Althouse: "Snowden would be amenable to coming back to the United States for the kind of plea bargain that Gen. Petraeus received."

March 4, 2015

"Snowden would be amenable to coming back to the United States for the kind of plea bargain that Gen. Petraeus received."

Said one of his legal advisers.

34 comments:

Robert Cook said...: So Holder promises Snowden "won't be given the death penalty." How fucking generous!

How about a promise Snowden will be treated as a returning hero and lavished with honors? That would be the more suitable and just guarantee...especially as the criminals in Washington involved in our they're-not-torture torture programs, our we're-not-spying-on-everyone spy-on-all programs, our kill-anything-that-moves-and-call-them-terrorist programs, our give-the-plutocrats-permanent-get-out-of-jail-free programs, etc., continue to hold their jobs, draw big paychecks, recieve generous bribes--er, perks from their lobbyist handlers, eat at fine restaurants, be treated as sages by comedy programs such as MEET THE PRESS and FACE THE NATION, rather than deal with the consequences of their crimes by living out their lives in 9' x 9' prison cells...as they should.; 3/4/15, 8:53 AM
Douglas B. Levene said...: Hahahahaha. How about this for a plea bargain: We take the death penalty off the table, and let the judge decide between 10 and 20 years.; 3/4/15, 9:30 AM
Krumhorn said...: The general was unfortunately led by his johnson in a brief moment of an otherwise distinguished and brilliant career serving in the defense of our nation.

In sharp contrast, that self-absorbed Snowden snot is a traitor.

- Krumhorn; 3/4/15, 9:57 AM
William said...: I recently saw Non Stop, the Liam Neeson movie about an air marshal and his attempt to foil a plot to detonate a bomb on a plane. In that movie, we learn the useful lesson that if there's a bomb on a plane, the culprit will not be a praying Muslim but a gung-ho veteran......In this article, we learn the useful lesson that General Patreus who gave classified info to a West Point graduate with top secret clearance is in some way the equivalent of Edward Snowden who revealed our secrets to the world.......I think Petraeus has been punished disproportionately for his offense. If Snowden wants the example of someone with a sweetheart deal, he should look to Lois Lerner. Perhaps when the dust settles, Oliver Stone can make a movie celebrating the courage of this fine woman.; 3/4/15, 10:02 AM
Anonymous said...: There is a difference between:

1. a General, who possesses classified information providing that info to another Army officer (Broadwell) has the appropriate clearance, but who does not have the appropriate "need to know" and who (Broadwell) then proceeds to store that info outside of properly secured containers.

2. A person that has no "need to know" who takes multiple steps to steal extremely classified info, transport it outside the country, and share that info with our nations enemies to the detriment of our security.; 3/4/15, 10:07 AM
Lyle said...: He should come back before Putin does something to him.; 3/4/15, 10:08 AM
mccullough said...: Petraeus lied to the FBI, but is not being charged for it. Lying to the FBI is only a crime when your underlying crime is taking steroids while playing baseball.

The problem with our country is that brown nose dorks like Petraeus are put into high positions.; 3/4/15, 10:17 AM
Anonymous said...: Blogger Robert Cook said...
So Holder promises Snowden "won't be given the death penalty." How fucking generous!
----------------------------

Snowden needs to stay in Russian helping Putin and the FSB/SVR in their fight against Western imperialism.; 3/4/15, 10:19 AM
Anonymous said...: mccullough said...
Petraeus lied to the FBI, but is not being charged for it. Lying to the FBI is only a crime when your underlying crime is taking steroids while playing baseball.

Actually no. The FBI has three basic rules

1. Don't embarrass the FBI
2. Don't lie to the FBI
3. Nothing is funny

The FBI has no sense of humor. Scooter Libby is a felon because of rule 2.

The FBI always does interview with 2 agents, only 1 asks questions. The other is a witness. Lying to the FBI is a felony. Lots of folks go to jail for the lying, not the underlying crime.

