5 August 2013 –
Treachery and Fame
Trai•tor
(trā′tǝr) . n. 1. One who betrays a
person, a cause, or any trust. 2. one who betrays his country by
violating his allegiance; one guilty of treason. [ME traitur <
OF < L trāditōrem, acc. of traditor, betrayer. See
Benedict Arnold, Bradley Manning, Edward
Snowden]
The US government
entrusted Private First Class Bradley Manning and Mr. Edward Snowden with
protecting government secrets. Both volunteered for the job,
underwent extensive background investigations, and probably took polygraph
tests to verify their trustworthiness. Private Manning also took an
oath of enlistment, swearing to support and defend the
Constitution. In return, these men were privileged to be part of
something greater than themselves.
The US government
considered Private Manning and Mr. Snowden’s service to be as valuable as the
service of those who risk their lives in combat. In fact, Private
Manning’s and Mr. Snowden’s trust was to protect those in combat. It
was to protect our embassies, consulates, and vital concerns throughout the
world. It was to protect our allies, and, following Sun Tzu’s dictum
to “know your enemy,” it was to keep our enemies at bay. These men’s
duty was to help their country thrive in a nasty, brutish
world. They failed. Deliberately.
They abandoned their
duty in order to follow personal agendas instead of the law. Mr.
Snowden willfully exposed faults in government intelligence gathering policies;
Private Manning attempted to assuage personal feelings of persecution and
loneliness. To make matters worse, both craved fifteen minutes of
fame. These men dishonorably—and illegally—released hundreds of
thousands of classified documents to enemies of the United States. They
publicly flaunted their treachery. Their personal motives mocked the
deadly seriousness of the intelligence business and their country’s
security. If that is not traitorous, then nothing
is.
My career in the
military intelligence business revealed some crucial facts: 1) You
agree to give up certain First Amendment rights when you take the military oath
and when you receive a security clearance. You promise not to speak
freely with others about what you do and not to freely associate with
proscribed groups of people. If you choose to break your word, to
endanger the lives of your colleagues, you may face similar punishment to that
which awaits Mr. Snowden and Private Manning.
2) The intelligence
business—the spy business with all its associated functions—is a dirty
business. I call it doing worldy things—spying—for heavenly
purposes—protecting the security of the United States. If you don’t
like it, then quit and work somewhere else. But, leave your secrets
in the vault before you go.
3) All countries spy on
other countries, including their friends; it is in their vital interests to do
so. Only a country’s means and methods limit its spying, no matter
what internationalists may purport as the cheery future of mankind.
4) There are no friends
among nations, only common interests. Allies pursue common
interests; enemies pursue conflicting interests. All are potential
enemies; few are lasting allies. For a traitor like Mr. Snowden to
think that Russia, Ecuador, or Venezuela will protect him beyond his worth as
an intelligence source, as a stick in America’s eye, or as an example to other
disgruntled sources to seek asylum, he is even more foolish than he is
corrupt. He should cut a deal with the U.S. now rather than risk
being in Russia when his usefulness runs out.
5) Trust is the coin of
the realm in the intelligence community, in the military, and in every other
organization that protects this country. Can you be trusted to do
your duty for your country, in spite of your desires to do otherwise? Are
you trustworthy enough to go through proper channels to “blow the whistle” on
intrusive, domestic collection programs instead of indulging in illegal
grandstanding? Can your compatriots trust you to keep secrets and
thereby protect them as they fulfill their often dangerous intelligence
collection duties? If so, you will join a band of brothers and
sisters whose friendship and loyalty will endure a lifetime. Even
when you are out of the business, they will sustain you. I have
friends from my Air Force career that I have not seen in years, but if they
called, I would come. I owe them. I trust them.
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