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Intelligence Squared U. S.: Was Snowden Justified?

intelligencesquaredus.org
Illustration by Thomas James

Has Edward Snowden done the U.S. a great service? There is no doubt that his release of highly classified stolen documents has sparked an important public debate, even forcing what could be a major presidential overhaul of the NSA’s surveillance programs. But have his actions—which include the downloading of an estimated 1.7 million files—tipped off our enemies and endangered national security?

Is Snowden a whistleblower, or is he a criminal? Debating for the motion is Daniel Ellsburg, former U.S. military analyst and Pentagon Papers whistleblower and Ben Wizner, legal adviser to Edward Snowden and and attorney with the ACLU. Debating against the motion are Andrew C. McCarthy, former federal prosecutor and Contributing Editor for National Review and Ambassador R. James Woolsey, former Director of the CIA and Chairman of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Join us for this debate, Sunday, March 2 at 7:00 p.m.