How Edward Snowden and John Kiriakou Saved Our Country

I have written several articles on postings related to politics. A list of links has been provided at the bottom of this article for your convenience. This article will, however, address different aspects of these political events.

Whether Edward Snowden and John Kiriakou “saved” the country is a matter of ongoing debate, with strong arguments on both sides. Snowden’s disclosures revealed the extent of the US government’s mass surveillance programs, sparking widespread discussion about privacy and government overreach. Kiriakou exposed the CIA’s use of torture, prompting scrutiny of government practices. While both actions sparked controversy and had personal consequences for the individuals involved, they also triggered important public conversations about national security and accountability.

Edward Snowden:

Disclosures:Snowden leaked classified information about the NSA’s surveillance programs, including the collection of metadata and the monitoring of internet and phone communications.
Impact:These revelations led to public debate about the balance between national security and privacy, and spurred legislative and judicial challenges to surveillance practices.
Benefits:The Snowden disclosures prompted discussions about encryption, data protection, and government transparency. Some argue that the increased awareness of surveillance practices has led to greater protections for individual privacy.
Criticisms:Critics argue that Snowden’s actions endangered national security by revealing sensitive information about intelligence operations.

John Kiriakou:

Disclosures:Kiriakou exposed the CIA’s use of torture techniques, including waterboarding, in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.
Impact:His disclosures led to investigations and public scrutiny of the CIA’s interrogation program, and Kiriakou himself faced legal repercussions for his actions.
Benefits:Kiriakou’s actions brought the issue of torture into the public spotlight, raising questions about the legality and morality of such practices.
Criticisms:Kiriakou’s actions were criticized by some as damaging to national security and for potentially putting intelligence operatives at risk.

Overall:

Both Snowden and Kiriakou’s actions sparked significant debate about the role of government, the balance between national security and individual liberties, and the importance of government transparency and accountability. While both faced personal consequences for their actions, their disclosures have had a lasting impact on public discourse and continue to be relevant in discussions about government surveillance and ethical considerations in intelligence operations.

The War on Leakers: National Security and American Democracy, from Eugene V. Debs to Edward Snowden

When it comes to Edward Snowden, the question has often been posed as: is he a patriot or a traitor? In The War on Leakers: National Security and American Democracy, from Eugene V. Debs to Edward Snowden (The New Press 1620970635), author Lloyd Gardner, professor emeritus of history at Rutgers University, has written a fascinating work showing that the question of leakers and whistleblowers is rarely so binary or simple.The topic is so volatile that while in the days that followed Snowden’s revelation in 2013, many politicians called for his head. But just last month, former US Attorney General Eric Holder said Snowden performed a public service by triggering a debate over surveillance techniques.

The experienced writer that he is, Lloyd Gardner has written an engaging book that gives the reader an overview of the topic without the histrionics that usually go along with it.

Much of the book is centered on the Espionage Act of 1917, a US federal law passed just after the start of World War I. It was intended to stop interference with military operations or recruitment, prevent military insubordination, and to prevent the support of US enemies during wartime. In the century since it’s passing, it has rarely been used. But as Gardner explains in great detail, that all changed when Obama came to town.

President Barack Obama campaigned on a promise of creating a transparent administration. Yet the nearly 8 years he’s been in office has shown that he’s been one of the most secretive presidents ever. And in using the Espionage Act, Gardner writes how he’s been the most punitive President to leakers and whistleblowers. Obama also holds the distinction of using the act more times than any other president.

Perhaps the ultimate sacrilege is that not only has the Obama administration been hostile to whistleblowers, in initially not releasing the full Omar Mateen 911 call transcripts; it was actually calling more attention to the very enemies the country faces.

National security is something that needs to be taken very seriously. While leakers and whistleblowers can seriously undermine American interests and security, there’s indeed a time and place for such people. Gardner has written a fantastic book that balances that very fine line between national security and abuse of power, and the ensuing need for whistleblowers to come forward.

The author takes a fair and balanced approach to the topic. He’s rational enough to know that there are many national security secrets that forever (or almost) need to be kept confidential; yet takes the government to task where its war on leakers goes beyond the pale.

The book offers no easy answers in which the Snowden story plays a large part. While the NSA has long countered that they would have taken Snowden’s allegations seriously had he submitted them through proper channels; that notion has been shown to be absurd. Snowden’s leaks showed the NSA, CIA and other agencies trampled over the constitutional rights of American’s. To think that they would have stopped hundreds of programs (and tens of billions of dollars in active projects) due to the protests of a single Booz Allen consultant is both ludicrous and an assault on intellectual honesty.

Gardner writes of numerous cases where legitimate whistleblowers were hounded and prosecuted by the government. From union leader Eugene Debs during World War I, to current times regarding CIA analyst John Kiriakou who shared information about CIA waterboarding of Al Qaeda prisoners, New York Times author James Risen, to NSA whistleblower Thomas Drake.

The book notes that while the Espionage Act has specific places it’s meant to operate it, the government has repeatedly used it in a manner in which it was not intended. Rather than focus on those attempting to attack the US, the government made the legitimate leakers the enemy.

Part of the issue is that the government is often handcuffed by the First Amendment; the Espionage Act places the burden of evidence on the whistleblower, and not on the information they are sharing. The very writing of the Act was meant to give the government a tool to stifle the whistleblower, where the Constitution could not.

An interesting point the book makes is that while Obama campaigned against George W. Bush and his policies; in many instances, Obama had sped up many of the spying programs Bush initiated.

Gardner closes the book with the observation that there is a distinction between citizens, who have rights and privileges protected by the state, and subjects, who are under the complete control and authority of the state. There is a fine line between the two. What made America great is treating the public as citizens. But if that line is not preserved, we can quickly revert to the pre-1776 days as subjects of the government.

The debate will forever rage about how to balance national security and privacy against legitimate dissent. For those looking to truly understand the issue; The War on Leakers: National Security and American Democracy, from Eugene V. Debs to Edward Snowden, is a most important book every American should read.

The Espionage Act Versus Whistleblowers and the Public Interest

Daniel Ellsberg

John Kiriakou

Edward Snowden

Conclusion

I don’t think that anybody would disagree that governments need to keep some secrets to protect the integrity of the government, especially in times of war. However, secrecy can be a slippery slope. It can cover up a multitude of sins. There has to be some transparency if the rights of a country’s citizens are to be protected. Whistleblowing is one way, but who is to decide on what information should be disclosed? I have watched movies and read books on several whistleblowers. Exposing the torture of prisoners is certainly something worthy of disclosure. Also, the unlawful invasion of our privacy should be disclosed. The problem lies in where the disclosures stop. I believe these whistleblowers have suffered enough and should be pardoned. These individuals were not selling information to foreign powers; they were opening up our eyes to the injustices that our government has been perpetrating.

Resources

http://www.rsaconference.com/library/blog/the-war-on-leakers-national-security-and-american-democracy-from-eugene-v-debs-to, “The War on Leakers: National Security and American Democracy, from Eugene V. Debs to Edward Snowden.” By Ben Rothke; surface.syr.edu, “The Espionage Act Versus Whistleblowers and the Public Interest.” By Damyre Benjamin;

Common Sense and Ramblings In America

How Edward Snowden and John Kiriakou Saved Our Country

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