There's a new Edward Snowden on the block
The Intercept, the new investigative journalism outlet spearheaded by Glenn Greenwald, published an in-depth report today on the U.S. government's bloated terrorist watchlist, which has grown rapidly in the years since the so-called Underwear Bomber tried and failed to blow up an airliner over Detroit in 2009.
But the story has managed to stir controversy in ways unrelated to its content. First, it was revealed that the government tried to spoil The Intercept's scoop by handing the pertinent information to the Associated Press, which was presumably considered a friendlier outlet. Then, CNN reported that the scoop was made possible by a new NSA leaker in the mold of Edward Snowden:
The article cites documents prepared by the National Counterterrorism Center dated August 2013, which is after Snowden flew to Russia to avoid U.S. criminal charges. [CNN]
No word yet on whether the unidentified leaker is a hero or a traitor.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
A free daily email with the day’s biggest news and analysis – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Ryu Spaeth is deputy editor at TheWeek.com. Follow him on Twitter.