See rule 3; 3/4/15, 10:37 AM
mccullough said...: Drill Sgt,

Lots of those without political connections go to prison for lying to the FBI. Petraeus lied to the FBI, but is not being charged for it. He gave classified information to his girlfriend and when the FBI asked him if he did, he said no.

We are a nation of men, not laws. It's a joke. Petraeus has no more honor than Snowden. He never did.; 3/4/15, 10:53 AM
Anonymous said...: I disagree about the honor part, but yes, he lied to the FBI and should have been punished for it. What we don't know is if it was on the table in the plea bargain and why it was taken off, in exchange for what?

That is the general issue with justice by plea bargain. politics of the parties (little p's) make a difference in the outcome. both sides come in with agenda's and the outcome is not transparent and often yields varied results for different defendants.

why is Libby a felon for lying (misstating he recollection of events in a matter that already had a guilty party. e.g. Armitage) and why isn't the General a felon for actual lying about an actual crime?

we'll never know; 3/4/15, 11:03 AM
Robert Cook said...: "There is a difference between:

"1. a General, who possesses classified information providing that info to another Army officer (Broadwell) has the appropriate clearance, but who does not have the appropriate "need to know" and who (Broadwell) then proceeds to store that info outside of properly secured containers.

"2. A person that has no "need to know" who takes multiple steps to steal extremely classified info, transport it outside the country, and share that info with our nations enemies to the detriment of our security."

So, Sgt. Ted, you don't want to know your government is spying on everything you do?

You don't think a General should be held to the highest standard of behavior, whatever his organs of generation may be telling him to do?

The General disgraced himself; Snowden is a hero.; 3/4/15, 11:06 AM
Robert Cook said...: "why is Libby a felon for lying (misstating he recollection of events in a matter that already had a guilty party. e.g. Armitage) and why isn't the General a felon for actual lying about an actual crime?

"we'll never know"

Of course we will know: Libby knowingly lied. "Mistatement of recollection" is another lie to evade responsibility. He may have been directed to lie by Cheney, or he did so out of loyalty.

Libby is a felon and Petraeus is not because the powerful usually escape responsibility for their actions, while lower level functionaries bear all blame for theirs.; 3/4/15, 11:10 AM
Anonymous said...: cookie,

one can separate Snowden's actions into two parts.

1. whistle blowing about apparent NSA spying on US citizens, which may or may not be illegal. I generally support a broad interpretation of their powers, once having worked for them in wartime. It does appear to me that their lawyers were too creative and I think Clapper is a criminal.

2. passing extremely vital information about our perfectly legal spying on foreign threats oversea which causes serious harm to our country.

one is good, the other is bad and they don't balance out. There are mechanisms for whistle blowing. Handing info the The Chinese and Russians isn't whistleblowing.; 3/4/15, 11:13 AM
Robert Cook said...: The Hypocrisies of David Petraeus; 3/4/15, 11:39 AM
Robert Cook said...: Forget the legal question of whether the NSA's mass spying on all of us is "illegal" or not, (I believe it to be so, being secret, warrantless, and a violation of our 4th Amendment rights), aren't you outraged that our government, over which we are supposedly the masters and overseers, has been spying on us and continues to spy on us?

Aren't we the "land of the free," a land of "law, not men?"

A land where all citizens are under government surveillance all the time is not a free land; it is a lawless land.; 3/4/15, 11:44 AM
Alex said...: Cookie said..

How about a promise Snowden will be treated as a returning hero and lavished with honors?

How does it feel to live in constant delusion-land?; 3/4/15, 11:44 AM
Alex said...: If Libby is a felon, than Snowden is an uber-felon and deserves to be executed after having his balls cut off.

I'm ok with a public hanging/shooting.; 3/4/15, 11:45 AM
Revenant said...: I liked Glen Greenwald's observation that Snowden has been accused of espionage for exposing espionage against hundreds of millions of innocent American citizens.; 3/4/15, 11:46 AM
Anonymous said...: Forget the legal question of whether the NSA's mass spying on all of us is "illegal" or not, (I believe it to be so, being secret, warrantless, and a violation of our 4th Amendment rights), aren't you outraged that our government, over which we are supposedly the masters and overseers, has been spying on us and continues to spy on us?

maybe. I have concerns, but I also understand in general what they did and why most of what I read isn't illegal as long as the target does not start out with a US nexus and what is analyzed is not the actual content.

