Weeks after Edward Snowden leaked classified NSA documents to the public, NSA officials are defending their surveillance program, claiming that it helped to stop over 50 terrorist attacks that were planned after the Sept. 11 Twin Tower attacks that rocked New York City and the world.
When being questioned by the House Intelligence Committee, Gen. Keith Johnson, NSA director, declared:
“I would much rather be here debating this point than trying to explain how we failed to prevent another 9/11.”
In May, former NSA contractor Edward Snowden sent The Guardian and The Washington Post documents showing that the US government, more specifically the NSA, has been tapping into phone lines and monitoring people’s internet activities without their knowing. And as recently as last week, there had been reports that he was hiding out in a luxury hotel in Hong Kong.
Now that a major government leak has taken place, possibly the biggest leak in United States history, the NSA is trying to assure people that what they’re doing is for the best.
Everyone seems to be forgetting one very important thing: the role of fourth estate of the United States government: the media.
It’s the responsibility of those working in the media industry to check the other three estates (Executive, Judicial, Legislative) and report any impunities. Snowden did absolutely nothing wrong when he decided to give the fourth estate information that he felt was something important enough for the people of the United States to be aware of.
If anything, he was being a patriotic American that wanted to do what was best for the citizens of his country! You can’t be mad at that.
SOURCE: NBC NEWS
