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White House spokeswoman and Presidential Advisor on Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Lisa Monaco issued a response to the petition that Edward Snowden receive immunity from any laws he may have broken and be allowed to return to the USA as a free man. Her statement reasserted the Administration's position that Snowden is a criminal, running away from the consequences of his actions and should return to the USA to stand trial (and inevitably serve out the rest of his life in solitary confinement).
The full text of the response:
Thanks for signing a petition about Edward Snowden. This is an issue that many Americans feel strongly about. Because his actions have had serious consequences for our national security, we took this matter to Lisa Monaco, the President's Advisor on Homeland Security and Counterterrorism. Here's what she had to say:
Since taking office, President Obama has worked with Congress to secure appropriate reforms that balance the protection of civil liberties with the ability of national security professionals to secure information vital to keep Americans safe.
As the President said in announcing recent intelligence reforms, "We have to make some important decisions about how to protect ourselves and sustain our leadership in the world, while upholding the civil liberties and privacy protections that our ideals and our Constitution require."
Instead of constructively addressing these issues, Mr. Snowden's dangerous decision to steal and disclose classified information had severe consequences for the security of our country and the people who work day in and day out to protect it.
If he felt his actions were consistent with civil disobedience, then he should do what those who have taken issue with their own government do: Challenge it, speak out, engage in a constructive act of protest, and -- importantly -- accept the consequences of his actions. He should come home to the United States, and be judged by a jury of his peers -- not hide behind the cover of an authoritarian regime. Right now, he's running away from the consequences of his actions.
We live in a dangerous world. We continue to face grave security threats like terrorism, cyber-attacks, and nuclear proliferation that our intelligence community must have all the lawful tools it needs to address. The balance between our security and the civil liberties that our ideals and our Constitution require deserves robust debate and those who are willing to engage in it here at home.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 29 2015, @07:36AM
It is obvious that OPSECS is drilled into many shallow heads. Yes, to operate as an intelligence agency, secrecy and quarantine are necessary. But the more usual branches of security forces point out that you are not to follow illegal orders. Yes, if you work for an organization that routinely violates the laws of targets, it may be a stretch to recognize when the laws you have violated are your own. But I, for one, expect that of any nation's intelligence services. If they cannot distinguish between legal and illegal espionage under their own nation's laws, they have gone rogue, and they need someone like Snowden to out them for their acts of treason. Do you not see this? Just because your security apparatus has determined that your own citizens are potential enemies, this does not make it so. In fact, the exact opposite could be the case. We call it "mirroring" in the intelligence field. Newbies, like the FBI, may have some trouble with it at first. But just because Snowden broke OPSECS, it does not necessarily mean he is a traitor. In fact, he may be the most fundamental kind of patriot. So we understand your moral tension, all you from Virginia, and Texas, and whereever the intelligence community sees fit to recruit from these days, feel. But make sure you are honoring your oath. The one to the constitution, of whatever country you purport to serve, to people. And if you are not honoring it, you are the enemy. Oh, wow, who saw that coming? You mean "we are the Redcoates?" {Daniel Ellsberg }