Epstein Secrets

inks in their countries. These long-term allies greatly strengthened the NSA’s hand in other ways in the intelligence war. For example, the so-called James Bond @ provision of the British Intelligence Services Act of 1994 allowed @ officers of the GCHQ to commit illegal acts outside Britain, includ- ing plan

lso be targeted in enemy ter- ritories. Although repairing the damage might take many “decades,” according to Michael McConnell, the vice-chairman of Booz Allen, the new director had to get on with that task. McConnell, a for- | | Epst_9780451494566_2p_all_r1.indd 207 @ 9/30/16 8:13AM | | HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_01

ntruthful about his degree in computer sciences, he not only had a SCI secu- rity clearance but was willing to take a cut in pay. In keeping with the Booz Allen business plan, such a recruit provided another cog in its profit machine. Not only had the NSA outsourced much of its computer opera- | | Epst_9780

nks in their countries. These long-term allies greatly strengthened the NSA’s hand in other ways in the intelligence war. For example, the so called “James Bond” provision of the British Intelligence Services Act 1994 allowed officers of the GCHQ to commit illegal acts outside of Brittan including planting de

have access to the Level 3 documents stored in these compartments. Nor, as was discussed earlier, was he given access to them when he transferred to Booz Allen because he had not completed the requisite training. Snowden had also, it will be recalled, relinquished his privileges as a system administrator wh

interest in exposing the NSA’s secrets, this person could supply him with the necessary guidance, steering a still unsuspecting Snowden first to the Booz Allen position and afterwards to his associates in Hong Kong. By taking sole credit for the coup in the video that he made with Poitras and Greenwald in Ho

nsfield Turner, Secrecy and Democracy: The CIA in Transition (Houghton Mifflin, New York) 1985, p.92 “Vastness of the...” —Woodward. op.cit. p.202 “James Bond” provision of the. ..”--Ian Cobain, “How secret renditions shed light on MI6's license to kill and torture,” Guardian, February 13, 2012 “The NSA ha

the Level 3 breach was switching jobs on March 15th 2013. Snowden chose to leave his job as a system administrator at Dell SecureWorks to take job at Booz Allen as an analyst-in-training. His motive was not money, as it was a lower- paying position. At the time, he made this choice he had already set up an en

se” in Hawaii with his girl friend. Yet he chose to move to Booz Allen he also greatly increased the risk of exposure because the auditing system at Booz Allen could trace back unauthorized copying (though not in real time.) Presumably he knew, as he later told Greenwald and Poitras, that stealing documents

an hour-long television interview with Snowden in 2014 by saying, “It seems to me spies probably look a lot more like Ed Snowden and a lot less like James Bond these days,” Snowden approvingly smiled and told him, “I was trained as a spy in sort of the traditional sense of the word.” Snowden further con- fir

. It did not change that decision even after it found out about his subterfuge. According to Admiral McConnell, Snowden never actually worked in the Booz Allen offices, which are housed in a skyscraper in downtown Honolulu. Instead, he was immediately assigned to work at the NSA’s highly sensitive National T

illed Surveillance,” Wall Street Journal, Nov. 30, 2015. “We are approaching”: Turner, Secrecy and Democracy, 92. “vastness”: Woodward, Veil, 202. James Bond provision: lan Cobain, “How Secret Renditions Shed Light on MI6’s Licence to Kill and Torture,” Guardian, Feb. 13, 2012. The NSA had assiduously: Ke

ndia?” Also, Shilpa Phadnis, “Edward Snowden Sharpened His Hacking Skills in Delhi,” Times of India, Dec. 4, 2013. 33 “It is a dead-end job”: Former Booz Allen official who requested anonymity, interview with author. 33 shaded by a sakura: The description of Snowden’s life in Maryland comes entirely from Li

hour-long NBC television interview with Snowden in 2014 by saying, “It seems to me spies probably look a lot more like Ed Snowden and a lot less like James Bond these days," Snowden approvingly smiled and told him, “I was trained as a spy in sort of the traditional sense of the word.” Snowden further confirme

it did not change that decision even after it found out about his subterfuge.). According to Admiral McConnell, Snowden never actually worked in the Booz Allen offices, which are housed in a skyscraper in downtown Honolulu. Instead, he was immediately assigned to work at the NSA’s highly-sensitive National O