Indictment of Edward Snowden: The hypocrisy of United States Policies

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Two weeks ago Edward Snowden, a former CIA analyst, leaked the extent of the spying program (The Prism) masterminded by the government of United States. The Prism program involved collecting information about internet activity and phone calls made by people around the world. It also involved bugging the offices of the EU allies in US and Brussels. Following this revelation the United States has indicted the whistle-blower on counts of espionage and has also put pressure on countries that intend to offer asylum to the whistle-blower to reject his application for asylum. Considering its history on issues relating to refugees and espionage acts the United States can be considered to be a hypocrite.

Since Second World War the United States has been in the forefront of countries that offer asylum to refugees. It offered asylum to large numbers of refugees from Europe who were fleeing from Nazi persecution. It had also provided refuge to hundreds of thousands of refugees from war ravaged areas such as the Former Yugoslavia, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Furthermore, the United States had provided sanctuary to political dissidents from countries such as China and Russia.

Aside from providing asylum to refugees around the world the United States had consistently prosecuted its citizens involved in espionage acts. Jonathan Pollard and Ben-ami Kadish, for example, were jailed for spying on behalf of Israel. Other American citizens who had been sent to prison for conducting espionage acts against the US include Harold James Nicolson, David Sheldon Boone, James W. Hall III and Ana Balen Montes. The prosecution of these individuals suggest that espionage acts are not tolerated by United States even though such acts are being conducted on behalf of an ally of the United States such as Israel.

Despite having this track record of assisting individuals fleeing from persecution and prosecuting people involved in espionage acts, the United States is exerting pressure on less powerful countries that intend to offer asylum to the whistle-blower not to do so. It is also attempting to prosecute the whistle-blower for revealing the United States spying program. It is not fair that a country with good reputation of providing refuge to refugees is asking other countries not to do the same for its own citizen. It is equally unfair and unjust that a country that punishes its citizens for espionage acts is also guilty of similar offences.

There is no doubt that the information leaked by Snowden has caused significant harm to the United States in terms of its moral standing in the world and relationship with other nations particularly its European allies. The United States, however, should stop going after the whistle-blower who has leaked the top secret. Instead, it should accept that it is guilty of espionage acts and reflect on its former policies on refugees and individuals linked to espionage acts. Otherwise it will cease to be the model state that other states tend to look up to for justice and fairness and will be a laughing stock among the whole nations.

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