If you think they are patriots, reveal their names, so they can be honored for their patriotism. And if it turns out they have violated the law, well patriotism sometimes has a price..... 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.
So if a reporter thinks that a classified program should be debated publicly, does he have a right to expose anything he wants. Eisenhower is certainly lucky that some reported did not think the Normandy Invasion should be debated publicly..... 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.
After all, I have a book coming out this month, and the publicity will cause me to sell many more copies.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.
Call a Grand Jury and let us see what happens.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.
I hope I don't have to go to jail. It will interfere with the tour to sell my book.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.
Then reveal their names.
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