Edward Snowden Essay Example for Free

Edward Snowden Essay One of the biggest leaks in U. S happened this month. Edward Joseph Snowden leaked information about the government and and they are, a former technical contractor and CIA employee who worked for Booz Allen Hamilton a contractor for the NSA, before leaking details of classified NSA mass surveillance programs to the press. Snowden shared classified material on a variety of top-secret NSA programs, including the interception of US telephone metadata and the PRISM surveillance program, primarily with Glenn Greenwald of The Guardian, which published a series of exposes based on Snowdens disclosures in June 2013. Snowden said the leaks were an effort to inform the public as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them† The individual responsible for one of the most significant leaks in US political history is Edward Snowden, a 29-year-old former technical assistant for the CIA and current employee of the defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton. Snowden has been working at the National Security Agency for the last four years as an employee Snowdens alleged leaks are said to rank among the most significant breaches in the history of the NSA. [8] Matthew M. Aid, an intelligence historian in Washington, said disclosures linked to Snowden have confirmed longstanding suspicions that NSAs surveillance in this country is far more intrusive than we knew. [8] On June 14, 2013, US federal prosecutors filed a sealed complaint, made public on June 21,[9][10] charging Snowden with theft of government property, unauthorized communication of national defense information and willful communication of classified intelligence with an unauthorized person; the latter two allegations are under the Espionage Act. [11] Father of Edward Snowden Urges Son Not To Commit Treason, to Return Home The father of the former NSA contractor who leaked details of the governments massive Internet- and phone-tracking programs made an impassioned plea to his son to stop leaking, telling Fox News that I hope, I pray he does not do anything considered treasonous. Lon Snowden spoke at length with Fox News about his son Edwards decision to leak sensitive security details about U. S. intelligence-gathering operations. While defending his sons integrity and criticizing the government, he pleaded with his son who is thought to be weathering the political storm from a location in Hong Kong to return home and not to leak more information. I hope, I pray and I ask that you will not release any secrets that could constitute treason, Snowden told Fox News, in a message meant for his sons ears. He added: I sense that youre under much stress [from] what Ive read recently, and [ask] that you not succumb to that stress and make a bad decision. Further, Snowden said he would rather see his son return to the U.  S. and face the U. S. justice system than stay abroad. I would like to see Ed come home and face this. I shared that with the government when I spoke with them. I love my son, he told Fox News Eric Bolling. Snowden claimed there are some people who want him to cross that line and do something that constitutes treason, or they would like to see him disappear. But Snowden said hes sure that the moment he landed that there would be a line of attorneys waiting to defend him. Edward Snowden himself did not voice that level of confidence. During a live online chat hosted by Guardian. com on Monday, Snowden said he doesnt think he would receive a fair trial in the U. S. The U. S. Government, just as they did with other whistle-blowers, immediately and predictably destroyed any possibility of a fair trial at home, openly declaring me guilty of treason and that the disclosure of secret, criminal and even unconstitutional acts is an unforgivable crime. Thats not justice, and it would be foolish to volunteer yourself to it if you can do more good outside of prison than in it, he said during the chat. Snowden also claimed he did not reveal any U. S. operations against legitimate military targets, but rather NSA efforts against civilian infrastructure. Snowden has emerged at the center of one of the biggest security leaks in U. S. history. After The Guardian news organization and Washington Post reported on government programs that monitor massive troves of phone and Internet records, Snowden was revealed as the source of that information. According to The Guardian, Snowden continues to provide sensitive information The Guardian most recently reported on a British effort to hack into foreign diplomats phones and emails during conferences, citing Snowden as the source. Snowden could face serious charges if he returns to the U. S. Former Vice President Dick Cheney called Snowden a traitor on Fox News Sunday. But others have praised his decision to come forward, citing the civil liberties at stake. Lon Snowden said he was saddened by his sons decision, but criticized the government for the surveillance efforts his son helped expose. Some people are suggesting that whats occurring is very similar to every morning the government walks up to your mailbox, or afternoon. They pull the envelopes out. They open them. They look at your mail. They copy it. They archive it in case they wanna look at it sometime in the future in case you do something wrong sometime in the future. They re-seal the envelopes, they put them back in your mailbox. And they do it every day over and over and over again. He continued: I dont want them reading my email. If we say, Oh my gosh, were going to have to sacrifice our freedoms because of the threat of terrorism, well, the terrorists have already won, because its our freedoms that make us Americans. He said hes concerned his son is in peril, but voiced confidence that if he returns to the U. S. , that would be best. I have faith in our justice system applied correctly, absolutely. You know, I would rather my son be a prisoner in the U. S. than a free man in a country that did not have the freedoms that are protected in the U. S. , he said. He complained there are a lot of misconceptions about his son, including speculation about why he chose to stay in Hong Kong. Snowden said his son was simply comfortable there and with Asian culture in general, since he used to live in Japan. As for media reports that hes a high-school dropout, he explained that his son actually had an illness during his sophomore year likely mono. But after he dropped out, he said his son completed his high-school equivalency and went on to take college courses. He said he last saw his son on April 4. Wed gone out to dinner, he said, adding that his son seemed to be carrying a burden. We hugged as we always do. He said, I love you Dad. I said, I love you, Ed. And I expected to see him see him again, Snowden recalled. Fox News Eric Bolling contributed to this report.