By Michael Yoakum
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

WASHINGTON D.C., United States – Former CIA employee Edward Snowden exploded into news headlines Sunday after the Guardian revealed him to be the party responsible for declassifying the NSA program code-named PRISM.  Snowden, who more recently worked as a contractor for the NSA, revealed that the NSA obtained phone meta data from Verizon customers and has “direct access” to the server contents of service providers like Microsoft, Apple, Google, and Facebook.

Snowden worked at Booz Allen Hamilton where he contracted with the NSA as a system administrator. After three months, Snowden left his position, and, on May 20, traveled to Hong Kong to seek asylum.  It was there that, on June 6, Snowden contacted the Washington Post and the UK-based Guardian to provide details about PRISM as well as general information about US espionage operations.

Since releasing the classified materials, Snowden has remained in Hong Kong to give interviews to a select group of media outlets.  Fox News reported that Snowden chose to travel to Hong Kong because of its “strong tradition of free speech.”  While Hong Kong does have an extradition treaty with the US, it makes exceptions for political asylum seekers.

If Snowden is returned the US, however, he may not face the long prison sentence one might expect.  According to a Reuters article, only nine people have been tried for crimes similar to those of which Snowden is accused (six of which were prosecuted under the Obama administration).  Of the six who have been sentenced, the maximum jail sentence was approximately two years, with two receiving no jail sentences at all. The remaining three still have legal action pending.

In an interview given Wednesday to The South China Morning Post (“SCMP”), Snowden said he would not flee Hong Kong, opting instead to leave his fate to the semi-autonomous city’s justice system.  Snowden went on to state that he believed the NSA to be responsible for 61,000 hacking operations worldwide, including many in China and Hong Kong.

Snowden went on to explain that by using “network backbones – [which are] like huge internet routers,” the NSA was able to access communications between hundreds of thousands of computers without having to hack them individually.  According to the SCMP, Snowden said, “‘Last week the American government happily operated in the shadows with no respect for the consent of the governed, but no longer.'”

Since Snowden leaked classified NSA materials, members of Congress have been split into two camps: those angry at Snowden for leaking information, and those angry at the Obama administration for allowing the NSA to conduct such a sweeping surveillance program.

 

For further information, please see:

ABC News – Edward Snowden Claims NSA Documents Show U.S. Hacks China: Report – 12 June 2013

CBS News – Edward Snowden: “I am not here to hide” – 12 June 2013

Fox News – I’m ‘not a traitor,’ NSA leaker Edward Snowden tells Hong Kong newspaper – 12 June 2013

South China Morning Post – Edward Snowden: US government has been hacking Hong Kong and China for years – 12 June 2013

The Washington Post – Here’s everything we know about PRISM to date – 12 June 2013

Reuters – If past is indicator, ex-NSA contractor may escape long jail term – 10 June 2013

The Guardian – Edward Snowden’s explosive NSA leaks have US in damage control mode – 10 June 2013