After publishing the earth shattering report that unveiled the secret surveillance program PRISM, The Guardian has now come up with another breaking story in which it has revealed the man who leaked the secrets of the American government program. According to the publication, 29 year old Edward Snowden, who was associated with the CIA in the capacity of a technical assistant and currently working at a firm called Booz Allen Hamilton that is working with the US Department of Defence under a contract as the inside man. Moreover, the Guardian also divulged that the article was written and published on his request. However, before unveiling the secret Snowden took medical leaves from his company and went to Hong Kong in order to defy US dictates.
It was in Hong Kong where Snowden saw his efforts bearing fruit, as the entire US and rest of world got to know about the PRISM program through the media. Snowden’s interview is quite unbelievable, as the publication has portrayed him being a man of principle, who knows what he is been doing. The 29 year disclosed the program because he was fed up of PRISM and the way it works, as he said during the interview that, “I feel satisfied that this was all worth it. I have no regrets.”
Snowden leaked the documents, in spite of knowing that after the interview he could face immense danger and lot of uncertainty. Below are some of the interesting parts from his interview, taken from TNW:
“His motivation:
“I’m willing to sacrifice all of that [his “comfortable” life] 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.”
Why he is not staying anonymous:
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.
His expectations of what’s next:
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.”
“All my options are bad,” he said. The US could begin extradition proceedings against him, a potentially problematic, lengthy and unpredictable course for Washington. Or the Chinese government might whisk him away for questioning, viewing him as a useful source of information. Or he might end up being grabbed and bundled into a plane bound for US territory.
His disinterest in becoming famous over the leak (although that is an inevitable reality given the huge profile and storm around PRISM):
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.””
Source: TNW
Photo: GlobalPost
Tesla Motors Wants To Sell Their Electric Cars Directly To Consumers By Cutting Out Car Dealers
Apple Signs Third Big Music Label Sony to Announce iRadio Service at Upcoming WWDC
Lunches So Good Kids Can’t Ignore Them
Invigorating Ginger Smoothie
The U.K.’s Youngest Parents Ever
The new hair Jennifer Lawrence