I have know problem with the real time interception of content on a call from a likely AQ number Islamabad to Binghamton. If after the fact it turns out that it was my mother in Binghamton instead of Achmed Mohammad, a Syrian Citizen, that was the US end point, we ought to try for a warrant against Mom.

In the meantime, I have no problem with tracking of call patterns between known threat IP or phone numbers and anybody.; 3/4/15, 11:55 AM
Robert Cook said...: Drill SGT: you are thinking of their previous claims--made during the Bush era, when the NY TIMES reported that they were spying on Americans--that they were only surveilling communications coming into the US from outside.

This is not what they're doing...or, to be precise, not all they're doing. They are capturing ALL electronic communications--emails, web searches, texts, phone calls--on ALL American citizens, all the time. If you are not aware this is this case, it can only be that you have paid no attention to any of the information Snowden has made available.; 3/4/15, 12:37 PM
Robert Cook said...: "'How about a promise Snowden will be treated as a returning hero and lavished with honors?'

"How does it feel to live in constant delusion-land?"

I'm not at all deluded; I know very well our government will never extend to Snowden the sort of immunity, exoneration, or merely nominal punishment it extends to its favored sons as a matter of course.; 3/4/15, 12:42 PM
mccullough said...: Obama should pardon Petraeus. Complete the circle of indifference.

I'm glad Petraeus is making a lot of money these days.

The man has no honor. He's head of the CIA and he's handing classified info to his girlfriend.

Let's not pretend that Petraeus made a "mistake." What he did was deliberate.

He's probably been lying and cheating since kindergarten.

How many good men got passed over for this disgrace? Who got passed over for West Point for this dishonorable idiot?

And he's incompetent. He got caught because his girlfriend was jealous. Good to know that the head of the CIA is so poor at intelligence.; 3/4/15, 1:37 PM
Anonymous said...: The FBI are pigs. Petraeus is a liar. I remember the cadet code of honor: "A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do." But, hey, General, I guess that after you graduate you aren't a cadet any more and that lying is AOK.; 3/4/15, 1:54 PM
Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this son of New York said...: To adopt Robert Cook's morality is to entrain upon a suicide pact.; 3/4/15, 2:07 PM
Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this son of New York said...: lying is AOK.

Lying is reserved to the Commander in Chief.; 3/4/15, 2:08 PM
David said...: Ha!

That's a good one.

But of course he would have to come back first to find out.; 3/4/15, 5:10 PM
David said...: Wayworn Wanderer said...
The FBI are pigs. Petraeus is a liar. I remember the cadet code of honor: "A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do." But, hey, General, I guess that after you graduate you aren't a cadet any more and that lying is AOK.

The general though he could rely on the venerable "pussy exception," not remembering that it had expired.; 3/4/15, 5:13 PM
NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...: Petreus didn't defect to Russia, so no.; 3/4/15, 5:44 PM
NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...: Philby thought he was in the right, too.; 3/4/15, 5:46 PM
Fen said...: How about this:

You come in now or you can expect a tap on your shoulder next month. Or maybe next year. Point is, we will find you and kill you.; 3/5/15, 12:08 AM
Brown Hornet said...: Snowden is a traitor. No different than Ames or Hannsen. F*ck him.; 3/5/15, 6:49 AM
Robert Cook said...: Interesting to see how many American citizens here are happy to be under 24 hour surveillance, and angry at those who would expose the criminal men behind the curtain.; 3/5/15, 7:20 AM
bbkingfish said...: I am gobsmacked by the logical contortions of Petraeus' apologists.

Actually, I am gobsmacked that there exist any Petraeus apologists. It can't be any fun to defend an indefensible position.; 3/5/15, 11:53 AM