DNI chief and FISC judge agree Snowden leaks prompted important civil debate

Even the NSA's boss and a lead judge in the secret intel courts admit Edward Snowden's leaks were in the public interest. "The unauthorized disclosure in June 2013 of a Section 215 order, and government statements in response to that disclosure, have engendered considerable public interest and debate about Section 215," wrote FISC Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV in an opinion today. And yesterday, US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said, "I think it's clear that some of the conversations this has generated, some of the debate, actually needed to happen." [Secrecy News]