route to the program.

   In its petition, EPIC claims that all calling records cannot be relevant to an investigation.

   ○ Supreme Court Dismisses Challenge to FISA Amendments Act; EFF’s Lawsuit Over NSA Warrantless Wiretapping Remains  Feb. 27, 2013
   ○ Federal Judge Allows EFF’s NSA Mass Spying Case to Proceed

    July 9, 2013

5. 

   Oui on October 20, 2013 at 3:43 pm

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   EU-Kommissarin: Neelie Kroes nennt Snowden-Enthüllungen “hilfreich”

   (Der Spiegel) – EU-Kommissarin Neelie Kroes übt scharfe Kritik an der Überwachung durch britische und amerikanische Geheimdienste. “Die Snowden-Affäre hat uns allen gezeigt, dass wir endlich aufwachen müssen”, sagt sie im SPIEGEL. Gleichzeitig werden weitere Attacken der NSA-Hacker bekannt.

   Brüssel/Hamburg – Neelie Kroes sagte dem SPIEGEL in einem Interview über NSA-Whistleblower Edward Snowden: “Über seine Methoden kann man sicher streiten. Aber dass diese Informationen publik sind, ist durchaus hilfreich.” Die Kommissarin für die Digitale Agenda der EU ergänzte: “Die Snowden-Affäre hat uns allen gezeigt, dass wir endlich aufwachen müssen. Wir brauchen eine starke europäische IT-Industrie – und wir müssen schlicht besser aufpassen, was mit unseren Daten angestellt wird.”

   Kroes äußerte sich auch kritisch zur bisherigen Reaktion der EU-Kommission auf die Enthüllungen. Die Frage, ob es feige sei, das US-EU-Freihandelsabkommen weiter zu verhandeln, beantwortete die Niederländerin so: “An dem Vorwurf ist schon was dran. Und es hilft natürlich nicht unserer Glaubwürdigkeit, wenn offenbar das EU-Mitglied Großbritannien das EU-Mitglied Belgien bespitzelt, selbst – oder gerade – wenn es nach britischem Recht legal sein sollte.” In Großbritannien wird der “Guardian” derzeit heftig für seine eigenen NSA-Enthüllungen kritisiert, Premierminister Cameron warf der Zeitung vor, die nationale Sicherheit zu gefährden.

   Google translation to English …

   EU Commissioner, Neelie Kroes calls Snowden revelations “helpful”

   (Der Spiegel) – EU Commissioner Neelie Kroes slams surveillance by British and American intelligence agencies. “The Snowden affair has shown us all that we have to wake up,” she told SPIEGEL. At the same time further attacks by the NSA hackers are known.

   Brussels / Hamburg – Neelie Kroes told SPIEGEL in an interview about NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden: “one can certainly argue over his methods, but that this information is public, is quite helpful.” The Commissioner for the Digital Agenda of the European Union added: “The Snowden affair has shown us all that we must finally wake up. We need a strong European IT industry – and we must simply take better care what is done with our data.”

   Kroes also critical of the current response of the European Commission to the revelations. The question whether it was cowardly , the US-EU free trade agreement to negotiate further , the Dutch responded as follows: ” On the accusation is really something to it and of course it does not help our credibility when apparently the EU-member United Kingdom spied on EU-member Belgium, even – or especially – when it should be legal under British law .” In the UK, the “Guardian” is being heavily criticized for his own NSA revelations , Prime Minister Cameron abbused the newspaper of endangering national security.

   European firms ‘could quit US internet providers over NSA scandal’

6. 

   Oui on October 21, 2013 at 7:22 am

   .
   Nothing new here, these revelations have been known for weeks/months. Motive of setting a press due to France backing Saudi Arabia on the Syria issue for a military intervention and frustration the US is talking to Russia on Syrian stalemate and president Rouhani of Iran for a political solution of the nuclear issue. Cameron in the UK and Hollande of France are still on speaking terms – Agreement with French-owned EDF to build the first new British nuclear power station in 20 years.

   France summons US ambassador over ‘spying’

   (France24) – The US National Security Agency (NSA) secretly recorded millions of phone calls made in France, French daily “Le Monde” reported today, citing documents leaked by former NSA intelligence contractor Edward Snowden.

   The US spy agency taped 70.3 million French phone calls in just a little under a month in the period from December 10 last year to January 8, 2013, “Le Monde” reported on its website. The paper said the NSA automatically monitored communications from certain phone numbers and recorded text messages under a programme that was code named “US-985D “.

   “Le Monde” said the documents indicated that the NSA targets not only people suspected of being involved in terrorism but also high-profile individuals from the world of business or politics.

   The revelations prompted French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius to summon the US ambassador to France, Charles Rivkin, for “immediate” talks.

   The Guardian: France summons US envoy over NSA surveillance claims

   Le Monde said US authorities had declined to comment on the documents, which they regard as classified material. Instead, they referred the paper to a statement made in June by the US director of National intelligence, in which James Clapper defended the legality of the practices.

   Clapper Caught In Blatant Lie, Apologised to Congress for ‘Erroneous Answer’

   ○ Obama “We Can” – Defends NSA Spy Program

7. 

   Oui on October 23, 2013 at 2:06 pm

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   MEPs call for suspension of EU-US bank data deal in response to NSA snooping

   The EU should suspend its Terrorist Finance Tracking Program (TFTP) agreement with the US in response to the US National Security Agency’s alleged tapping of EU citizens’ bank data held by the Belgian company SWIFT, says a non-binding resolution voted by Parliament. The resolution, tabled by the S&D, ALDE and Greens/EFA groups, was passed by 280 votes to 254, with 30 abstentions.

   Although Parliament has no formal powers to initiate the suspension or termination of an international deal, “the Commission will have to act if Parliament withdraws its support for a particular agreement”, says the approved text. It adds that Parliament will take account of the Commission’s response to this demand when considering whether to give its consent to future international agreements.

   Haben US-Dienste das Handy der Bundeskanzlerin überwacht?

   ○ EU leaders are under pressure to respond to NSA espionage