By Jaime Ortega.
Snowden Supported Centrist Senator Ron Paul.
Edward Snowden, a young 29-year-old has pushed Barack Obama against the ropes in what is already the worst crisis of his presidency, with multiple political and diplomatic implications that presage even greater difficulties for the administration in the coming weeks. Snowden, responsible for the leaks about the secret surveillance of U.S. communication networks, is now somewhere, possibly in Hong Kong waiting to find a future safe haven while the U.S. and Chinese authorities decide his future.
Identifying Snowden, a subcontractor of the CIA involved in espionage services, has shock the entire ruling class. Not only the White House, but the rest of the Administration and Congress, have expressed different opinions in the leakage. The Government has been limited to a brief note announced by the Director of National Intelligence that proposes an investigation into what happened, without details of its scope or intent.
Obama, has been on defensive mode since they met at the end of last week’s massive spy secret programs, faced with an impossible situation.
An act signed against Snowden, has been issued to capture and judicially prosecute him as a traitor of state. But has open a war against those who may soon be recognized him as a hero to ignore a leak of such importance, however, does not seem a viable option.
Billed as the continuity of the antiterrorist policy of his predecessor, that first took off with George W. Bush, Obama may find it difficult to explain how state secrets such as citizen surveillance cannot harm his present reputation as a “people’s president”
Snowden a man with computer and adequate access has ultimately threatened the secret service, some politicians and to some extent, the powerful American media, all drifting after the audacity for him to provide vital information to the newspaper The Guardian that gave him coverage thanks primarily to the principal author of these reports, Glenn Greenwald, a lawyer and civil rights expert blogger since last year.
There are still many questions on this story: Why The Guardian revealed the name of its source? Why now? Did Snowden avowed purpose or not? Why did he leave his luxurious life in Hawaii to escape to Hong Kong? And precisely why Hong Kong? But these questions have, for the moment, are minor compared to the magnitude of the secrets that Snowden brought to light and the fact that a second-tier subcontractor is able to access those secrets.
With such gesture, its become something suicidal because he may have to spend the rest of his life running from U.S. justice. Snowden has highlighted the abuse of power by a government that acts on the backs of its citizens, and the extension of structures and security methods implemented by the previous administration. And has shown the vulnerability of the secret service. As not far apart a lawsuit against Private Bradley Manning for leaking secrets to Wikileaks had already been issued.
Snowden’s case is somewhat different from Manning, although both confess that they acted on behalf of the health of democracy and the interests of U.S. citizens. “When you realize that the world you helped create will be worse for the next generation and to the following, is hard to extend the capabilities of this architecture of oppression, and understand that you need to accept any risk regardless of the consequences” said Snowden in a video published by The Guardian.
The Washington Post also contacted Snowden, who had adopted the codename Verax, but the newspaper reported on Monday that a person registered as Snowden had left the Hong Kong hotel where he was recently staying .
Snowden’s past reflects his passion for intrigue and good deeds. He joined the Army in 2003 to participate in the Iraq war, but left soon after, according to him, disappointed by the priorities and military philosophy. Other media have known that he was discharged after breaking both of his legs in training.
From there began he began a pilgrimage to several private companies that assist the U.S. government in spying-a phenomenon characteristic by intense security for the last decade. The last one, is Booz Allen Hamilton, on whose payroll the administration billed 1,300 million for assistance in intelligence missions.
Previously, Snowden worked as an infiltrator for the National Security Agency (NSA) at the University of Maryland, and as a CIA computer specialist in Geneva and Japan. Until mid-May, when he left the place with the excuse of a personal problem to move to Hong Kong, while he was still based in Hawaii with a salary of $ 200,000 annually. His mother, who suffers from epilepsy, is an assistant to a federal court in Maryland.
Obama has to decide what is the best political solution right now.
Snowden’s only political link is now known, as was discovered yesterday by The Washington Post, were last year he contributed $ 250 to the presidential campaign of Ron Paul, a libertarian in ideology and congressman who participated in the GOP primary to radically change the anti-state program. Ron Paul’s son, Rand Paul, Republican congressman also has announced its intention to sue the Government for the programs discovered by Snowden.
Is not clear yet what steps can the Government take against this young man. Although they may bring charges against him, he can not be judged until he is on U.S. territory. To achieve this, he would have to deal first with Hong Kong’s authority and the sovereign Chinese government state that could forcefully push him out the embassy.
