The NSA gathers more data on American citizens than it does about foreigners, Edward Snowden has said. During an acceptance speech for a “truth-telling” prize, the whistleblower attacked NSA head, James Clapper, for lying about US surveillance.
“We watch our own people more closely than anyone else in the world,” said Edward Snowden, appearing in a live video link at the 11th annual Ridenhour Prizes ceremony in Washington. He was greeted by a standing ovation from the audience when he received the Ridenhour Award for “Truth-Telling."
During his speech, the whistleblower said he leaked thousands of
classified government documents, detailing the NSA’s mass
surveillance programs because “it was the right thing to do,
and now I see I’m not the only one who felt that way.”
“I thought the most likely outcome would be spending the rest of
my life in prison,” said Snowden.
He also criticized the Senate and the House Intelligence
committees for their lack of oversight on the NSA and the
intelligence community. Leveling criticism at the NSA’s director,
James Clapper, Snowden blasted him for his “famous lie”
during a speech last year.
In a testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee last March,
Clapper stated that the NSA did “not wittingly gather any
type of data at all on millions or hundreds of millions of
Americans.” It was later revealed in Snowden’s documents
that the agency does collect metadata indiscriminately from
American telephone and internet companies. This prompted Clapper
to go back on his statement, admitting it was
“erroneous” in an apology letter to Congress.
“When Clapper raised his hand and lied to the American
public, was anyone tried? Were any charges brought?” Snowden
asked. “Within 24 hours of going public, I had three charges
against me.”
The 30–year-old former CIA contractor-turned whistleblower is
currently residing in Russia, where he was granted temporary
asylum last year after he fled the US. In response to the massive
security leaks, Washington filed for Snowden’s extradition and
charged him with theft, “unauthorized communication of
national defense information” and “willful communication of
classified communications intelligence information to an
unauthorized person” under the Espionage Act.
Snowden’s visa will expire this June, but the whistleblower’s
lawyer, Jesselyn Radack, says they are confident his visa will be
extended for another year.
“Obviously, he misses America and would like to be able to
come home,” his attorney, Jesselyn Radack, told Reuters.
“We just don’t see that happening in the near future.”
Radack added that Snowden was open for negotiation with the US
Justice Department, but he will not be returning home “to be
prosecuted for espionage.”