Mike Rogers Says Snowden's To Blame For Russian's Aggressive Actions Against Ukraine

from the being-talked-down-to-by-a-mouth-breather dept

Mike Rogers is still willing to spread his stupidity to any new outlet that will have him. Despite the NSA and FBI being unable to find any evidence that Snowden colluded with Russian intelligence, Rogers continues to insist the former analyst is a Russian spy.



Knowing that evidence (or lack thereof) has no bearing on Rogers' statements explains his most recent assertion, one that offers a bunch of speculation in service of linking the name "Snowden" with "bad things the Russian government is doing." (via Crooks and Liars)

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers said Sunday former National Security Agency contractor and fugitive Edward Snowden is “actually supporting in an odd way this very activity of brazen brutality and expansionism of Russia. He needs to understand that. And I think Americans need to understand that….”

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How exactly is Snowden "supporting" the brazen brutality of the Russian government? Well, when pressed, Rogers merely reiterates his opening statement (equally as questionable) that "no counterintelligence official" believes "today" that Snowden isunder the influence of Russian intelligence. His follow-up non-explanation is nothing more than a suggestion that "we" (which presumably means the wide swath of supporters behind Rogers' blustery rhetoric -- also equally as questionable) need to determinehe fell under the spell of Russian intelligence in order to… well… it's not entirely clear.Rogers continues by saying he doesn't believe anything Snowden has said about his relationship to the Russian government and, mistaking his personal opinion for solidly researched facts, claims that because Snowden "lied" about his situation, there can be no doubt that he is pretty much directly responsible for Russia's aggressive response to the situation in Ukraine.By the time Rogers finishes talking, we're all a little dumber -- except maybe Mike Rogers, who apparently hasn't hit rock bottom in terms of wild speculation and baseless accusations. Rogers claims everyone who matters (the unnamed but totally legitimate "counterintelligence officials") agrees with his version of Snowden's activities and motivations.Sure, you can find some people who think Snowden is a spy or being operated by Russian intelligence (but they're few and far between), but one of those making this assertion is the someone who thinks a blog filled with his own tweets is defamatory . While other officials have made comparisons to spies when discussing Snowden's actions, few have been willing to claim (at least not publicly) that the former analyst is now a tool of Russian intelligence.If the NSA wants to save itself, it may want to find a way to gag Rogers, who seems willing to undermine any respect the agency reclaims while turning himself into a pro-intelligence caricature.

Filed Under: crimea, ed snowden, mike rogers, russia, ukraine