Snowden ridicules attacks and flays US media for 'abdicating'
NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden has strongly denied allegations made by members of Congress that he was acting as a spy, perhaps for Russia , when he took hundreds of thousands of classified U.S. government documents.
SNOWDEN: No he's not an alien
Speaking from Moscow, Snowden told The New Yorker, “This ‘Russian spy’ push is absurd.”
On NBC’s “Meet The Press,” Mike Rogers, a Republican congressman, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, described Snowden as a “thief, who we believe had some help.”
The show’s host, David Gregory, interjected, “You think the Russians helped Ed Snowden?” Rogers replied that he believed it was neither “coincidence” nor “a gee-whiz luck event that he ended up in Moscow under the handling of the F.S.B.”
Snowden, in a rare interview - conducted by encrypted means” said the New Yorker from Moscow - stressed that he “clearly and unambiguously acted alone, with no assistance from anyone, much less a government.”
He added, “It won’t stick…. Because it’s clearly false, and the American people are smarter than politicians think they are.”
If he was a Russian spy, Snowden asked, “Why Hong Kong?” And why, then, was he “stuck in the airport forever” when he reached Moscow? (He spent forty days in the transit zone of Sheremetyevo International Airport.) “Spies get treated better than that.”
A senior F.B.I. official said on Sunday that it was still the bureau’s conclusion that Mr. Snowden acted alone,” the New York Times reported.
Asked today to elaborate on his reasons for alleging that Snowden “had help,” Congressman Rogers, through a press aide, declined to comment.
An aide to Senator Dianne Feinstein, meanwhile, stressed that she did no more than ask questions. “Senator Feinstein said, ‘We don’t know at this stage.’ In light of the comments from Chairman Rogers, it is reasonable for Senator Feinstein to say that we should find out.”
“It’s not the smears that mystify me,” Snowden told me. “It’s that outlets report statements that the speakers themselves admit are sheer speculation.”
“ ‘We don’t know if he had help from aliens.’ ‘You know, I have serious questions about whether he really exists.’ ”
Snowden went on, “It’s just amazing that these massive media institutions don’t have any sort of editorial position on this. I mean these are pretty serious allegations, you know?”
He continued, “The media has a major role to play in American society, and they’re really abdicating their responsibility to hold power to account.”
George Stephanopoulos, the host of ABC’s “This Week,” defended the coverage pointed out that when congressman Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican and the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, alleged that Snowden was “cultivated by a foreign power” and “helped by others,” Stephanopoulos pressed hm for details, twice. “I did two follow-ups,” Stephanopoulos said, “and got as much as the congressman was going to give up.”
From Moscow, Snowden explained that “Russia was never intended” to be his place of asylum, but he “was stopped en route.” He said, “I was only transiting through Russia. I was ticketed for onward travel via Havana—a planeload of reporters documented the seat I was supposed to be in—but the State Department decided they wanted me in Moscow, and cancelled my passport.”
As for why he remains there, he said, “When we were talking about possibilities for asylum in Latin America, the United States forced down the Bolivian President’s plane.” If he could travel without U.S. interference, “I would of course do so.”
Snowden insists he wants to help, not hurt, the United States. “In nine months, no one has credibly shown any harm to national security” from the revelations, he said, “nor any ill intent.” Moreover, he pointed out that “the President himself admitted both that changes are necessary and that he is certain the debate my actions started will make us stronger.”
In the end, Snowden said that he “knew what he was getting into” when he became a whistle-blower.
“At least the American public has a seat at the table now,” he said. “It may sound trite,” but if “I end up disgraced in a ditch somewhere, but it helps the country, it will still be worth it.”
He did not comment on his agreement to stand as a candidate for the post of rector at Glasgow University.
Snowden, currently seeking asylum in Russia, agreed to stand after being contacted by students at the university who managed to track him down through ‘interlocuters’.
A spokeswoman for Glasgow University told The Drum earlier this week : “We have received nominations for the post of rector and I can confirm Edward Snowden is one of those names.”
A statement from the Edward Snowden for Rector Campaign said: "We are proud to announce that Edward Snowden has agreed to stand as a candidate in the election for student rector at Glasgow University.
"Edward Snowden’s candidacy is a unique opportunity to show our gratitude to a brave whistleblower, and thus all to other whistleblowers who take risks to reveal the criminality and corruption of powerful groups in the intelligence services and other arms of government, media, police, parliament, and military."