Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates: Snowden Was Justified

A live Oxford-style debate on whether Edward Snowden was justified in his actions.

For:

Daniel Ellsberg, Former U.S. Military Analyst & Pentagon Papers Whistleblower

Ben Wizner, Legal Adviser to Edward Snowden & Attorney, ACLU

Against:

Andrew C. McCarthy, Former Federal Prosecutor & Contributing Editor, National Review

Ambassador R. James Woolsey, Former Director, CIA & Chairman, Foundation for Defense of Democracies

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?