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struggle4progress

(126,109 posts)

35. Re 4: In story accompanying Snowden interview, the Guardian reported

Wed May 28, 2014, 12:40 AM

May 2014

"In 2003, he enlisted in the US army and began a training program to join the Special Forces"
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/10/edward-snowden-army-special-forces

But! ... Snowden was never a student at SWCS. He broke his legs while at Fort Benning. His intent was to enter the X-ray program – but that never happened and would not have happened because he only had a GED ...

... There are .. two ways for soldiers to volunteer to attend SFAS: ... The other path is that of direct entry ... The Active Duty program is referred to as the "18X Program" ... This program is commonly referred to as the "X-Ray Program", derived from "18X" ...

That is, he may have ultimately intended to enter the 18X program, but never did and was (in fact) ineligible, due to lack of a diploma

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Highlight:

EXCLUSIVE: Edward Snowden Tells Brian Williams: 'I Was Trained as a Spy' [View all] ProSense May 2014 OP

Daniel Ellsberg stands behind this young man along with 7wo7rees May 2014 #1

Snowden is on the right side of history. grasswire May 2014 #6

Sibel Edmonds, Bernie Sanders, Jimmy Carter all say he should face his crimes. randome May 2014 #8

I hope they don't expect him to rot in a supermax prison for decades. Vattel May 2014 #20

Why would they? He deserves time but I would hope it wouldn't be excessive. randome May 2014 #90

Given his neurological disorder, I would think he'd qualify for medical pardon, and certainly would msanthrope May 2014 #97

I didn't realize he was diagnosed with a neurological disorder. Vattel May 2014 #108

Late onset seizure disorder is what he claimed to his bosses at BAH. Must suck, not being able to msanthrope May 2014 #109

Why would that get you a medical pardon? Vattel May 2014 #113

It might not. It might get him Butner. nt msanthrope May 2014 #116

"The man is very confused." The smears never stop. Vattel May 2014 #107

Actually, Sanders doesn't care about Snowden because it's the wrong discussion anti partisan May 2014 #66

Please link and kick it if you can, woo me with science May 2014 #14

the comments section is excellent grasswire May 2014 #16

Snowden is nothing but a spoiler. dem in texas May 2014 #2

This guy has really gone off the deep end now. MohRokTah May 2014 #3

agree... HipChick May 2014 #7

He has made boasts that don't reconcile with his record.. Historic NY May 2014 #32

Why should he have to prove any of that? anti partisan May 2014 #70

Absolutely agree w you davekriss May 2014 #88

excellent grasswire May 2014 #118

He WAS a spy anti partisan May 2014 #69

Sure sounds to me like the poor kid has gone round the bend struggle4progress May 2014 #4

that is a disgusting assertion grasswire May 2014 #5

What discredits him is his habit of saying things that are untrue. Less clear is whether struggle4progress May 2014 #9

more insidious assertions of mental illness... grasswire May 2014 #17

Oh, I'm happy to have people question authority. And I've said for years here struggle4progress May 2014 #55

It is impossible to do the nitty-gritty without information. Snowden and Manning were the suppliers. Luminous Animal May 2014 #62

I personally think folk should organize to get Drake a pardon struggle4progress May 2014 #65

Maybe you should be better at expressing your opinion... Luminous Animal May 2014 #73

It would be courteous of you to speak for yourself and not put words in my mouth struggle4progress May 2014 #78

Who are these complainers that aren't doing the hard work? Luminous Animal May 2014 #79

Great post s4p treestar May 2014 #91

So, Whistle Blowers are 'mentally ill' now? But Bush's loyal NSA spies are perfectly sane! sabrina 1 May 2014 #114

The fact is that Snowden himself disclosed a late-onset seizure disorder that raises serious, and I msanthrope May 2014 #83

oh my god grasswire May 2014 #98

I used the term "neurological" not "mental." As you are the parent of an adult msanthrope May 2014 #102

"psychiatric symptoms", "alcoholism" grasswire May 2014 #104

I used "neurological" as opposed to "mental" precisely to avoid conflation. But there's no doubt msanthrope May 2014 #105

but "bizarre and grandiose" and "liar" are attributes... grasswire May 2014 #111

They are attributes anyone can freely assign him after witnessing his antics. He's a 'spy' now? msanthrope May 2014 #117

Just when we thought the smear attempts could not possibly sink lower or become more despicable... woo me with science May 2014 #115

Did he? KamaAina May 2014 #101

Indeed--he not only disclosed it, he told his bosses at BAH he was flying to HK for msanthrope May 2014 #103

Lots of people have lied about Snowden. Snowden hasn't been caught lying. DisgustipatedinCA May 2014 #11

(1) There's no chance he had the ability to wiretap the president, as he claimed. If true, struggle4progress May 2014 #12

Re "There's no chance he had the ability to wiretap the president" 951-Riverside May 2014 #21

The 1997 Gingrich mobile phone call was captured on an ordinary police scanner; in the conversation struggle4progress May 2014 #25

In rebuttal Luminous Animal May 2014 #22

Ty for saving me the time of having to point all of this out. Vattel May 2014 #26

Well, the Obama "loyalists" have to get in line behind the loyal Tigerbeat Snowdenistas. Tarheel_Dem May 2014 #43

This message was self-deleted by its author Whisp May 2014 #56

Snowden is now part of the smear Snowden machine..... whistler162 May 2014 #82

Re 1: Snowden said ""I had the authorities to wiretap anyone" struggle4progress May 2014 #29

Except for the pesky fact that NSA documents reveal just that. Luminous Animal May 2014 #33

