Whether Edward Snowden finds refuge in Ecuador, or elsewhere, the US government has no choice but to seek his extradition. Having violated his secrecy contracts, Mr Snowden has broken serious laws and should face the music. What he disclosed to The Guardian and Washington Post highlights the breadth of the US National Security Agency’s eavesdropping operation. But he did not uncover any breach of US law. Nor do the contents of the leaks invalidate what the NSA is trying to do. There is much scope to tighten its accountability – not least by cutting down on the number of private contractors with access to highly classified information. But treating Mr Snowden as a hero is no answer.
不论爱德华•斯诺登(Edward Snowden)是在厄瓜多尔还是在其他什么地方找到庇护，美国政府都别无选择，只能继续寻求引渡他。斯诺登违背了他本人签署的保密合同，触犯了法律，就应当承担相应后果。他向《卫报》(The Guardian)和《华盛顿邮报》(Washington Post)披露的信息，凸显出美国国家安全局(NSA)窃听活动的普遍性。但他所揭露的那些行为并没有任何违反美国法律之处，泄密内容也并未让国家安全局努力做的事情失去正当性。要让国家安全局接受更好地问责，有很多工作可做，一个不错的办法就是削减能够接触到高度机密信息的私人合同工的数量。但把斯诺登当做英雄，并非明智之举。