http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun

/09/edwardsnowdennsawhistleblowersurveillanceEdwardSnowden:thewhistleblowerbehindtheNSAsurveillancerevelationsThe29yearoldsourcebehindthebiggestintelligenceleakintheNSA'shistoryexplainshismotives,hisuncertainfutureandwhyheneverintendedonhidingintheshadowsGlennGreenwald,EwenMacAskillandLauraPoitrasinHongKongTheGuardian,Sunday9June2013Linktovideo:NSAwhistleblowerEdwardSnowden:'Idon'twanttoliveinasocietythatdoesthesesortofthings'TheindividualresponsibleforoneofthemostsignificantleaksinUSpoliticalhistoryisEdwardSnowden,a29yearoldformertechnicalassistantfortheCIAandcurrentemployeeofthedefencecontractorBoozAllenHamilton.
SnowdenhasbeenworkingattheNationalSecurityAgencyforthelastfouryearsasanemployeeofvariousoutsidecontractors,includingBoozAllenandDell.
TheGuardian,afterseveraldaysofinterviews,isrevealinghisidentityathisrequest.
Fromthemomenthedecidedtodisclosenumeroustopsecretdocumentstothepublic,hewasdeterminednottooptfortheprotectionofanonymity.
"IhavenointentionofhidingwhoIambecauseIknowIhavedonenothingwrong,"hesaid.
SnowdenwillgodowninhistoryasoneofAmerica'smostconsequentialwhistleblowers,alongsideDanielEllsbergandBradleyManning.
Heisresponsibleforhandingovermaterialfromoneoftheworld'smostsecretiveorganisations–theNSA.
2Inanoteaccompanyingthefirstsetofdocumentsheprovided,hewrote:"IunderstandthatIwillbemadetosufferformyactions,"but"Iwillbesatisfiedifthefederationofsecretlaw,unequalpardonandirresistibleexecutivepowersthatruletheworldthatIlovearerevealedevenforaninstant.
"Despitehisdeterminationtobepubliclyunveiled,herepeatedlyinsistedthathewantstoavoidthemediaspotlight.

"Idon'twantpublicattentionbecauseIdon'twantthestorytobeaboutme.
IwantittobeaboutwhattheUSgovernmentisdoing.
"Hedoesnotfeartheconsequencesofgoingpublic,hesaid,onlythatdoingsowilldistractattentionfromtheissuesraisedbyhisdisclosures.
"Iknowthemedialikestopersonalisepoliticaldebates,andIknowthegovernmentwilldemonizeme.
"Despitethesefears,heremainedhopefulhisoutingwillnotdivertattentionfromthesubstanceofhisdisclosures.

"IreallywantthefocustobeonthesedocumentsandthedebatewhichIhopethiswilltriggeramongcitizensaroundtheglobeaboutwhatkindofworldwewanttolivein.
"Headded:"Mysolemotiveistoinformthepublicastothatwhichisdoneintheirnameandthatwhichisdoneagainstthem.
"Hehashad"averycomfortablelife"thatincludedasalaryofroughly$200,000,agirlfriendwithwhomhesharedahomeinHawaii,astablecareer,andafamilyheloves.
"I'mwillingtosacrificeallofthatbecauseIcan'tingoodconscienceallowtheUSgovernmenttodestroyprivacy,internetfreedomandbasiclibertiesforpeoplearoundtheworldwiththismassivesurveillancemachinethey'resecretlybuilding.
"'Iamnotafraid,becausethisisthechoiceI'vemade'Threeweeksago,Snowdenmadefinalpreparationsthatresultedinlastweek'sseriesofblockbusternewsstories.
AttheNSAofficeinHawaiiwherehewasworking,hecopiedthelastsetofdocumentsheintendedtodisclose.
HethenadvisedhisNSAsupervisorthatheneededtobeawayfromworkfor"acoupleofweeks"inordertoreceivetreatmentforepilepsy,aconditionhelearnedhesuffersfromafteraseriesofseizureslastyear.

