Classified Information

Of course. Next question is do they have the level of clearance required?  Last question is do they have a need to know? For most, the answer is no they do not.

Forget what you think you know, saw in the news, or in movies. Of concern, are only 3 levels.

CONFIDENTIAL


SECRET


and TOP SECRET.


How and why someone gets/has a clearance does not matter. Only this does.

When you are given access to classified information, you sign a non disclosure agreement with the Unites States Government. Here is a blank form for you to read.

Standard Form 312

It's just that simple. From the President on down, everybody signs at least one. Some sign a truckload of them over their life. It never expires.

Several members of Congress have raised questions about Snowden's access to the PRISM program that I agree with. He had way more access than he should have. If Congress noted it, you KNOW everybody in the intelligence community did too. So whoever gave Snowden unauthorized access, is frying like bacon in a pan. I'll bet money on it.

As for Snowden, I care only about what he did. He willfully and intentionally disclosed classified information. Even worse, to a foreign nations media. Now he's on a world tour.

If you ever suspect an individual of doing something illegal, who do you call? You call the Cops, right? Well what if it's the Federal Government? You still call the Cops. Just the Federal ones, or FBI.

I had a secret clearance once. When I worked at Naval Security Station in DC. In my one post I agreed that Snowden is a traitor. He should be tried as such. I still do not agree with what Obama was doing. Like I said before. Snowden had other avenues to pursue in whistle blowing. Actually all Snowden would have to have done is let his congressmen know what was going on.

I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with what Snowden did, but I'm not sure telling a congressman anything would do any good. For one thing, if the congressman wasn't cleared for that information, Snowden would still be facing the same charges and if the congressman was cleared, he probably already knew. For a second, I'm not sure most congressmen would do anything about it... if anything they'd use it to help their own careers or financial standing. And third, if that congressman was in on it or reports what Snowden did to some other official who was, Snowden would most likely have meet with some deadly "accident" and we'd have never know about it at all.

First off, Snowden didn't blow the whistle on anybody. This isn't a matter of the government getting caught conducting illegal activities, classified or not. The government was not doing anything illegal.

What the government was doing, was sensitive to say the least, and highly classified. Knowing beforehand what he was doing was illegal, and wrong, he still willfully and intentionally divulged said information to a foreign nations media, not to mention our own.

Someone asked me if there was oversight on this program, and I was floored. I'm not sure I even answered. There is oversight on everything our government does. The duties are split between the House and Senate. The Judiciary has oversight of both the Executive and Legislative branches. WE THE PEOPLE are charged with oversight of all three branches. This WAS High School Civics.

eber322 wrote:

I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with what Snowden did, but I'm not sure telling a congressman anything would do any good. For one thing, if the congressman wasn't cleared for that information, Snowden would still be facing the same charges and if the congressman was cleared, he probably already knew. For a second, I'm not sure most congressmen would do anything about it... if anything they'd use it to help their own careers or financial standing. And third, if that congressman was in on it or reports what Snowden did to some other official who was, Snowden would most likely have meet with some deadly "accident" and we'd have never know about it at all.

All Congressmen are cleared. Matter of fact they can reveal secrets of the United States in the well of the house and not get into trouble I believe. If someone proves me wrong so be it.

eber322 wrote:

For one thing, if the congressman wasn't cleared for that information, Snowden would still be facing the same charges and if the congressman was cleared, he probably already knew.

Exactly right. If said congressman wasn't cleared, they will start asking other congressmen if they heard about the project, and so on. Sooner or later, they will find one that does know. But now it's a matter of national security how they all found out.

If said congressman was in fact cleared, then they were part of the oversight committee and knew about it. But this time, it's a matter of why is Snowden approaching them over such a classified operation instead of using normal channels (Potential security threat/leak).

The Committees involved are the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

All, by law, are allowed to disavow any knowledge of anything, outside of some classified meeting(s) in either the House or Senate.

Bandit wrote:

eber322 wrote:

For one thing, if the congressman wasn't cleared for that information, Snowden would still be facing the same charges and if the congressman was cleared, he probably already knew.

Exactly right. If said congressman wasn't cleared, they will start asking other congressmen if they heard about the project, and so on. Sooner or later, they will find one that does know. But now it's a matter of national security how they all found out.

If said congressman was in fact cleared, then they were part of the oversight committee and knew about it. But this time, it's a matter of why is Snowden approaching them over such a classified operation instead of using normal channels (Potential security threat/leak).

The Committees involved are the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

All, by law, are allowed to disavow any knowledge of anything, outside of some classified meeting(s) in either the House or Senate.

What Snowden is claiming but yet to prove is that without warrants people were listening in on phone calls and reading emails. He himself said he done that. If that is true it is a clear violation of the 4th amendment. But all these scandals were really a distraction. By the left and right to pass amnesty.