If you admit he would have gotten into trouble for doing so, you are also admitting struggle4progress May 2014 #38

Re 2: Stickers on his computer, and whatever parties he threw, are not on point struggle4progress May 2014 #30

Re 3: At least one NSA contractor lost job over this struggle4progress May 2014 #31

So says the NSA. Proven liars. Whereas, Snowden's narrative stands up time after time. Luminous Animal May 2014 #36

Be careful or you will commit yourself to the view that everyone except Snowden is a liar struggle4progress May 2014 #39

Re 4: In story accompanying Snowden interview, the Guardian reported struggle4progress May 2014 #35

I really think you do not know what you are saying. Ft Benning is where special forc recruits train. Luminous Animal May 2014 #40

I provided links struggle4progress May 2014 #48

But there's not (at least officially) a way to do 18X into the reserves Recursion May 2014 #52

I maintain LIHOP. joshcryer May 2014 #76

Apparently, a GED is sufficient: From the US Army Special Forces recruitment criteria site Luminous Animal May 2014 #41

It's possible that requirements vary according to entry mode. This website suggests struggle4progress May 2014 #44

Yeah, the reserve contract was another red flag for me Recursion May 2014 #51

What part of the army confirmed do you not understand. Luminous Animal May 2014 #54

The coverage from even reputable media is often demonstrably wrong here: struggle4progress May 2014 #59

And, I pointed to an actual U.S. Army website that a GED is sufficient. Oh well. Luminous Animal May 2014 #77

Well, yeah, *if* Obama used a gmail account, sure Recursion May 2014 #46

The "diplomatic cover" angle comes from Harding's book. joshcryer May 2014 #63

XKeyscore is not reading the President's emails. joshcryer May 2014 #61

A-fucking-again. *IF* Snowden HAD THE PRESIDENT'S PERSONAL EMAIL ADDRESS... *IF* *IF* Luminous Animal May 2014 #64

You don't understand. joshcryer May 2014 #67

Okey-dokey. Apparently (hahahaha!) Merkel does not use encryption. Luminous Animal May 2014 #71

On a personal, unsecured phone. joshcryer May 2014 #72

Exactly. Luminous Animal May 2014 #74

Which was secured shortly after Obama took office. joshcryer May 2014 #75

(4) The U.S. army confirmed to the Guardian that Snowden did not join the special forces. baldguy May 2014 #84

Snowden never claimed he was in special forces. Luminous Animal May 2014 #93

Did you read the article? Vattel May 2014 #24

Thanks for that! Luminous Animal May 2014 #27

I have never heard "lectured at the academy" used as a synonym for "spoke at a conference" struggle4progress May 2014 #37

Example UC Berkeley's Lecture Series which is hosting a conference and invited Luminous Animal May 2014 #42

I know what the words mean. I'm telling you how they are commonly used struggle4progress May 2014 #45

Really. I go to lectures regularly at conferences and events at universities and otherwise. Luminous Animal May 2014 #53

The desperation to discover a lie is really pretty funny. Vattel May 2014 #112

Snowden should release his manifesto. joshcryer May 2014 #60

He is just a low level IT hack LOL, he STOLE passwords to get the documents snooper2 May 2014 #89

Article won't load properly for me. Does he say what name he was given? randome May 2014 #10

really getting under your skin, isn't this? nt grasswire May 2014 #19

Poitras and Greenwald have his name and CIA ID #. The CIA refuses to comment. Luminous Animal May 2014 #28

Yeah, and we should believe anything you say....why? Tarheel_Dem May 2014 #49

He was quite clear that he ruined his life *as he knew it* before he came forward as the leaker. Luminous Animal May 2014 #50

I actually found the part about using a false name easy to believe. Every time I get an off-shored Tanuki May 2014 #80

That's not for the purposes of anonymity. baldguy May 2014 #85

Response seems to be off the chart. 7wo7rees May 2014 #13

thank you for your honest patriotism here grasswire May 2014 #18

I think he was trained at the same spy school as flamingdem May 2014 #15

Is that the Snowcone of Silence? Whisp May 2014 #57

Yes, it inspired Snowden and flamingdem May 2014 #96

k krawhitham May 2014 #23

KnR sheshe2 May 2014 #34

I can't believe ProSense May 2014 #86

I can't wait to hear what Bill Maher has to say about this. Tarheel_Dem May 2014 #47

I spy with my little eye - an Eddie who likes to Bullshit. n/t Whisp May 2014 #58

Is that what the smell is? Bullshit? Tarheel_Dem May 2014 #99

Do you realize how foolish you look by mocking the idea that someone could be trained... anti partisan May 2014 #81

And a high school dropout, no less. He's good. Tarheel_Dem May 2014 #100

He was recruited for the super-secret COLGATE4 May 2014 #119

Now that's what I call "white male privelege". From high school dropout to "super secret black ops"! Tarheel_Dem May 2014 #121

He even got his secret decoder ring too. nt COLGATE4 May 2014 #122

Right...because this is a Hollywood movie where a high-school dropout who could not msanthrope May 2014 #110

This message was self-deleted by its author anti partisan May 2014 #68

I think this could only happen for a white, male, child of privilege who dropped out of school. kelliekat44 May 2014 #87

Wondeful...Brilliant Blue_Tires May 2014 #92

Glenn Greenwald: Low-Level NSA Analysts Have �Powerful and Invasive� Search Tool ProSense May 2014 #94

Quick...someone get him a cape!!! Sheepshank May 2014 #95

Your order is ready, Sir... Whisp May 2014 #106

He's gone from James Bond to Forrest Gump in three weeks. ucrdem May 2014 #120