Greg Mitchell's Blog, page 251
June 25, 2013
Bradley Manning, Suddenly Fashionable
Vivienne Westwood (left), the well-known Brit clothing designer know for her, ahem, "eccentric" tendencies, dedicated her latest runway show to none other than Bradley Manning. Thank god, she didn't go so far as model camouflage pants, blue berets, or very stressed fatigues--or have a naked man come out wearing nothing but shackles. But she did have all the models were pro-Manning "truth" buttons. (Photo via The Guardian)
Awaiting Arrest of Richard Engel
Well, not really. But at least awaiting David Gregory asking his NBC colleague Richard Engel if he thinks he should face jail time for his major June 6 story--based on leak classified intel docs--on CIA not knowing who the hell it's killing in many of its drone strikes. It helped give U.S. enormous black eye. Prison time for the journo, right? Based on apparent standards of "Stretch" Gregory and many others in the media, seemingly. Here's part of his report below. Man, then they can go after Mike Isikoff, right?
Also, New York magazine covers how Engel claimed "exclusive" when McClatchy first reported it weeks earlier based on same docs.
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Also, New York magazine covers how Engel claimed "exclusive" when McClatchy first reported it weeks earlier based on same docs.
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Man Who Sold Sandy Hook Weapons Pleads Guilty
The gun shop staffer who sold Nancy Lanza two of the weapons used in the Sandy Hook massacre has now pleaded guilty to federal gun charges--on another violation, for weapon sold at the same time.
Krystopher Dibella, the man who sold the Bushmaster rifle used by Adam Lanza in the Newtown massacre, has pleaded guilty to a federal charge stemming from a gun sale at Riverview Gun Sales, which was raided days after the massacre.
Dibella pleaded guilty Monday afternoon in federal court in Bridgeport to aiding and abetting a failure to make a proper entry on an ATF 4473 form, which is a firearms transaction form.
The offense occurred March 15, 2010, the court clerk’s office said, the same date Nancy Lanza began her purchase of the rifle.
Dibella is a former employee of Riverview Gun Sales in East Windsor, Conn., a store raided by the ATF in the wake of the Newtown massacre.
It's 'Terminal'
Fun NYT report from Moscow airport. "The airport transit area here where Edward J. Snowden, the fugitive American national security contractor, is believed to be planning his next move, has a Burger King, TGI Friday’s and panoply of coffee shops...A group of Japanese men sat on the floor into the afternoon alongside several empty and nearly empty whiskey bottles....Many reporters, with purchased plane tickets that have given them access to the area, have spent sleepless nights patrolling the long halls of the transit zone, looking for witnesses among the janitors, cashiers and flight attendants....At times, the quest took on an air of desperation: reporters from a Russian tabloid covertly took photographs of a correspondent for The New York Times, then showed them to her and explained that they thought she might be Sarah Harrison, the WikiLeaks adviser who is believed to be traveling with Mr. Snowden."
Below: until now, the most famous passenger trapped in a terminal.
Below: until now, the most famous passenger trapped in a terminal.
Sorkin 'Regrets' Comment on Greenwald
We covered this yesterday--Andrew Ross Sorkin declaring that maybe (almost) Glenn Greenwald should be arrested for maybe (almost) aiding Snowden. Now he has offered this foot-in-mouth analysis. Blames it on having to do three hours of live TV a day.
On 'The Inside'
Jonathan Landay of McClatchy on that important "Insider Threat" piece I wrote about yesterday, here at Democracy Now!
June 24, 2013
Weiner, With All the Trimmings
NYT finally posts that Michael Barbaro piece about Anthony Weiner and the women he hurt--you remember, they first posted it before it was "ready" and then pulled it, with some portions recovered by web detectives. It's a lot shorter than most probably figured, so you have to wonder what might have been trimmed or revised.
The press lined up outside of her house and showed up at her casino, causing her to miss work for weeks. One night, she turned on the television to find the HBO host Bill Maher and the actress Jane Lynch performing a dramatic reading of the bawdy messages. Ms. Weiss, an avowed Maher fan, said she sat in her living room crying. While coping with the onslaught, she drank heavy amounts of alcohol, a habit that persists.
“I obsess about it,” she said, “every day.”
