Epstein Secrets

Intelligence Committee on March 12, 2013. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) of the Committee asked the spy master if the NSA collected data on Americans. Clapper answered that the NSA did not knowingly “collect any type of data” on millions of Americans. Clapper’s answer was clearly untrue. However, it did not

ier that the NSA did not collect phone data in America. This warrant would allow the Guardian, in the best tradition of “Gotcha” journalism, to catch Clapper in an apparent lie. Continuing his string-pulling, he instructed Poitras not to show the FISA warrant to Greenwald until they were safely aboard the

e authorized Greenwald’s trip to Hong Kong on the condition that he take with him a Guardian staffer in whom she had confidence. He was Scottish-born Ewen MacAskill, a 61-year old veteran journalist who had been the Washington bureau chief for the Guardian. His assignment was to evaluate the mystery source in Hon

ing records for ninety days to the NSA. It was as close to a smoking gun as anything he had copied at the NSA. It would also get atten- tion because James Clapper, the director of national intelligence, had stated before Congress just two months earlier that the NSA did not collect phone data in America. This w

ier that the NSA did not collect phone data in America. This warrant would allow The Guard- ian, in the best tradition of gotcha journalism, to catch Clapper in an apparent lie. Continuing his string pulling, Snowden instructed Poitras not to show the FISA warrant to Greenwald until they were safely aboar

on authorized Greenwald’s trip to Hong Kong on the con- dition that he take with him a Guardian staffer in whom she had confidence, the Scottish-born Ewen MacAskill, a sixty-one-year-old veteran journalist who had been the Washington bureau chief for The Guardian. His assignment was to evaluate the bona fides of

Snowden supporters, described the NSA activities exposed by Snowden as part of a vast criminal conspiracy involv- ing, among others, President Obama, James Clapper, the director of national intelligence, and both Democratic and Republican members of the congressional oversight committees. It further derided any

VERSIGHT_019617 130 | HOW AMERICA LOST ITS SECRETS per answered that the NSA did not knowingly “collect any type of data” on millions of Americans. Clapper’s answer was clearly untrue, but it did not mislead Senator Wyden or any other members of the Senate Intelligence Committee; Clapper had truthfully t

feature- @ length documentary, Citizenfour, which would be commercially @ released in October 2014 and win an Academy Award for her. The next day, Ewen MacAskill, whom Poitras had not wanted Greenwald to bring to the initial meeting, joined Poitras and Green- wald in Snowden’s room. Snowden insisted that MacAs

vey Oswald (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1978), 64-104. 129 Clapper answered that: The transcript was published by The Washington Post, Jan. 29, 2014. For Clapper’s earlier closed-door testimony, see Steven Aftergood, “The Clapper ‘Lie’ and the Senate Intelligence Committee,” FAS, Jan. 6, 2014. 130 On his appl

vernment, and defected to Russia. See Edward Jay Epstein, Legend: The Secret World of Lee Har- vey Oswald (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1978), 64-104. 129 Clapper answered that: The transcript was published by The Washington Post, Jan. 29, 2014. For Clapper’s earlier closed-door testimony, see Steven Aftergood,

inor subterfuge: Hosenball, “NSA Contractor Hired Snowden Despite Concerns About Resume Discrepancies.” 76 “playing with fire”: Spencer Ackerman and Ewen MacAskill, “Snowden Calls @ for Whistleblower After Claims by New Pentagon Source,” Guardian, May 22, @ 2016. 76 establish a paper trail: Director of Nationa

that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies” in the fifth volume of his autobiography Closing the Ring, (Houghton Mifflin, 1951) 36. “Clapper answered that the NSA...”—the transcript was published by the Washington Post, January 29, 2014. For Clapper’s earlier closed door testimony, see Ste

need for a face-to-face meeting with Snowden. Even after he had revealed his true identity to Poitras and Greenwald on June 2™ 2013, Guardian editor Ewen MacAskill offered him the option of remaining an unnamed source for the stories. He said, as he later told Vanity Fair. “You should remain anonymous; the stori