Former CIA Director James Woolsey has one wish for the holidays: for Edward Snowden to be tried for treason and “hanged.” That was Woolsey’s response to the suggestion of amnesty for Snowden.Of course, the National Intelligence Director can commit perjury and CIA officials can lie to Congress without nary an investigation let alone prosecution. Intelligence officials can run a torture program in violation of treaties and international law without punishment. CIA officials can openly destroy evidence so that it cannot be used against them in a criminal case and continue in office without penalty. The CIA director can even reveal classified evidence to a filmmaker working on a pro-torture movie. All of that is perfectly correct, but Snowden must die.
Woolsey was appearing with former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Hugh Shelton when he proclaimed that Snowden “should be prosecuted for treason. If convicted by a jury of his peers, he should be hanged by his neck until he is dead.”
Of course, Woolsey’s attitude toward holding CIA officials accountable is a bit more generous. When Congress demanded repercussions after the Aldrich Ames disaster on Woolsey’s watch, he refused and said “[s]ome have clamored for heads to roll in order that we could say that heads have rolled. Sorry, that’s not my way.” No, your way is hang whistleblowers while shielding intelligence officials.
After the Snowden disclosures, Congress has pledged reforms. The White House has admitted abuses. Now a federal judge has declared the entire program to be unconstitutional. Yet, Woolsey wants Snowden dead. Welcome back to America’s Animal Farm.
Dear Mr. Turley
Thank you for your good work. I really appreciate it
And a very Merry Christmas to you too, Mr Woolsey!
Swathmoremom’s video, titled “John Bolton: Hang Snowden From A Tall Oak Tree.” reminded me of a song.
The original song “Tie a Yellow Ribbon” by Tony Orlando & Dawn. Now re-recorded by John Bolton with back-up vocals by James Woolsey:
Chorus:
Hang a yellow traitor from the old oak tree
It’s been one long year
He should not be free!
If I don’t see him hangin from the old oak tree
Toss him under the bus
Forget what’s just
Put the blame on Turley
If I don’t see Ed Snowden hanging from the old oak tree
Arthur wrote:
“…Obviously, now once he was no longer in personal danger, he decided to become a war hawk…”
~+~
Chicken hawk comes to my mind.
If we request our government to try Woolsey for treason and punish him by hanging then we are lawfully petitioning our government for redress of grievances. If we volunteer to do the hanging in the absence of a trial then we are putting ourselves up sh!t creek without a paddle. So be careful out there.
Us dogs understand the Animal Farm. But then there is the Animal Fair.
Actually, Woolsey and Bolton should be imprisoned and interrogated using according to Dick Cheney, “harsh methods”, such as waterboarding, to see just what plots and how many others have been involved with their evildoing. Then they should be given a fair trial, “and a proper hanging”.
Excellent idea Murray. Unlike both of them, I AM willing to do the dirty work of actually carrying out their execution since that is what I advocate. I don’t ask any person to do something that I would not be willing to personally do myself.
” The fine public servant Woolsey of course meant hanging ONLY IF CONVICTED OF TREASON!”
I read the Turley post and it was clear to me that Woolsey made a conditional statement dependent on conviction.
I am still deeply concerned at the Woolsey statement and consider it an outrageous attempt to smear the name of Snowden, one of the few great heroes of our time.
I appreciate Turley for bringing to our attention the most important fact of the Woolsey statement – that this former high government official has no respect for the constitution rights of American citizens or those who take courageous action to preserver them.
We can all give a moment of thanks that we have men like Snowden on the side of ordinary citizens and men like Turley to defend them and report on their actions.
As a Vietnam era veteran who volunteered for active duty in the military, I always like to check on the background of such people as Woolsey and Bolton. Guess there should be NO surprise to any that they BOTH fought to stay OUT of the war. Bolton dodged the draft by joining the National Guard, and at least Woolsey had the decency at the time of not supporting the war and running from the draft. Obviously, now once he was no longer in personal danger, he decided to become a war hawk. That shows the mark of a hypocritical coward and so his words should be judge by his deeds.
As for Bolton, I think he has the wrong person to be at the end of a hangman’s rope. It should be him.
Typical misleading spin – to be expected. The fine public servant Woolsey of course meant hanging ONLY IF CONVICTED OF TREASON!
Treason carries the death penalty and has a very high bar indeed.
Mr. Turley should read his own post – ““…should be prosecuted for treason. If convicted by a jury of his peers, he should be hanged by his neck until he is dead.”
This is the future of ‘Journalism’ – misleading headlines to draw page hits and revenue, or vanish.
It is amazing that some people think it is actually worth a few minutes of their time to listen to the likes of “bonkers bolton” and his ilk.
Pretty much the same ideation of my violent husband when I revealed his threats and assault upon me to the police: reporting crime is bad, committing them not so much. I believe the term used for such backward thinking is narcissistic projection.
I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.
~ Last words of Nathan Hale, Captain Continental Army, 22Sept1776
Dear Mr. Woolsey/Bolton be careful what you wish for karma is a real SOB.
EFF Statement on President’s Review Group’s NSA Report
December 18, 2013 | By Rebecca Jeschke
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/12/eff-statement-presidents-review-groups-nsa-report
Summary and recommendations, posted by Charles Savage:
http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/929267-review-group-exec-summary-and-recs.html
“LIBERTY AND SECURITY IN A CHANGING WORLD 12 December, 2013 Report and Recommendations of The President’s Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technologies”
http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2013-12-12_rg_final_report.pdf
Strange, that’s exactly what I’d like to see applied to Woolsey and his neoconservative friends if a firing squad isn’t available.
Jill says,
“As a nation, our powerful class is out of control. To continually present the situation as one of party politics is a form of propagandizing our people. The powerful don’t have a party, they use parties to deliberately obfuscate their power. We must stop buying their propaganda and see things as they are. ”
Bingo!!
Snowden = lawful defender of US Constitution = patriot
Bolton/Woolsey = unlawful usurper of power = traitor