Ashepackedhisbags,hetoldhisgirlfriendthathehadtobeawayforafewweeks,thoughhesaidhewasvagueaboutthereason.
"Thatisnotanuncommonoccurrenceforsomeonewhohasspentthelastdecadeworkingintheintelligenceworld.
"OnMay20,heboardedaflighttoHongKong,wherehehasremainedeversince.
Hechosethecitybecause"theyhaveaspiritedcommitmenttofreespeechandtherightofpoliticaldissent",andbecausehebelievedthatitwasoneofthefewplacesintheworldthatbothcouldandwouldresistthedictatesoftheUSgovernment.
Inthethreeweekssincehearrived,hehasbeenensconcedinahotelroom.
"I'velefttheroommaybeatotalofthreetimesduringmyentirestay,"hesaid.
Itisaplushhoteland,whatwitheatingmealsinhisroomtoo,hehasrunupbigbills.
3Heisdeeplyworriedaboutbeingspiedon.
Helinesthedoorofhishotelroomwithpillowstopreventeavesdropping.
Heputsalargeredhoodoverhisheadandlaptopwhenenteringhispasswordstopreventanyhiddencamerasfromdetectingthem.
Thoughthatmaysoundlikeparanoiatosome,Snowdenhasgoodreasonforsuchfears.
HeworkedintheUSintelligenceworldforalmostadecade.
HeknowsthatthebiggestandmostsecretivesurveillanceorganisationinAmerica,theNSA,alongwiththemostpowerfulgovernmentontheplanet,islookingforhim.
Sincethedisclosuresbegantoemerge,hehaswatchedtelevisionandmonitoredtheinternet,hearingallthethreatsandvowsofprosecutionemanatingfromWashington.
Andheknowsonlytoowellthesophisticatedtechnologyavailabletothemandhoweasyitwillbeforthemtofindhim.
TheNSApoliceandotherlawenforcementofficershavetwicevisitedhishomeinHawaiiandalreadycontactedhisgirlfriend,thoughhebelievesthatmayhavebeenpromptedbyhisabsencefromwork,andnotbecauseofsuspicionsofanyconnectiontotheleaks.
"Allmyoptionsarebad,"hesaid.
TheUScouldbeginextraditionproceedingsagainsthim,apotentiallyproblematic,lengthyandunpredictablecourseforWashington.
OrtheChinesegovernmentmightwhiskhimawayforquestioning,viewinghimasausefulsourceofinformation.
OrhemightendupbeinggrabbedandbundledintoaplaneboundforUSterritory.
"Yes,IcouldberenderedbytheCIA.
Icouldhavepeoplecomeafterme.
Oranyofthethirdpartypartners.
Theyworkcloselywithanumberofothernations.
OrtheycouldpayofftheTriads.
Anyoftheiragentsorassets,"hesaid.
"WehavegotaCIAstationjustuptheroad–theconsulatehereinHongKong–andIamsuretheyaregoingtobebusyforthenextweek.
AndthatisaconcernIwilllivewithfortherestofmylife,howeverlongthathappenstobe.
"HavingwatchedtheObamaadministrationprosecutewhistleblowersatahistoricallyunprecedentedrate,hefullyexpectstheUSgovernmenttoattempttouseallitsweighttopunishhim.
"Iamnotafraid,"hesaidcalmly,"becausethisisthechoiceI'vemade.
"Hepredictsthegovernmentwilllaunchaninvestigationand"sayIhavebrokentheEspionageActandhelpedourenemies,butthatcanbeusedagainstanyonewhopointsouthowmassiveandinvasivethesystemhasbecome".