Bill Keller, 'Liberal Hawk' Again
As I've noted perhaps too many times before, former top NYT editor Bill Keller disgraced himself by promoting the invasion of Iraq from his column at the Times, calling himself a "reluctant" liberal hawk. And you know where that got us. He has since on one or two occasions defended his view, or explained it, or halfways said he blew it, but never (it seemed) with any sincerity as he continued to berate his critics--that is, those of us who were right on this score. Now, in recent weeks, he has again come out as hawkish on Syria, first with his infamous Syria-is-now-Iraq piece, and in columns since.
Today he gets a little closer to the action, from Turkey, but still has it wrong, calling for stronger U.S. action even if we get embroiled for years and with little hope of much success. You know: Let's do something. Like we did in Iraq.
Today he gets a little closer to the action, from Turkey, but still has it wrong, calling for stronger U.S. action even if we get embroiled for years and with little hope of much success. You know: Let's do something. Like we did in Iraq.
Snowden's Flight: The Monday Live-Blog
As I did yesterday, I'll be updating often on Edward Snowden and issues related.
6:05 Another good and vital commentary from John Cassidy at The New Yorker on Snowden case, and the MSM "outrage" over him and Greenwald. "Having spent almost eighteen years at The New Yorker, I’m arguably just as much a part of the media establishment as David Gregory and his guests. In this case, though, I’m with Snowden—for the reasons that [Thomas]Drake enumerated, but also because of an old-fashioned and maybe naïve inkling that journalists are meant to stick up for the underdog and irritate the powerful. On its side, the Obama Administration has the courts, the intelligence services, Congress, the diplomatic service, much of the media, and most of the American public. Snowden’s got Greenwald, a woman from Wikileaks, and a dodgy travel document from Ecuador. Which side are you on?"
3:40 Andrew Ross Sorkin (left) was caught saying on Morning Joe today re: Snowden and Greenwald: "I would arrest him and now I’d almost arrest Glenn Greenwald, the journalist who seems to be out there, he wants to help him get to Ecuador." When various journos called him on it, he disgraced himself further, by tweeting the following (like David Gregory, wanting to get the idea out there--"almost" endorse it--then claim he was musing): "@ggreenwald just to be 100% clear: i am not saying you or any journalists should be arrested. i'm FOR transparency. i was raising other q's."
3:30 A little "pilot humor" spotted by a New York magazine writer at Twitter: @HenrySchulman: "Pilot came on PA and said, 'Is there an Edward Snowden on board? If so, please ring your call button.'"
1:50 Amnesty Int'l officially declares: U.S. Must Not 'Hunt Down' Snowden. Or prosecute him. "The organization also believes that the National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower could be at risk of ill-treatment if extradited to the USA.
"No one should be charged under any law for disclosing information of human rights violations by the US government. Such disclosures are protected under the rights to information and freedom of expression," said Widney Brown, Senior Director of International Law and Policy at Amnesty International.
1:00 Key new detail in Wash Post tick-tock on Snowden's mysterious departure from Hong Kong: His "preferred" beverage of choice is Pepsi. So let's see if their stock rises or falls tomorrow. Pepsi Veneration.
12:30 That Hong Kong newspaper that hung out with Snowden finally published today part of interview from a week ago, in which he admits that he took that job with contractor Booz, Allen, specifically to get access to more docs. This was after he made initial contact with journos re: what he already had.
12:20 p.m. At White House presser, Jay Carney says U.S. still twisting Russia's arm; Snowden is a "fugitive"; China's actions will certainly hurt relatons; more.
11:40 Headline on new NYT story: "For Snowden, a Hasty Exit Started With Pizza Inside a Hong Kong Hideout." Supposedly Snowden decided to take flight when lawyer told him that he could end up in jail for a couple years while asylum in Hong Kong was being decided--without a computer! He didn't mind being in jail-like apartment, because had laptop, but if no access...
11:10 Charles Pierce almost outdoes even himself in his post today on yesterday's infamous Gregory-Greenwald encounter: "This was a career defining moment. It's rare that someone reveals himself quite as clearly as the Dancin' Master does in that little by-play. He will 'debate' who is or is not a journalist, and the rest of us can wait under the balcony and wait for scraps. The clearly batty Peggy Noonan is a journalist, but Glenn Greenwald may not be. Journalism has sickened itself with respectability, debilitated itself with manners, crippled itself with politesse, and David Gregory may well be Patient Zero for all of this. As my Irish grandmother used to say, mother of god, who the hell is he when he's at home?" And it's time to revisit Gregory dancing with famed rapper, Karl Rove.
