Trevor Timm in the Guardian
argues that David Petraeus' crimes, inspired by adultery, are more serious than Edward Snowden's, inspired by liberty.
The sweetheart deal the Justice Department gave to former CIA director David Petraeus
for leaking top secret information compared to the stiff jail sentences
other low-level leakers have received under the Obama administration
has led to renewed calls for leniency for NSA whistleblower Edward
Snowden. And no one makes the case better than famed whistleblower
Daniel Ellsberg.
Ellsberg, the first person ever charged under the Espionage Act or
any other statute for leaking the Pentagon Papers to Congress and
seventeen newspapers, told me on Thursday: “The factual charges against
[Edward Snowden] are not more serious, as violations of the
classification regulations and non-disclosure agreements, than those
Petraeus has admitted to, which are actually quite spectacular.”
It’s hard to overstate the shocking nature of the government’s case
against Petraeus. The information that he gave Paula Broadwell, his
friendly biographer with whom he was then having an extramarital affair,
was among the most sensitive in the US government. According to the
indictment, Petraeus gave Broadwell eight black books containing
“classified information regarding the identities of covert officers, war
strategy, intelligence capabilities and mechanisms, diplomatic
discussions, quotes and deliberative discussions from high-level
National Security Council meetings … and [his personal] discussions with
the president of the United States.”
Labels: Privacy, Security, US
# posted by Philip Wadler @ 4:09 PM
