Edward Snowden: MEPs vote to invite ex-NSA contractor to testify

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

Philip Oltermann in Berlin
theguardian.com, Thursday 12 December 2013 13.39 GMT

The European parliament has voted to formally invite Edward Snowden to give testimony on NSA spying, despite opposition from conservative MEPs. If the US whistleblower provides answers to the questions compiled by parliamentarians in time, a hearing via video link could take place in early January.

It had looked on Wednesday as if European conservatives were trying to kick the hearing into the long grass. The European People's party (EPP), the alliance of centre-right parties, had raised a number of concerns about inviting Snowden for a hearing, noting that it could endanger the transatlantic trade agreement with the US.

But on Thursday morning, the leaders of the main political groupings in the European parliament voted to invite Snowden. In the coming weeks, questions will be compiled and then forwarded to the former NSA contractor's lawyer, with roughly two questions coming from each political group.

Labour MEP Claude Moraes, the lead rapporteur for the European parliament inquiry on the mass surveillance of EU citizens, welcomed the outcome of the vote and promised that questioning would be "rigorous and fair".

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Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/12/edward-snowden-meps-vote-invite-nsa-contractor-testify

[LiberalLovinLug]

1. Why aren't there a few righties that want transparency?

I've always wondered. Maybe they are all bought and sold by the .1% that don't want their government foreign policy stooges and their goings on to be exposed. But you'd think that one or two on this side or that side of the pond would be old school Con enough or Libertarian enough or rookie enough to be on Snowden's side in exposing evil big Gov'ment secret shenanigans.

But it seems like its the Cons (even the ones on DU) who are the most vitriol in condemning Snowden and his work at showing how big Gov'ment cannot be trusted.....(especially when a Democrat is in the Whitehouse!)