Suspicious "suicide" of American in SG

[sundaymorningstaple]

Considering Rick Todd is an airline pilot and his wife is a minister, if you think about it, I think the feathers fell off the "wing and a prayer" went unheard.

I feel for them, but to bring in a paid expert who gave such a far fetched testimony only made them look foolish. I know it's hard to accept that their son committed suicide, but I remember Black Monday when a lot of "sane" brokers did much the same thing.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Apparently, the surprise witness testified that he HAS met the Todds at a function a couple years ago, so they did know him.

Dr Luis Montes, an ex-colleague of Dr Todd's at the Singapore Institute of Microelectronics, testified that he had previously met Dr Todd's parents at a gathering.

This contradicted what the Todd family told reporters on Tuesday afternoon - after storming out of the Subordinate Courts - that they had never met Dr Montes.

[yogaloungeforever]

When I read about shane todd's story since I found out about his death (only) in March this year, I wondered if ime would have given the job offer shane got, to say an indian. i doubt. the US government would have been suspicious if an indian was travelling to veeco's offices to attend trainings and get recipes, which is restricted by the government. i believe even before shane was offered the job plans were already in the way to get in an american for shane's ime role. i am more inclined to think this whole plan to get an american on board to get what they want and then proceed with elimination was already in the plan. ime denying that the deal with hua wei never went far beyond discussions just doesn't fit in the picture.

[iloverice]

Come on SMS and Naka, give him some slack. It was pretty obvious from the context he meant 'partial' and not impartial. Your head must explode at everyday Singlish if you're letting this one get you. .

Surrounded by Indonesians at work. Malaysian manager code switches to proper English when speaking with non-straits Chinese.

I thought I heard (read) someone mention about Indonesian?

I don't really have good understanding about the case and also tried to refrain on following too much of the story (no matter what is the case, someone has lost his life and left the parents to live their live with broken heart) - just a thought about this already make me sad .

[AngMoG]

Well, it seems they are not giving up easily: Global Post: Scientist's family seeks US Congress, Thai expert's help.

The parents of a US scientist found hanged in Singapore last year said Thursday they will seek a US congressional inquiry and tap a celebrity Thai pathologist to prove their son was murdered.

I was a bit sceptical at first - however, after following the story along, and seeing that it is four (two SG + two US) certified pathologists on the Gov side vs. one veterinarian pathologist on the family's side who has not even seen the body, I think Occam's Razor suggests this is suicide rather than an elaborate conspiracy.

It is always sad when something like this happens, and I feel sorry for their loss, but at some point it is probably time to face the facts and move on.

[the lynx]

Well, it seems they are not giving up easily: Global Post: Scientist's family seeks US Congress, Thai expert's help.

The parents of a US scientist found hanged in Singapore last year said Thursday they will seek a US congressional inquiry and tap a celebrity Thai pathologist to prove their son was murdered.

I was a bit sceptical at first - however, after following the story along, and seeing that it is four (two SG + two US) certified pathologists on the Gov side vs. one veterinarian pathologist on the family's side who has not even seen the body, I think Occam's Razor suggests this is suicide rather than an elaborate conspiracy.

It is always sad when something like this happens, and I feel sorry for their loss, but at some point it is probably time to face the facts and move on.

Once Porntip is in the picture, things will be interesting.

[ecureilx]

...

I stopped reading when I remembered the Thai Specialist is on one the proponents of GT 200 - and thinks the GT 200 can be used to detect various stuff, like "dead bodies" .. WOW !!!!!!!!!!!

http://asiancorrespondent.com/28439/tha ... -defender/

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/feb/24 ... -2010feb24

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GT200

[JR8]

'US senators demand 'traitor' NSA whistleblower be extradited from Hong Kong to face trial in America after he reveals why he exposed online spy scandal
Edward Snowden, a former CIA technical assistant, has fled to Hong Kong
He wants Hong Kong's free speech laws to save him from extradition
Leaked details of Prism, which he says harvests personal data from web
'What they're doing (poses) a threat to democracy,' Snowden says
Spies at GCHQ in UK accused of using it, bypassing British legal checks
William Hague to give statement to Commons on alleged links to Prism
U.S. National Intelligence director says surveillance keeps America safe
Defense contractor employer of Edward Snowden says leaks are 'shocking'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z2VpTkvH3J
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
=================================



And now HK....

[sundaymorningstaple]

Snowden reminds me of a title of a 1995 movie......

Dead Man Walking

[Strong Eagle]

Snowden reminds me of a title of a 1995 movie......

Dead Man Walking

It's gonna be a real screw job on Snowden... the government pouring everything onto this guy... just the kind of things the founding fathers were trying to escape.

Why the hell does this program need to be secret?

[sundaymorningstaple]

Frankly, SE, it's not been secret all these years. Everybody knew what NSA did and has done the past 60 years of it's existence. Just nobody talked about it. It was known that NSA's Menwith Hill facility in the UK was the eve-dropping capital of the world. But I guess they just didn't want some peon to blast in out in the MSM about it. Of course, telling "how" they do it and the company's who tacitly or otherwise help them wasn't in the best interests. But at the end of the day, anybody who writes anything on any electronic media should know by now it's not safe. Whether they do it by flagging keywords or visually reading FB/Twitter/Myspace, etc.etc doesn't matter much. But at least the flagging method only throws flags on certain keywords or destination/durations of calls. Unfortunately, most people don't realize that they don't actually listen to conversations unless they have a court order (which still stands). What they current get from the phone companies are destinations/numbers/duration/frequency of calls and this primarily on overseas calls unless they have further flags to warrant looking into interstate calls. I'm not to worried about it if it keeps my arse alive because of them finding a cell and neutralizing it before they can cause another 9/11. Sometimes we have to give up a little freedom to enjoy the balance of our freedom. My P.O.V. only from one who was at one time rather close to Ft. Meade and a senior official at NSA.

Anyway, SE, you should be okay with it as well as Obama endorsed it.

[Strong Eagle]

Anyway, SE, you should be okay with it as well as Obama endorsed it.

It's a complex problem, Ken. I think we need to have surveillance. In one sense, it's no different than have informants in crime ridden neighborhoods.

My question (and I agree with you that everyone has known or at least suspected) is why the NSA, Congress, and the President insist this type of activity must be secret.

I can see no reason (except for the fact that government officials don't want to justify themselves in the light of public opinion) for not having a public debate of security versus privacy. The public should have a right to decide.

PS: Bush started it. The Republican House reauthorized it. It's a bipartisan thing... and it stinks.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Yeah, I'm aware that it's a bipartisan effort. And, if it somehow prevents(ed) another 9/11, I can compartmentalize it. Yeah, it rubs the wrong way, but I understand the need. If they needed to "get approval" from the people, it would be forever tied up in debate, so under the circumstances I'd rather have it happening than tied up in squabbles forever.

[nakatago]

Why did Snowden reveal everything while in Hong Kong?

Was he just banking that Hong Kong is China and China would love nothing more at the moment than point the finger at the US and that Hong Kong (and by extension, China), would fight his extradition?

Why didn't he do it when he would've gotten to Iceland?

[bgd]

Why did Snowden reveal everything while in Hong Kong?

Was he just banking that Hong Kong is China and China would love nothing more at the moment than point the finger at the US and that Hong Kong (and by extension, China), would fight his extradition?

Why didn't he do it when he would've gotten to Iceland?

That does strike me as strange given his preference for Iceland.

I'm sure he feels he did all of this for the right reasons but I wouldn't want to be in his shoes.