Edward Snowden: the whistleblower behind revelations of NSA surveillance

[Jake Kouns <jkouns () opensecurityfoundation org>]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/09/edward-snowden-nsa-whistleblower-surveillance

Edward Snowden: the whistleblower behind revelations of NSA surveillance
The 29-year-old source behind the biggest intelligence leak in the
NSA's history explains his motives, his uncertain future and why he
never intended on hiding in the shadows

Link to video: NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden: 'I don't want to live
in a society that does these sort of things'
The individual responsible for one of the most significant leaks in US
political history is Edward Snowden, a 29-year-old former technical
assistant for the CIA and current employee of the defence contractor
Booz Allen Hamilton. Snowden has been working at the National Security
Agency for the last four years as an employee of various outside
contractors, including Booz Allen and Dell.

The Guardian, after several days of interviews, is revealing his
identity at his request. From the moment he decided to disclose
numerous top-secret documents to the public, he was determined not to
opt for the protection of anonymity. "I have no intention of hiding
who I am because I know I have done nothing wrong," he said.

Snowden will go down in history as one of America's most consequential
whistleblowers, alongside Daniel Ellsberg and Bradley Manning. He is
responsible for handing over material from one of the world's most
secretive organisations – the NSA.

In a note accompanying the first set of documents he provided, he
wrote: "I understand that I will be made to suffer for my actions,"
but "I will be satisfied if the federation of secret law, unequal
pardon and irresistible executive powers that rule the world that I
love are revealed even for an instant."

Despite his determination to be publicly unveiled, he repeatedly
insisted that he wants to avoid the media spotlight. "I don't want
public attention because I don't want the story to be about me. I want
it to be about what the US government is doing."

He does not fear the consequences of going public, he said, only that
doing so will distract attention from the issues raised by his
disclosures. "I know the media likes to personalise political debates,
and I know the government will demonise me."

Despite these fears, he remained hopeful his outing will not divert
attention from the substance of his disclosures. "I really want the
focus to be on these documents and the debate which I hope this will
trigger among citizens around the globe about what kind of world we
want to live in." He added: "My sole motive is to inform the public as
to that which is done in their name and that which is done against
them."

He has had "a very comfortable life" that included a salary of roughly
$200,000, a girlfriend with whom he shared a home in Hawaii, a stable
career, and a family he loves. "I'm willing to sacrifice all of that
because I can't in good conscience allow the US government to destroy
privacy, internet freedom and basic liberties for people around the
world with this massive surveillance machine they're secretly
building."

'I am not afraid, because this is the choice I've made'

Three weeks ago, Snowden made final preparations that resulted in last
week's series of blockbuster news stories. At the NSA office in Hawaii
where he was working, he copied the last set of documents he intended
to disclose.

He then advised his NSA supervisor that he needed to be away from work
for "a couple of weeks" in order to receive treatment for epilepsy, a
condition he learned he suffers from after a series of seizures last
year.

[..]
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