Story highlights James Clapper: The leaks would have been tolerable if related only to civil liberties and privacy concerns

Clapper says Edward Snowden's leaks compromised a critical program in Afghanistan; it was shut down

Washington (CNN) The top U.S. intelligence official said Wednesday that Edward Snowden's leaks of secret government surveillance programs "forced some needed transparency."

The comment by James Clapper, the director of national intelligence, was a stark contrast to the heavy condemnation top U.S. officials have levied on the former National Security Agency contractor until now.

Clapper, however, also strongly criticized Snowden's leaks and the "huge damage to our collection capabilities" that he inflicted.

Clapper explained that he perhaps could have "tolerated" Snowden's disclosures if they had related only to civil liberties and privacy concerns.

Snowden's leaks "forced some needed transparency," Clapper said, "but he exposed so many other things that had nothing to do with so-called domestic surveillance or civil liberties and privacy in this country."

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