Just as serious was Snowden’s big leak last week about several sensitive SIGINT operations by GCHQ, NSA’s British partner — revelations that have proved highly embarrassing to London. What motive Snowden could have had here, save causing pain for Britain and the United States, is difficult to decipher. With each day and new disclosure, Snowden has appeared less a whistleblower and more something sinister, perhaps even a traitor to his country.

Moreover, it looks different now that we know, according to the New York Times, that Snowden spent his last week in Hong Kong in a safe house provided by local security officials, who are known in espionage circles to be very close to their counterparts in Beijing. The flight to Moscow that followed was ripped from a spy movie screenplay, with Russian media close to the Kremlin admitting that Moscow and its intelligence services had a hand in getting Snowden to their country. …

Is Ed Snowden a Phil Agee for the 21st century, with superior technology and more media coverage? We may know the answer soon, but every day he stays under the care of hostile intelligence services renders his resemblance to Agee stronger. In the meantime, the NSA will increase its security procedures, which have been found seriously wanting in this case.