The Edward Snowden Affair by Michael Gurnow

The Edward Snowden Affair by Michael Gurnow

Author:Michael Gurnow [Gurnow, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Legal, Nonfiction, Political, Retail
ISBN: 9781935628736
Publisher: Blue River Press
Published: 2014-07-24T04:00:00+00:00


Chapter 7

Black Rain

“The immoral cannot be made moral through the use of secret law.”

–Edward Snowden, public statement made during the G9 meeting, July 12, 20131

The fallout was catastrophic, but it could have all been avoided if it hadn’t been for seven people.

After declaring on July 19, “We [the White House] call on the Russian government to cease its campaign of pressure against individuals and groups seeking to expose corruption, and to ensure that the universal human rights and fundamental freedoms of all of its citizens, including the freedoms of speech and assembly, are protected and respected,”2 Press Secretary Jay Carney produced the U.S. government’s first official response to Snowden’s asylum shortly after Russia granted the whistleblower his freedom. Washington’s fatigue and exasperation was obvious. Carney issued the subdued statement, “[ … ] we are extremely disappointed by this decision by Russian authorities” before glibly inserting, “This move by the Russian government undermines a longstanding record of law enforcement cooperation.”3

Various U.S. senators went on record. Charles Schumer announced, “Russia has stabbed us in the back.” Former presidential candidate John McCain proclaimed, “We cannot allow today’s action by Putin to stand without serious repercussions.” Lindsey Graham stood by his previous call to boycott the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, if Snowden wasn’t returned to the United States.4 The latter two congressmen also suggested ignoring America’s nuclear disarmament agreement with Russia.5 They called for the completion of the last phase of America’s European missile-defense program. In anticipation of Russia providing Snowden safe harbor,6 several politicians had already begun to pressure the president7 to cancel his meeting with Putin, which was scheduled to take place before the commencement of the G20 Summit in Moscow on September 5 in Saint Petersburg. Carney reported that the White House was now “evaluating the utility” of a pre-summit conversation.

The U.S. government immediately set out to engage in damage control as it had attempted but failed to do the day before.

Hours after news agencies across the globe started reporting Snowden had been granted asylum, CNN announced8 the U.S. would be—in an “unprecedented” move—closing 22 embassies and consulates on August 4. Two days later, the motive for the security precaution was unveiled. U.S. intelligence had intercepted a message by senior-level al-Qaeda operatives which suggested a planned attack.9 CNN obliged the Obama administration’s request not to broadcast any further details concerning the matter due to “the sensitivity of the information.”10

National Security Analyst Peter Bergen and Bailey Cahall, a research associate at the New America Foundation (where Bergen is a director), offered a reason for the heightened security alert in their op-ed CNN piece, “What’s behind the timing of the terror threat.”11 They state that it is the date, August 4, which—in the authors’ determination—is “seen by al Qaeda’s would-be martyrs as a particularly auspicious day to die.” This is because August 4 is when the holiest of holy days, Laylat al-Qadr or the “Night of Destiny” during Islam’s hallowed month, Ramadan, would take place in 2013. A photographic history of attacks by Islamic extremists accompanies the report.



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