Planet Warning Script for Whistleblowers Swaying in the Wind

(WWII bombing sounds)
The catastrophic air attack on Pearl Harbor catapulted the unprepared United States into WWII. Now, we're facing other catastrophic changes, such as the breakdown of our democracy. This is Judy Lubow for Planet Warning.

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Thomas Drake, registered Republican, air force veteran, and former senior management official at the National Security Agency, has been indicted by the Obama Administration under the Espionage Act, on charges that carry the possibility of 35 years in prison. He's not a spy, and no one is claiming he is - so what's up?

This case is a very draconian attempt by the Obama Administration to punish government officials who leak embarrassing information to the press. According to the New Yorker Magazine article detailing the case, Drake denies that any of the information he provided was classified. Instead, it was evidence of fraud, enormous waste, management dysfunction and legal improprieties of NSA's eavesdropping data gathering programs. Drake claims he repeatedly complained to management about these problems, but was ignored. The reporter who received the information created an award winning series of newspaper articles exposing the NSA.

The people at NSA, private industry and higher echelons of the Bush Administration who were involved with the waste and legal improprieties, are getting off scot-free, while the whistleblower is facing years in federal prison. Go figure!

If you want to learn more about the Drake whistleblower case, as well as access organizations addressing whistleblower issues, you can to the website: This is not a drill radio.org. This is Judy Lubow for Planet Warning.

(WWII bombing sounds)

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