NSA Leaker Edward Snowden Talks To Media

Edward Snowden

Edward Snowden, a 29-year-old American intelligence contractor who says he worked at the National Security Agency and the CIA, allowed himself to be revealed Sunday (June 9th) in Britain's The Guardian and The Washington Post as the source of the disclosures in both newspapers in recent days about two of the U.S. government's top-secret anti-terrorism surveillance programs.

Snowden, an employee of defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton, told The Guardian, "My sole motive is to inform the public as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them." The Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, has condemned the revelation of the intelligence-gathering programs covering phone calls and Internet use as reckless and said it has done, quote, "huge, grave damage."

Snowden, who could face criminal charges for revealing classified information, left his home in Hawaii late last month for Hong Kong, where he has reportedly been holed up in a hotel since.

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He said he chose that city because, quote, "they have a spirited commitment to free speech and the right of political dissent," and because he believed it was among the places that could and would resist the dictates of the U.S. government. However, Hong Kong does have an extradition treaty with the U.S. Snowden also told the Post he'd ask for asylum, quote, "from any countries that believe in free speech and oppose the victimization of global privacy." In an interview with The Guardian, he said, "I feel satisfied that this was all worth it. I have no regrets."

Snowden said he'd considered going public about the surveillance programs as far back as 2007, when he worked for the CIA as an information technology employee, but decided against it, because he didn't want to put anyone in danger and hoped President Obama's election would lead some of the programs being curtailed.

But he said he was disappointed that Obama didn't do that. Obama, Clapper and others have said the programs are authorized by Congress and subject to strict court supervision.