Theonlytimehebecameemotionalduringthemanyhoursofinterviewswaswhenheponderedtheimpacthischoiceswouldhaveonhisfamily,manyofwhomworkfortheUSgovernment.
"TheonlythingIfearistheharmfuleffectsonmyfamily,whoIwon'tbeabletohelpanymore.
That'swhatkeepsmeupatnight,"hesaid,hiseyeswellingupwithtears.
'Youcan'twaitaroundforsomeoneelsetoact'SnowdendidnotalwaysbelievetheUSgovernmentposedathreattohispoliticalvalues.
Hewasbroughtup4originallyinElizabethCity,NorthCarolina.
HisfamilymovedlatertoMaryland,neartheNSAheadquartersinFortMeade.
Byhisownadmission,hewasnotastellarstudent.
Inordertogetthecreditsnecessarytoobtainahighschooldiploma,heattendedacommunitycollegeinMaryland,studyingcomputing,butnevercompletedthecoursework.
(HelaterobtainedhisGED.
)In2003,heenlistedintheUSarmyandbeganatrainingprogramtojointheSpecialForces.
Invokingthesameprinciplesthathenowcitestojustifyhisleaks,hesaid:"IwantedtofightintheIraqwarbecauseIfeltlikeIhadanobligationasahumanbeingtohelpfreepeoplefromoppression".
Herecountedhowhisbeliefsaboutthewar'spurposewerequicklydispelled.
"MostofthepeopletrainingusseemedpumpedupaboutkillingArabs,nothelpinganyone,"hesaid.
Afterhebrokebothhislegsinatrainingaccident,hewasdischarged.
Afterthat,hegothisfirstjobinanNSAfacility,workingasasecurityguardforoneoftheagency'scovertfacilitiesattheUniversityofMaryland.
Fromthere,hewenttotheCIA,whereheworkedonITsecurity.
Hisunderstandingoftheinternetandhistalentforcomputerprogrammingenabledhimtorisefairlyquicklyforsomeonewholackedevenahighschooldiploma.
By2007,theCIAstationedhimwithdiplomaticcoverinGeneva,Switzerland.
Hisresponsibilityformaintainingcomputernetworksecuritymeanthehadclearancetoaccessawidearrayofclassifieddocuments.
Thataccess,alongwiththealmostthreeyearshespentaroundCIAofficers,ledhimtobeginseriouslyquestioningtherightnessofwhathesaw.
HedescribedasformativeanincidentinwhichheclaimedCIAoperativeswereattemptingtorecruitaSwissbankertoobtainsecretbankinginformation.
Snowdensaidtheyachievedthisbypurposelygettingthebankerdrunkandencouraginghimtodrivehomeinhiscar.
Whenthebankerwasarrestedfordrunkdriving,theundercoveragentseekingtobefriendhimofferedtohelp,andabondwasformedthatledtosuccessfulrecruitment.
"MuchofwhatIsawinGenevareallydisillusionedmeabouthowmygovernmentfunctionsandwhatitsimpactisintheworld,"hesays.
"IrealisedthatIwaspartofsomethingthatwasdoingfarmoreharmthangood.
"HesaiditwasduringhisCIAstintinGenevathathethoughtforthefirsttimeaboutexposinggovernmentsecrets.

But,atthetime,hechosenottofortworeasons.
First,hesaid:"MostofthesecretstheCIAhasareaboutpeople,notmachinesandsystems,soIdidn'tfeelcomfortablewithdisclosuresthatIthoughtcouldendangeranyone".
Secondly,theelectionofBarackObamain2008gavehimhopethattherewouldberealreforms,renderingdisclosuresunnecessary.
HelefttheCIAin2009inordertotakehisfirstjobworkingforaprivatecontractorthatassignedhimtoa5functioningNSAfacility,stationedonamilitarybaseinJapan.
Itwasthen,hesaid,thathe"watchedasObamaadvancedtheverypoliciesthatIthoughtwouldbereinedin",andasaresult,"Igothardened.
"Theprimarylessonfromthisexperiencewasthat"youcan'twaitaroundforsomeoneelsetoact.
Ihadbeenlookingforleaders,butIrealisedthatleadershipisaboutbeingthefirsttoact.
"Overthenextthreeyears,helearnedjusthowallconsumingtheNSA'ssurveillanceactivitieswere,claiming"theyareintentonmakingeveryconversationandeveryformofbehaviourintheworldknowntothem".
Hedescribedhowheonceviewedtheinternetas"themostimportantinventioninallofhumanhistory".
Asanadolescent,hespentdaysatatime"speakingtopeoplewithallsortsofviewsthatIwouldneverhaveencounteredonmyown".
Buthebelievedthatthevalueoftheinternet,alongwithbasicprivacy,isbeingrapidlydestroyedbyubiquitoussurveillance.
"Idon'tseemyselfasahero,"hesaid,"becausewhatI'mdoingisselfinterested:Idon'twanttoliveinaworldwherethere'snoprivacyandthereforenoroomforintellectualexplorationandcreativity.
"OncehereachedtheconclusionthattheNSA'ssurveillancenetwouldsoonbeirrevocable,hesaiditwasjustamatteroftimebeforehechosetoact.
"Whatthey'redoing"poses"anexistentialthreattodemocracy",hesaid.

AmatterofprincipleAsstrongasthosebeliefsare,therestillremainsthequestion:whydidhedoitGivinguphisfreedomandaprivilegedlifestyle"Therearemoreimportantthingsthanmoney.
IfIweremotivatedbymoney,Icouldhavesoldthesedocumentstoanynumberofcountriesandgottenveryrich.
"Forhim,itisamatterofprinciple.
"Thegovernmenthasgranteditselfpoweritisnotentitledto.
Thereisnopublicoversight.
Theresultispeoplelikemyselfhavethelatitudetogofurtherthantheyareallowedto,"hesaid.

Hisallegiancetointernetfreedomisreflectedinthestickersonhislaptop:"IsupportOnlineRights:ElectronicFrontierFoundation,"readsone.
Anotherhailstheonlineorganisationofferinganonymity,theTorProject.