11:00 As we noted below, bunch of journos on that plane to Cuba, without booze, and without Snowden. Topping them: The Guardian reports, "The Guardian's Rory Carroll, who recently published his biography of the late Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, is traveling to Ecuador on the chance that Snowden will turn up there." In a tweet, Carroll quoted "Waiting for Godot."
10:40 Later in the media phoner: Assange reveals (as I predicted yesterday0 that Snowden applied for asylum to countries beyond Ecuador. That's why I've never considered Ecuador as certain landing spot.
10:15 In media phoner, still going on, WikiLeaks says Snowden is safe and well but they won't disclose location.
10:00 My new piece at The Nation on the major McClatchy scoop on Obama's "Inside Threat Program."
9:15 Important Jay Rosen post on David Gregory vs. Glenn Greenwald (and all journalists). Gregory's premises "packed a punch." Claiming that journos "aid and abet" sources is how severe crackdown on all begins. "Gregory’s attempts to separate Greenwald from normal practice matter." And 12 other points.
8:50 Sad: The Guardian says this is the empty Snowden seat on the plane (via Reuters). AP has its own, slightly more arty, pic. See below for journos on board without him. Well, they'll get some good flan out of it in Havana maybe. Update: We have learned that no booze served on this flight. Journos, of all people-- bamboozled and boozeless!
8:45 Secy of State John Kerry complains that U.S. has returned 7 bad guys to Russia so come on, Putin. Meanwhile, WikiLeaks spokesman defends Ecuador's record on press freedoms, which one list places in top (bottom) ten.
8:35 Ecuador says Snowden cites probable persecution in U.S. for his reason for seeking asylum. Its foreign minister at press conference won't disclose where he is and reveals they are still considering his request. Also, they want to have good relations with the U.S. And WikiLeaks lays out his legal case. L.A. Times: How the U.S. tried to keep Snowden in Hong Kong and failed. Meanwhile,
8:05 a.m. Well, that's interesting. That Moscow-to-Cuba flight has left he building and Edward Snowden was not on board this morning. WikiLeaks said yesterday he had a ticket to ride, possibly with one of its staffers. It could be that he's just working out details of asylum in Ecuador or the U.S. has got Russia to hold on to him, or something. "Mr. Snowden has not been seen publicly or photographed since his reported arrival in Moscow on Sunday afternoon from Hong Kong."
Love this:
6:05 Another good and vital commentary from John Cassidy at The New Yorker on Snowden case, and the MSM "outrage" over him and Greenwald. "Having spent almost eighteen years at The New Yorker, I’m arguably just as much a part of the media establishment as David Gregory and his guests. In this case, though, I’m with Snowden—for the reasons that [Thomas]Drake enumerated, but also because of an old-fashioned and maybe naïve inkling that journalists are meant to stick up for the underdog and irritate the powerful. On its side, the Obama Administration has the courts, the intelligence services, Congress, the diplomatic service, much of the media, and most of the American public. Snowden’s got Greenwald, a woman from Wikileaks, and a dodgy travel document from Ecuador. Which side are you on?"
3:40 Andrew Ross Sorkin (left) was caught saying on Morning Joe today re: Snowden and Greenwald: "I would arrest him and now I’d almost arrest Glenn Greenwald, the journalist who seems to be out there, he wants to help him get to Ecuador." When various journos called him on it, he disgraced himself further, by tweeting the following (like David Gregory, wanting to get the idea out there--"almost" endorse it--then claim he was musing): "@ggreenwald just to be 100% clear: i am not saying you or any journalists should be arrested. i'm FOR transparency. i was raising other q's." 3:30 A little "pilot humor" spotted by a New York magazine writer at Twitter: @HenrySchulman: "Pilot came on PA and said, 'Is there an Edward Snowden on board? If so, please ring your call button.'"
1:50 Amnesty Int'l officially declares: U.S. Must Not 'Hunt Down' Snowden. Or prosecute him. "The organization also believes that the National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower could be at risk of ill-treatment if extradited to the USA.
"No one should be charged under any law for disclosing information of human rights violations by the US government. Such disclosures are protected under the rights to information and freedom of expression," said Widney Brown, Senior Director of International Law and Policy at Amnesty International.
1:00 Key new detail in Wash Post tick-tock on Snowden's mysterious departure from Hong Kong: His "preferred" beverage of choice is Pepsi. So let's see if their stock rises or falls tomorrow. Pepsi Veneration.
