Interesting interview w/Bart Gellman on NPR (Fresh Air) re: his experience w/Snowden

[deurbano]

http://www.npr.org/2013/09/11/221359323/reporter-had-to-decide-if-snowden-leaks-were-the-real-thing

Highlights (no transcript, yet):

On how he began corresponding with and trusting Snowden

"The combination of knowing [investigative filmmaker Laura Poitras], of having a background on surveillance issues and of knowing how to communicate securely, all of those were required. She had been approached by Snowden late last year, and honestly lots of journalists get approached by lots of people who purport to know a lot about secret worlds and to have important secrets to disclose. And quite often they can be dismissed quickly as cranks. This one couldn't.

"Laura did not know who she was talking to. He was only willing to talk through the use of these very secret, very secure channels, and she came to me one day and said, 'Can I talk to you in confidence?' And she showed me some of her notes of these conversations. She said, 'Does this look like it's for real to you?' I said, 'So far, it does. But you're going to need a lot more verification, a lot more back-and-forth.'

"I started suggesting questions to ask this mystery correspondent. She started showing me answers. ... And finally I opened a direct channel to Snowden and, working alongside Laura, we finally convinced ourselves that if and when he revealed his identity and if and when he actually transferred a document ... we were convinced it was going to be the real thing."

On Snowden's intentions

"Snowden gave these documents, ultimately, to only three journalists. What he said he wanted was for us to use our own judgment and to make sure that his bias was kept out of it so that we could make our own judgment about what was newsworthy and important for the public to know. And he said we should also consider how to avoid harm.

"Now, in case anyone doubts his intentions, let's consider what he could've done. If Chelsea Manning was able to exfiltrate and send to WikiLeaks and publish in whole half a million U.S. government documents, Edward Snowden — who is far, far more capable [and] had far greater access, certainly knows how to transmit documents — he could've sent them to WikiLeaks. He could've set up and mirrored around the Internet in a way that could not have been taken down. All of the documents could be public right now and they're not. ... He told us not to do it."

Also:
Gellman believes he has strong evidence that it is NOT the case that the Russians and/or Chinese were able to obtain classified info from Snowden. He said Snowden is exceptionally skilled at digital self-defense. In fact, one of his jobs at the NSA (and when employed by the CIA) was teaching courses to US national security officials about how to operate in high threat digital environments. (Like, how to do secret business overseas while successfully thwarting surveillance by the other side.) Gellman also thinks Snowden has arranged things so he (Snowden) is now incapable of opening the archives… which means it would be impossible for him to open them, even if succumbing to torture (or other strategies).

[Thinkingabout]

1. Interesting Snowden was protective, the end result does nit show he was very protective. I just

Wish he was truthful and not a thief.

[PSPS]

2. I know! It's all "lies" from a "thief!" Let's all get behind our being spied upon! USA!!11!1

Frankly, I'm surprised good old #13 still has any tread left.

Worshiper/Apologist Hit Parade:

1. This is nothing new
2. I have nothing to hide
3. What are you, a freeper?
4. But Obama is better than Christie/Romney/Bush/Hitler
5. Greenwald/Flaherty/Gillum/Apuzzo/Braun is a hack
6. We have red light cameras, so this is no big deal
7. Corporations have my data anyway
8. At least Obama is trying
9. This is just the media trying to take Obama down
10. It's a misunderstanding/you are confused
11. You're a racist
12. Nobody cares about this anyway / "unfounded fears"
13. I don't like Snowden, therefore we must disregard all of this
14. Other countries do it

[Thinkingabout]

3. Shouldn't George W be your real hero? He talked about this in 2005, where in the hell was Snowden?

It is very obvious many posters would love to keep this scandal going and therefore remain a legend in their own minds. You can't play harder than the big guys, always remember this.