JOHN R. SCHINDLER writes at Politico:

With each day and new disclosure, [Edward] Snowden has appeared less a whistleblower and more something sinister, perhaps even a traitor to his country.

He later writes:

U.S. intelligence has been through similar trials before. In 1960, two disgruntled NSA analysts, William Martin and Bernon Mitchell, disappeared from agency headquarters in Maryland and showed up a few weeks later at a Moscow press conference, denouncing NSA spying on foreign diplomatic communications. Perhaps even more relevant is the case of Phillip Agee, a career CIA officer who after leaving the agency wrote several books that exposed CIA operations and hundreds of his officers. Although Agee claimed to be a whistleblower and a dissident, archives after the Cold War revealed that he was in fact an agent of Cuban and Soviet intelligence the whole time, receiving substantial payments and letting the KGB do most of the writing. Agee died in Cuba in 2008, largely forgotten.

Is Ed Snowden a Phil Agee for the 21st century, with superior technology and more media coverage? We may know the answer soon, but every day he stays under the care of hostile intelligence services renders his resemblance to Agee stronger. In the meantime, the NSA will increase its security procedures, which have been found seriously wanting in this case.

Most importantly, the cause of intelligence reform, which is plainly needed on grounds of privacy protection and cost efficiency, is now dead. After all, what member of Congress, facing 2014 midterms, will want to be seen on the same side as a leaker and defector? That may be the worst effect of the strange Snowden saga.

— Comments —

Mrs. H. writes:

Schindler says, “Most importantly, the cause of intelligence reform, which is plainly needed on grounds of privacy protection and cost efficiency, is now dead. After all, what member of Congress, facing 2014 midterms, will want to be seen on the same side as a leaker and defector? That may be the worst effect of the strange Snowden saga.”

I don’t defend Snowden, but I do not get the impression that the general public considers him a “defector.” Those my age or younger (I’m 30) fall into three categories: 1) Some have never heard of him, although they may be vaguely aware of the NSA scandal 2) Some, mostly white males, consider him quite a hero, or at least they admire his bravery and shrewdness, even if they question his moral footing 3) Others disagree strongly with his actions (especially if he sought a position to eventually betray his employer), but are even more strongly against what he revealed.

The first category usually doesn’t vote, the latter two groups would definitely vote for statesmen who clearly support intelligence reform, even if they appear “to be seen on the same side as a leaker and defector.” Perhaps the Baby Boomer vote will make our votes irrelevant.

I hope intelligence reform is not dead, but to be frank, I didn’t know it was ever alive before Snowden.

Daniel S. writes:

According to the the Islamic expert Raymond Ibrahim the Obama administration has asked Coptic Christians not to protest against the Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood. Meanwhile, the American government is openly arming and funding Islamic militants in Syria who have a made a point of exterminating the ancient Christian community. And yet the American government and the Pravda-like establishment media would have us all despise Edward Snowden for throwing some of their dirty laundry out the window.

 Josh F. writes:

Whatever Snowden’s ultimate motive, one thing has become very clear over the last decade and a half. America has suffered from a “massive intelligence failure.” Which is to actually say that America is suffering from the massive failure of its “intellectuals.”

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