Imprisoned Bush Era Torture Whistle-blower writes a letter to Snowden...

[Luminous Animal]

Kiriakou was the first member of the CIA to publicly acknowledge that torture was official US policy under the administration of President George W. Bush. He was convicted in October of last year of violating the Intelligence Identities Protection Act (IIPA) when he provided the name of an officer involved in the CIA’s Rendition, Detention and Interrogation (RDI) program to a reporter and sentenced in January of this year.

....

In the letter, Kiriakou offers advice to Snowden from his experience, suggesting that he “find the best national security attorneys money can buy.” He suggests establishing a website for supporters to follow his case, get his side of the story and make donations to support his defense.

Also, he declares, “You’re going to need the support of prominent Americans and groups who can explain to the public why what you did is so important.” He recommends reaching out to the American Civil Liberties Union, Government Accountability Project and other organizations like them who value individual freedoms and can advise him.

His “most important advice,” as he writes, is to “not, under any circumstances, cooperate with the FBI.”

Based off experience, he adds, “FBI agents will lie, trick and deceive you. They will twist your words and play on your patriotism to entrap you.”

http://dissenter.firedoglake.com/2013/07/02/cia-whistleblower-john-kiriakous-open-letter-to-edward-snowden/

Click on the link to read the letter.

[midnight]

1. ACLU has been doing so much of the heavy lifting when it comes to following the law....

[truedelphi]

2. I so wish there was some wealthy someone who would establish a

Whistle Blower Hall of Fame, with awards and money so these folks can provide for their families while n jail, and so they can have legal support etc.

Kiriakou rots in prison, while George Dubya and Cheeny are free. And Kissinger, the biggest rat bastard fuckwad of all, is probably still "serving" as an adviser to the current President.

[JDPriestly]

4. +10000

[sabrina 1]

6. It's sickening, isn't it? He exposes the war crimes of the worst administration in living history

and NO ONE investigates the crimes he exposed, instead HE is the one punished. And we have people right here on DU who think ANY Whistle Blower in the current atmosphere should trust this country to receive any kind of justice.

His advice is good advice. I hope one day, before too long all these heroes who gave up so much to try to defend this country from Bush and his policies and the puppets who supported them, will not only be released, but will be given the honors they deserve.

[kardonb]

13. sickening ?

what is sickening is that so many people believe these folks are heores , not the despicable traitors they are .

[Harmony Blue]

14. Whistleblowers are traitors how?

Did you decide to shut off your brain? This guy exposed Bush crimes and you have the audacity to say this?

[sabrina 1]

18. That is the most encouraging thing about all this, that so many, many people no longer are fooled

by the propaganda we've all been subjected to for so long. It isn't working anymore. And men like this who tried to warn about the Bush crimes, one day I hope he will be compensated for his courage.

Unless someone supported Bush's War Crimes and Wall St's crimes, then of course they would not see things in the same way as those of us who did not.

[truedelphi]

16. Same hopes here, sabrina_1.

Although with people more attached to party labels slapped on a Johnny come lately, than to divine and eternal principles of liberty and morality, I don't know if our hopes will be realized.

[WillyT]

3. HUGE K & R !!!

[East Coast Pirate]

5. What is his sentence?

Am I right that it will be without parole?

[Luminous Animal]

9. 30 months.

[East Coast Pirate]

10. 2½ years for revealing that our government tortures people...

What's wrong with this picture?

[Luminous Animal]

11. Its disinheartening, for sure...

I don't know if you read the article but the prison admin has attempted to put him in harms way. I tweeted with him a few times between his conviction and his sentencing and then wished him luck prior to him leaving for prison. I tweeted to him today to thank him for his letter. I know he can't see it now but when he gets out, I think it would be nice if he knew that people still appreciate his continuing efforts.

[East Coast Pirate]

12. I read most of it.

What prison is he in? Is it a federal prison?

The guards are trying to get him killed? Nothing wrong with that. We need to deter people from questioning authority. (Do I need a sarcasm tag?)

It's cool that you texted with him.

[Luminous Animal]

15. He's in federal prison in Loretto, PA. Here is the link (and text) of the "Letter from Loretto"

describing the set-up:

When I got to the lieutenant's office, I was ushered into the office of SIS, the Special Investigative Service. This is the prison version of every police department's Internal Affairs Division detective bureau. I saw on a desk a copy of my book, the Reluctant Spy, as well as DVD copies of all the documentaries I've been in. The CO showed me a picture of an Arab. "Do you know this guy," he asked me. I responded that I had met him a day earlier, but our conversation was limited to "nice to meet you." Well, the CO said, this was the uncle of the Times Square bomber, and after we had met, he called a number in Pakistan, reported the meeting, and was told to kill me. I told the CO that I could kill the guy with my thumb. He's about 5'4" and 125 pounds compared to my 6'1" and 250 pounds. The CO said they were looking to ship him out, so I should stay away from him. But the more I thought about it, the more this made no sense. Why would the uncle of the Times Square bomber be in a low-security prison? He should be in a maximum. So I asked my Muslim friends to check him out. It turns out that he's an Iraqi Kurd from Buffalo, NY. He was the imam of a mosque there, which also happened to be the mosque where the "Lackawana 7" worshipped. (The Lackawana 7 were charged with conspiracy to commit terrorism.) The FBI pressured him to testify against his parishioners. He refused and got five years for obstruction of justice. The ACLU and several religious freedom groups have rallied to his defense. He had nothing to do with terrorism.

In the meantime, SIS told him that I had made a call to Washington after we met, and that I had been instructed to kill him! We both laughed at the hamhandedness by which the SIS tried to get us to attack each other. If we had, we would have spent the rest of our sentences in the [unintelligible] SHU – solitary. Instead, we're friendly, we exchange greetings in Arabic and English, and we chat.

http://dissenter.firedoglake.com/2013/05/29/imprisoned-cia-torture-whistleblower-john-kiriakou-pens-letter-from-loretto/

[cantbeserious]

7. You Mean - Government Employees - Act In Dishonorable Ways - I Am Flabbergasted, Just Flabbergasted

eom

[MisterP]

19. the incentive, in fact, is toward dishonor: whistleblowers for illegal torture and

spying are given years prison or isolation without end
the enforcers are always the ones under the intensest surveillance

[DeSwiss]

8. Most of it all good advice, Id' say.

- Especially the part about not cooperating with the enemy.

K&R

''For in reason, all government without the consent of the governed is the very definition of slavery.'' ~Jonathan Swift

[The Straight Story]

17. Well, Luminous let me say this about you....

Prepare for incoming for reporting (or in our parlance here, posting an op) on this.

The content is not important, look to be Greenwalled by those who cannot dispute the information. Facts are not facts if the person saying them is someone somebody does not like

Sometimes, DU is like the Twin Peaks of the net

Nice post BTW