This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-25410064

The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
White House rejects amnesty for Edward Snowden Judge rules against NSA bulk surveillance program
(about 2 hours later)
The White House has ruled out the idea of an amnesty for fugitive intelligence contractor Edward Snowden. A US judge has ruled the National Security Agency's mass collection of telephone data unconstitutional.
A top National Security Agency (NSA) official had suggested that a deal could be reached if Mr Snowden stopped leaking documents. Federal District Judge Richard Leon said the electronic spy agency's practice was an "arbitrary invasion".
But White House spokesman Jay Carney said Mr Snowden still faced felony charges for leaking classified data. The agency's collection of "metadata" including telephone numbers and times and dates of calls was brought to light by ex-NSA contractor Edward Snowden.
It came as a federal judge ruled that the NSA's snooping on telephone calls is likely to be unconstitutional. The White House dismissed the suggestion Mr Snowden receive amnesty if he stopped leaking documents.
US District Judge Richard Leon wrote that the programme probably violated Americans' right to be free of unreasonable searches. In his ruling in a Washington DC federal court on Monday, Mr Leon called the NSA's surveillance program "indiscriminate" and an "almost Orwellian technology that enables the government to store and analyze the phone metadata of every telephone user in the United States".
He stayed his own ruling pending an expected appeal by the government. 'Irreparable harm'
Hostage-taker analogy The ruling came in a lawsuit brought by conservative activist Larry Klayman, who challenged the NSA's collection of metadata related to his Verizon account and that of a client.
In Monday's daily press briefing, Mr Carney said government officials continue to press Russia - where Mr Snowden has been granted asylum - to return him to the US. The NSA had ordered Verizon - one of the largest phone companies in the US - to disclose metadata, including telephone numbers, calling card numbers and the serial numbers of phones, of all calls it processes in which at least one party is in the US.
Mr Leon ruled the plaintiffs had demonstrated "a substantial likelihood of success on the merits of their Fourth Amendment claim and that they will suffer irreparable harm absent… relief", referring to the clause in the US constitution that bars unreasonable search and seizure.
He issued a preliminary injunction against the NSA surveillance programme but suspended the order to allow for an appeal by the justice department.
Through Glenn Greenwald, a journalist with whom he has close ties, Mr Snowden issued a statement hailing the ruling.
"I acted on my belief that the NSA's mass surveillance programs would not withstand a constitutional challenge, and that the American public deserved a chance to see these issues determined by open courts," he wrote, according to the New York Times.
"Today, a secret program authorized by a secret court was, when exposed to the light of day, found to violate Americans' rights," he added. "It is the first of many."
Earlier in the day, the White House rejected the suggestion that Mr Snowden be granted amnesty, a day after a top NSA official publicly suggested a deal could be reached to keep Mr Snowden from leaking more documents.
White House spokesman Jay Carney said government officials continue to press Russia - where Mr Snowden has been granted asylum - to return him to the US.
"There's been no change in our position," he told reporters."There's been no change in our position," he told reporters.
Mr Snowden "faces felony charges here, he ought to be returned to the United States, again, where he will face full due process and protection under our system of justice, that we hope he will avail himself of", Mr Carney added. "He faces felony charges here, he ought to be returned to the United States, again, where he will face full due process and protection under our system of justice, that we hope he will avail himself of."
In comments aired on Sunday, Richard Ledgett - who is head of the NSA's task force investigating damage from Mr Snowden's leaks - discussed the possibility of an amnesty deal on the US television channel CBS. On Sunday, Richard Ledgett, head of the NSA's task force investigating damage from Mr Snowden's leaks, discussed the possibility of an amnesty deal on the US television channel CBS.
"My personal view is, yes it's worth having a conversation about," he said."My personal view is, yes it's worth having a conversation about," he said.
"I would need assurances that the remainder of the data could be secured, and my bar for those assurances would be very high, would be more than just an assertion on his part.""I would need assurances that the remainder of the data could be secured, and my bar for those assurances would be very high, would be more than just an assertion on his part."
'Personal opinion'
Mr Carney said on Monday that the proposal represented Mr Ledgett's "personal opinion" and such decisions were ultimately made by the Department of Justice.Mr Carney said on Monday that the proposal represented Mr Ledgett's "personal opinion" and such decisions were ultimately made by the Department of Justice.
Earlier, NSA Director Gen Keith Alexander also dismissed the idea.Earlier, NSA Director Gen Keith Alexander also dismissed the idea.
"This is analogous to a hostage taker taking 50 people hostage, shooting 10, and then say, 'if you give me full amnesty, I'll let the other 40 go'. What do you do?""This is analogous to a hostage taker taking 50 people hostage, shooting 10, and then say, 'if you give me full amnesty, I'll let the other 40 go'. What do you do?"
Earlier this month, a UK newspaper editor told UK MPs only 1% of files leaked by Mr Snowden had been published by the newspaper. Earlier this month, Alan Rusbridger, editor of the Guardian newspaper, which has published many of the Snowden documents, told UK MPs that only 1% of files leaked by Mr Snowden had been published by the newspaper.
The US has charged Mr Snowden with theft of government property, unauthorised communication of national defence information and wilful communication of classified communications intelligence.The US has charged Mr Snowden with theft of government property, unauthorised communication of national defence information and wilful communication of classified communications intelligence.
Each of the charges carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence.Each of the charges carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence.
At the weekend, the NSA allowed a CBS television crew into its headquarters for the first time, in an effort to be more open about what the agency does with the data it collects.At the weekend, the NSA allowed a CBS television crew into its headquarters for the first time, in an effort to be more open about what the agency does with the data it collects.