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IMPORTANT ONE.
NO, I DON'T THINK MR. SNOWDEN
WAS A PATRIOT.
AS I SAID IN MY OPENING REMARKS,
I CALLED FOR A THOROUGH REVIEW
OF OUR SURVEILLANCE OPERATIONS
BEFORE MR. SNOWDEN MADE THESE
LEAKS.
MY PREFERENCE, AND I THINK THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE'S PREFERENCE,
WOULD HAVE BEEN FOR A LAWFUL,
ORDERLY EXAMINATION OF THESE
LAWS.
A THOUGHTFUL, FACT BASED DEBATE.
THAT WOULD THEN LEAD US TO A
BETTER PLACE.
BECAUSE I NEVER MADE CLAIMS THAT
ALL THE SURVEILLANCE
TECHNOLOGIES THAT HAVE DEVELOPED
SINCE THE TIME SOME OF THESE
LAWS HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE
SOMEHOW DIDN'T REQUIRE
POTENTIALLY SOME ADDITIONAL
REFORMS.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I CALLED
FOR.
SO THE FACT IS, IS THAT MR.
SNOWDEN HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH
THREE FELONIES.
IF, IN FACT, HE BELIEVES THAT
WHAT HE DID WAS RIGHT, THEN LIKE
EVERY AMERICAN CITIZEN, HE CAN
COME HERE, APPEAR BEFORE THE
COURT WITH A LAWYER AND MAKE HIS
CASE.
IF THE CONCERN WAS THAT SOMEHOW
THIS WAS THE ONLY WAY TO GET
THIS INFORMATION OUT TO THE
PUBLIC, I SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE
ORDER WELL BEFORE MR. SNOWDEN
LEAKED THIS INFORMATION THAT
PROVIDED WHISTLE BLOWER
PROTECTION TO THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY FOR THE FIRST TIME.
SO THERE WERE OTHER AVENUES