Russia gives Edward Snowden permanent residency

[ThinkingSapien]

Edward Snowden granted permanent residency in Russia

Russia gives Edward Snowden permanent residency​

Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who disclosed top-secret U.S. spying programs, has obtained permanent residency in Russia, his lawyer said.

Snowden, 37, received notification Thursday his application to remain in the country indefinitely and unconditionally has been approved, his lawyer Anatoly Kucherena said by phone.

Russian President Vladimir Putin granted asylum to the American whistleblower in 2013, sparking a major diplomatic confrontation with the administration of President Barack Obama. The following year, he was awarded temporary residency.

Snowden, who is living in or near Moscow, has defended his decision to reveal highly classified NSA surveillance programs, including the hacking of private internet systems and widespread spying on allies and adversaries of the U.S.

 

[7_Sorrows]

Interesting development.

 

[RidgeSprinter]

The information he gave them must have been juicy to have been given that approval.

 

[StudentMI]

Good. Snowden should be a hero to Americans.

 

[RidgeSprinter]

Very good news, but Snowden’s pardon has been long overdue.

I don’t understand your statement.

Good. Snowden should be a hero to Americans.

Nor yours.

 

[RidgeSprinter]

Snowden was the first major whistleblower into the illegal surveillance activities by big name agencies like the NSA. We have seen this activity come to a peak in the most recent Russia hoax scandal. Snowden accurately uncovered a growing threat to the US democracy and was demonized for it.

Do not some consider him a Traitor?

 

[FrankFletcher]

Glowies?

I don’t think of him as a hero but I wouldn’t want permanent residency in Russia…

 

[ThinkingSapien]

Very good news, but Snowden’s pardon has been long overdue.

I don’t think he has been pardoned yet.

 

[PaulinVA]

Do not some consider him a Traitor?

I do.

67890

 

[StudentMI]

I do.

67890

You consider exposing massive NSA operations of surveillance an act of treason? What do you consider Bradley/Chelsea Manning?

 

[PaulinVA]

What do you consider Bradley/Chelsea Manning?

What do you think?

I"m a veteran and I used to work in the IC. So, yeah.

 

[StudentMI]

I"m a veteran and I used to work in the IC. So, yeah.

Ever think that might give you an irrational bias?

 

[PaulinVA]

Ever think that might give you an irrational bias?

Could be. Or, I might know what I’m talking about.

 

[StudentMI]

Could be. Or, I might know what I’m talking about.

Or you could just be bitter. Sorry to say.

 

[PaulinVA]

Or you could just be bitter. Sorry to say.

LOL. Bitter about what? People selling out their country? Bitter isn’t the word I’d used.

 

[ThinkingSapien]

You consider exposing massive NSA operations of surveillance an act of treason? What do you consider Bradley/Chelsea Manning?

I’m chiming in on this.

Speaking as someone that works in IT, any type of disclosure to the public of internal systems is a violation of the policies of my employer or my contract. There may be reasons to have moral objections to keeping such information private, but it is an unambiguous violation. I saw this with no emotion attached to the issue. A yearly acknowledgement that such disclosures would result in immediate dismissal and prosecution is part of my job, and that may color my disposition on the issue.

Unfortunately, having looked at the disclosures and comparing them to the public reaction and how the story was reported on the news, I felt like there was a significant amount of misunderstanding about the information.

That said, a positive outcome of this is that many websites and services are encrypted by default, even for internal communications. Even the transmission of the pages here on CAF are encrypted.