newyorker | The United States government charged former intelligence analyst
Edward Snowden with spying on Friday, apparently unaware that in doing
so it had created a situation dripping with irony.
At a press conference to discuss the accusations, an N.S.A. spokesman
surprised observers by announcing the spying charges against Mr. Snowden
with a totally straight face.
“These charges send a clear message,” the spokesman said. “In the United States, you can’t spy on people.”
Seemingly not kidding, the spokesman went on to discuss another charge
against Mr. Snowden—the theft of government documents: “The American
people have the right to assume that their private documents will remain
private and won’t be collected by someone in the government for his own
purposes.”
“Only by bringing Mr. Snowden to justice can we safeguard the most
precious of American rights: privacy,” added the spokesman, apparently
serious.
