Eric Holder: NSA Whistleblower Will Be Punished for Leaks

DUBLIN, IRELAND - JUNE 14: In this handout photo provided by Department of The Taoiseach, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder attends a press conference following the EU Justice & Home Affair Bilateral Meetings between EU-US Ministers in Dublin Castle on June 14, 2013 in Dublin, Ireland.  Credit: Getty Images

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Attorney General Eric Holder says national security has been damaged as a result of leaks about a pair of government surveillance programs and that the U.S. will punish the person who is responsible.

The attorney general made the comment in Dublin, Ireland, when asked by reporters why the U.S. hasn't taken steps to arrest former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.

Holder said the government is investigating and that he is confident the person who is responsible will be held accountable.

The attorney general was in Dublin for meetings with his law-enforcement counterparts.

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