Pitt-Bradford to hold symposium on Edward Snowden leaks

BRADFORD, PA – The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford will hold a social sciences symposium to examine leaks to the media by former CIA employee and National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.

The symposium will feature retired Army Co. Wes Martin; Dr. Tony Gaskew, associate professor of criminology at Pitt-Bradford; and David Schummer, who teaches philosophy at Pitt-Bradford, and will take place at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 11 in the Lester and Barbara Rice Auditorium of Fisher Hall.

Martin will discuss how the NSA came to be in its present situation. He will also talk about the national security implications of the information that Snowden made available to the public and will indicate his view regarding how the United States should deal with Snowden.

Gaskew will discuss the situation from a criminal justice perspective and whether or not Snowden committed any crimes.

Schummer will analyze the issue and indicate the relevance of various ethical theories such as individual rights versus the rights of the nation and the requirements for national security.

Snowden is alleged to have provided various media outlets with top-secret NSA documents that revealed a global surveillance program by the United States that included Internet surveillance and mass gathering of telephone metadata in the United States and Europe.

Refreshments will be served. Pitt-Bradford’s Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences is sponsoring the symposium.

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