No. There was probably a crime involved. But Snowden is a classic example of a whistleblower, which the US Government has been harsly persecuting through the le

No. There was probably a crime involved. But Snowden is a classic example of a whistleblower, which the US Government has been harsly persecuting through the legal system. The response is completely out of proportion to the crime - in effect grounding the private plane of a foreign head of state, which would be considered an act of war if it was done to Air Force One. If this was a simple question of a crime, it would be handled through INTERPOL and the normal legal channels. It is currently handled with international diplomacy at the highest levels. This makes it seem pretty obvious that the prosecution/persecution is due to a fear that future whistleblowers will reveal more illegal activity in the US government and that this attention will cause a backlash from the public. Remember that the programs Snowden revealed are very likely illegal, at the very least violating the US Constitution. I am claiming that Edward Snowden and similar whistleblowers are political enemies of the US Government (though not necessarily the people of the United States), and that this is why they are treated so harshly. [Edit: Typo fix.]