I feel it necessary to distance myself from the ignorant and false comments attributed to my well-known namesake, the Defence Department Secretary and former head of ASIO, Denis Richardson, regarding former US NSA* contractor, Edward Snowden. Mr Richardson allegedly told an audience at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute that Edward Snowden was not a whistleblower, as he had not revealed any illegal activity by the NSA, and that he was nothing more than a “garden-variety criminal”.
Perhaps Denis should have a word to F. James Sensenbrenner, the Republican chair of the US House Judiciary Committee, which produced the USA Patriot Act. Speaking at the Civil Liberties Committee of the European Parliament, Sensenbrenner blasted the criminal abuses perpetrated by the NSA and other US government agencies against the American people and US allies.
The scariest thing in all of this is not the dishonest abuse heaped on Edward Snowden, who seems to be doing a reasonable job thus far in talking care of himself, but rather that Denis Richardson is allowed anywhere near our country’s defence & intelligence establishment.
John Richardson, CLA member, Wallagoot NSW
* NSA stands for National Spy Agency. The US Administration and Denis R. believe it stands for National Security Agency.