The Guardian/Getty Images
Edward Snowden’s girlfriend has gone quiet, but another friend of the NSA leaker—known as “Ed” to pals—has penned an op-ed about his buddy, giving the world a new perspective about the “introspective ... brilliant” whistleblower who was “prone to brood.” Mavanee Anderson, a Vanderbilt Law School grad who lives in Washington, D.C., was working in Geneva with a “security clearance” position when he met Ed in the summer of 2007 and became privy to some of Snowden’s feelings that ultimately led to the NSA leaks. According to Anderson, Snowden was “already experiencing a crisis of conscience” from that 2007 summer until early 2009, when the two were particularly close. As proud as he is of his friend for being “an effective catalyst for a much-needed dialogue about issues of privacy and security” and as much he admires his courage, “I fear for him,” Anderson writes.