12:30 That Hong Kong newspaper that hung out with Snowden finally published today part of interview from a week ago, in which he admits that he took that job with contractor Booz, Allen, specifically to get access to more docs. This was after he made initial contact with journos re: what he already had.
12:20 p.m. At White House presser, Jay Carney says U.S. still twisting Russia's arm; Snowden is a "fugitive"; China's actions will certainly hurt relatons; more.
11:40 Headline on new NYT story: "For Snowden, a Hasty Exit Started With Pizza Inside a Hong Kong Hideout." Supposedly Snowden decided to take flight when lawyer told him that he could end up in jail for a couple years while asylum in Hong Kong was being decided--without a computer! He didn't mind being in jail-like apartment, because had laptop, but if no access...
11:10 Charles Pierce almost outdoes even himself in his post today on yesterday's infamous Gregory-Greenwald encounter: "This was a career defining moment. It's rare that someone reveals himself quite as clearly as the Dancin' Master does in that little by-play. He will 'debate' who is or is not a journalist, and the rest of us can wait under the balcony and wait for scraps. The clearly batty Peggy Noonan is a journalist, but Glenn Greenwald may not be. Journalism has sickened itself with respectability, debilitated itself with manners, crippled itself with politesse, and David Gregory may well be Patient Zero for all of this. As my Irish grandmother used to say, mother of god, who the hell is he when he's at home?" And it's time to revisit Gregory dancing with famed rapper, Karl Rove.
11:00 As we noted below, bunch of journos on that plane to Cuba, without booze, and without Snowden. Topping them: The Guardian reports, "The Guardian's Rory Carroll, who recently published his biography of the late Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, is traveling to Ecuador on the chance that Snowden will turn up there." In a tweet, Carroll quoted "Waiting for Godot."
10:40 Later in the media phoner: Assange reveals (as I predicted yesterday0 that Snowden applied for asylum to countries beyond Ecuador. That's why I've never considered Ecuador as certain landing spot.
10:15 In media phoner, still going on, WikiLeaks says Snowden is safe and well but they won't disclose location.
10:00 My new piece at The Nation on the major McClatchy scoop on Obama's "Inside Threat Program."
9:15 Important Jay Rosen post on David Gregory vs. Glenn Greenwald (and all journalists). Gregory's premises "packed a punch." Claiming that journos "aid and abet" sources is how severe crackdown on all begins. "Gregory’s attempts to separate Greenwald from normal practice matter." And 12 other points.
8:50 Sad: The Guardian says this is the empty Snowden seat on the plane (via Reuters). AP has its own, slightly more arty, pic. See below for journos on board without him. Well, they'll get some good flan out of it in Havana maybe. Update: We have learned that no booze served on this flight. Journos, of all people-- bamboozled and boozeless! 8:45 Secy of State John Kerry complains that U.S. has returned 7 bad guys to Russia so come on, Putin. Meanwhile, WikiLeaks spokesman defends Ecuador's record on press freedoms, which one list places in top (bottom) ten.
8:35 Ecuador says Snowden cites probable persecution in U.S. for his reason for seeking asylum. Its foreign minister at press conference won't disclose where he is and reveals they are still considering his request. Also, they want to have good relations with the U.S. And WikiLeaks lays out his legal case. L.A. Times: How the U.S. tried to keep Snowden in Hong Kong and failed. Meanwhile,
8:05 a.m. Well, that's interesting. That Moscow-to-Cuba flight has left he building and Edward Snowden was not on board this morning. WikiLeaks said yesterday he had a ticket to ride, possibly with one of its staffers. It could be that he's just working out details of asylum in Ecuador or the U.S. has got Russia to hold on to him, or something. "Mr. Snowden has not been seen publicly or photographed since his reported arrival in Moscow on Sunday afternoon from Hong Kong."
Love this:
Although there were a scattering of tourists carrying bags from the duty-free shops preparing to board the plane, a large number of the passengers were journalists trailing Mr. Snowden on the Russia-to-Cuba leg of his extraordinary odyssey, which began early Sunday when he fled his hideout in Hong Kong.
Several journalists carrying American passports were ejected from the aircraft because of visa requirements to visit Cuba.
June 23, 2013
Bobby "Blue" Bland, R.I.P.
America loses one of its great singers. Here he does his true classic "I'll Take Care of You," later memorably recorded by Van Morrison.
