HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_019606.jpg
1.7 MB
Extraction Summary
3
People
6
Organizations
6
Locations
2
Events
2
Relationships
5
Quotes
Document Information
Type:
Book page / evidence document (page 118 of 'how america lost its secrets')
File Size:
1.7 MB
Summary
This document is page 118 from the book 'How America Lost Its Secrets' by Edward Jay Epstein (indicated by the filename 'Epst_...'). It discusses Edward Snowden's justification for leaking NSA documents, specifically focusing on intelligence sharing with Israel (Unit 8200) regarding communications in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon. It argues that Snowden's actions compromised an Israeli source and critiques his definition of whistle-blowing, comparing it to the actions of spies like Kim Philby. The page bears a House Oversight Committee Bates stamp.
People (3)
| Name | Role | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Edward Snowden | Subject |
Former contractor discussed regarding his leaks, whistle-blower status, and views on NSA activities.
|
| James Bamford | Journalist |
Interviewed Snowden for Wired magazine in August 2014.
|
| Kim Philby | Historical Figure |
Notorious spy used as a comparison to the expanded definition of whistle-blowing.
|
Organizations (6)
| Name | Type | Context |
|---|---|---|
| NSA |
National Security Agency, subject of the leaks.
|
|
| Wired magazine |
Publication where James Bamford's interview with Snowden appeared.
|
|
| Israeli cyber service |
Intelligence partner of the NSA.
|
|
| Unit 8200 |
Specific name for the Israeli cyber service mentioned.
|
|
| Congress |
U.S. legislative body mentioned in the context of approving policy since 1948.
|
|
| House Oversight Committee |
Implied by the Bates stamp 'HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_019606'.
|
Timeline (2 events)
August 2014
Locations (6)
| Location | Context |
|---|---|
|
Country of origin for the document and policy discussion.
|
|
|
Recipient of NSA intelligence.
|
|
|
Location of Arab communications monitored.
|
|
|
Location of Arab communications monitored.
|
|
|
Location of Arab communications monitored.
|
|
|
Target of NSA spying mentioned by Snowden.
|
Relationships (2)
He subsequently told James Bamford, in an interview in Wired magazine...
Snowden deemed this cooperation to infringe on privacy rights, he revealed documents...
Key Quotes (5)
"one of the biggest abuses we’ve seen."Source
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_019606.jpg
Quote #1
"We’ve crossed lines,"Source
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_019606.jpg
Quote #2
"We’re hacking universities and hospitals and wholly civilian infrastructure."Source
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_019606.jpg
Quote #3
"act of conscience"Source
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_019606.jpg
Quote #4
"a real concern"Source
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_019606.jpg
Quote #5
Full Extracted Text
Complete text extracted from the document (2,519 characters)
118 | HOW AMERICA LOST ITS SECRETS
democratic oversight in the U.S.” and, without question, caused a
much-needed debate on government surveillance.
much-needed debate on government surveillance.
In this ends-justify-the-means view, any person with access to
government secrets can authorize him- or herself to reveal those
secrets to the world if she or he believes it serves the public good.
Further, because doing so would be an “act of conscience,” he or she
should be immune from legal prosecution.
government secrets can authorize him- or herself to reveal those
secrets to the world if she or he believes it serves the public good.
Further, because doing so would be an “act of conscience,” he or she
should be immune from legal prosecution.
For Snowden’s supporters, his “act of conscience” justifies his
claim to being a whistle-blower, even though the preponderance of
the secrets he disclosed had to do with the NSA’s authorized activ-
ity of using its multibillion-dollar global arrays of sensors to inter-
cept data in foreign countries. For example, one of the thirty allied
intelligence services that the NSA cooperated with in 2013 was the
cyber service of Israel. Because Snowden deemed this cooperation
to infringe on privacy rights, he revealed documents bearing on
the NSA’s data exchange with Israel. He subsequently told James
Bamford, in an interview in Wired magazine in August 2014, that
supplying such intelligence to Israel was “one of the biggest abuses
we’ve seen.” Snowden therefore believed he was justified in reveal-
ing information concerning Arab communications in Gaza, the West
Bank, and Lebanon that the NSA had provided the Israeli cyber ser-
vice, known as Unit 8200. In doing so, he compromised an Israeli
source. But how could this act qualify as whistle-blowing? Providing
Israel with such data was not some NSA rogue operation. It was part
of a policy that had been approved by every American president—
and every Congress—since 1948. Snowden had every right to per-
sonally disagree with this established U.S. policy of aiding Israel with
intelligence, but it is another matter to release secret documents to
support his view. If the concept of whistle-blowing were expanded
to cover intelligence workers who steal secrets because they disagree
with their government’s foreign policy, it would also have to include
many notorious spies, such as Kim Philby.
claim to being a whistle-blower, even though the preponderance of
the secrets he disclosed had to do with the NSA’s authorized activ-
ity of using its multibillion-dollar global arrays of sensors to inter-
cept data in foreign countries. For example, one of the thirty allied
intelligence services that the NSA cooperated with in 2013 was the
cyber service of Israel. Because Snowden deemed this cooperation
to infringe on privacy rights, he revealed documents bearing on
the NSA’s data exchange with Israel. He subsequently told James
Bamford, in an interview in Wired magazine in August 2014, that
supplying such intelligence to Israel was “one of the biggest abuses
we’ve seen.” Snowden therefore believed he was justified in reveal-
ing information concerning Arab communications in Gaza, the West
Bank, and Lebanon that the NSA had provided the Israeli cyber ser-
vice, known as Unit 8200. In doing so, he compromised an Israeli
source. But how could this act qualify as whistle-blowing? Providing
Israel with such data was not some NSA rogue operation. It was part
of a policy that had been approved by every American president—
and every Congress—since 1948. Snowden had every right to per-
sonally disagree with this established U.S. policy of aiding Israel with
intelligence, but it is another matter to release secret documents to
support his view. If the concept of whistle-blowing were expanded
to cover intelligence workers who steal secrets because they disagree
with their government’s foreign policy, it would also have to include
many notorious spies, such as Kim Philby.
Snowden’s concept of whistle-blowing also applied to the NSA’s
spying on adversary nations. “We’ve crossed lines,” Snowden said
in regard to China. “We’re hacking universities and hospitals and
wholly civilian infrastructure.” The NSA’s operations against China
were such “a real concern” for Snowden that he targeted lists of
spying on adversary nations. “We’ve crossed lines,” Snowden said
in regard to China. “We’re hacking universities and hospitals and
wholly civilian infrastructure.” The NSA’s operations against China
were such “a real concern” for Snowden that he targeted lists of
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