Reporter defends release of NSA spy program

Mitchell: You've described your sources as classic whistleblowers. Why should we trust you and them and their version of events? They were anonymous sources.

Risen: Well, I think that these were people who came forward because they believed something was wrong in the government and that they felt that, you know, they weren't motivated by anything, I think, other than a sense that they were seeing something that was deeply troubling and they felt the American people should know about it. And I think that in a very real way makes them patriots, because I think that's the best that we can ask for people who work in the government — that they do their duty and if they see something wrong, they try to do something about it.

Mitchell: Weren't they breaking the law?

Risen: I think that's really a balancing act. What is a whistleblower? In a time when the government is imposing an enormous amount of secrecy on all of its activities.

Mitchell: Did you have any concerns about revealing this secret program?

Risen: No, I thought that the American people really needed to know about this. I think it had to be debated publicly.

Mitchell: Do you have any qualms about the fact The New York Times didn't let the American people know for a year, which meant that hundreds of people — thousands probably — were eavesdropped on for that period of silence?

Risen: No, I think that The New York Times really deserves a lot of credit for performing a public service for printing this story and so I think that The Times actually deserves much more credit than it has so far for performing a major public service

Mitchell: Was there pressure not to report this before the election?

Risen: Well, I can't get into all the details about what happened inside The Times, but I think the government obviously over a period of time asked us not to print the story, but I think that, as said, The Times has done a great service in printing this story.

Mitchell: What changed to permit The Times to publish this story after holding it for a year?

Risen: Well, I think that you know we got more information as the paper has said, but I have agreed not to discuss in any detail what happened. But I just think that it was a great decision to go forward.

Mitchell: The Justice Department is now investigating the leak. Are you concerned about being forced to reveal your sources?

Risen: Well, I would rather not, obviously. I hope that doesn't happen, but I can't really talk about that until the time comes. Hopefully, we won't have to face that.

Mitchell: Will you resist revealing sources?

Risen: Well, I don't want to get into what I'll plan to do, because it's not something I have to think about right now.

Mitchell: Couldn't some people call your sources traitors?

Risen: People can call them anything they want. It's a free country. You can call something anything and people today call people all kinds of things. I know what they are and I know what they did and I believe they're patriots.

Mitchell: Do you have any information about reporters being swept up in this net?

Risen: No, I don't. It's not clear to me. That's one of the questions we'll have to look into the future. Were there abuses of this program or not? I don't know the answer to that

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