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| Defending His Actions, Snowden Says He’s a Patriot | |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| WASHINGTON — Edward J. Snowden said that he still considered himself to be an American patriot even after leaking thousands of classified documents, and that he was frustrated to be “stuck in a place” — Russia — that did so little to protect individual rights when he was trying to help protect American freedoms. | WASHINGTON — Edward J. Snowden said that he still considered himself to be an American patriot even after leaking thousands of classified documents, and that he was frustrated to be “stuck in a place” — Russia — that did so little to protect individual rights when he was trying to help protect American freedoms. |
| Mr. Snowden made the comments in an hourlong interview on Wednesday night with Brian Williams of NBC News in which he tried to justify his actions and explain why he had accepted refuge from President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. He said he was alarmed that the Russian government was cracking down on freedom of the press, calling it “deeply unfair.” | Mr. Snowden made the comments in an hourlong interview on Wednesday night with Brian Williams of NBC News in which he tried to justify his actions and explain why he had accepted refuge from President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. He said he was alarmed that the Russian government was cracking down on freedom of the press, calling it “deeply unfair.” |
| He said he had never met Mr. Putin. “I have no relationship with the Russian government,” Mr. Snowden said. “I’m not supported by them.” | He said he had never met Mr. Putin. “I have no relationship with the Russian government,” Mr. Snowden said. “I’m not supported by them.” |
| “I am not a spy” for the Kremlin, he added, “which is the real question.” | “I am not a spy” for the Kremlin, he added, “which is the real question.” |
| Even if Mr. Putin’s government asked him to hand over documents, Mr. Snowden said, he had none to give. “I didn’t take anything to Russia,” he said. When Mr. Williams asked if Mr. Snowden could remotely access any of the documents he stole, he replied, “No, I don’t have any control.” | Even if Mr. Putin’s government asked him to hand over documents, Mr. Snowden said, he had none to give. “I didn’t take anything to Russia,” he said. When Mr. Williams asked if Mr. Snowden could remotely access any of the documents he stole, he replied, “No, I don’t have any control.” |
| The interview added a new twist to the yearlong public relations battle between the Obama administration and Mr. Snowden, who is living under asylum in Moscow to escape prosecution for leaking the files, which detail extensive American surveillance programs at home and abroad. | The interview added a new twist to the yearlong public relations battle between the Obama administration and Mr. Snowden, who is living under asylum in Moscow to escape prosecution for leaking the files, which detail extensive American surveillance programs at home and abroad. |
| Mr. Snowden did not address what other information may be coming from the documents that are still in the hands of journalists. He did not deny that he had taken military secrets, but he implied that nothing would be released that would, in his mind, hurt national security or put American troops at risk. | Mr. Snowden did not address what other information may be coming from the documents that are still in the hands of journalists. He did not deny that he had taken military secrets, but he implied that nothing would be released that would, in his mind, hurt national security or put American troops at risk. |
| “A good gauge of what information was provided to journalists is a representation of what you see in the press,” he said. “I did not want to take information that would be thrown in the press that would cause harm.” | “A good gauge of what information was provided to journalists is a representation of what you see in the press,” he said. “I did not want to take information that would be thrown in the press that would cause harm.” |
| In trying to justify his actions to Mr. Williams, Mr. Snowden said he still considered himself to be working on behalf of the American people and government, even if the Obama administration does not see it that way. | In trying to justify his actions to Mr. Williams, Mr. Snowden said he still considered himself to be working on behalf of the American people and government, even if the Obama administration does not see it that way. |
| “How can it be said that I did not serve my government when all three branches have made reforms as a result of it?” he asked. “Being a patriot doesn’t mean prioritizing service to government above all.” | “How can it be said that I did not serve my government when all three branches have made reforms as a result of it?” he asked. “Being a patriot doesn’t mean prioritizing service to government above all.” |
| He continued, “It means knowing when to protect your country, when to protect your Constitution, when to protect your countrymen from the violations and encroachments of adversaries.” Such adversaries “do not have to be foreign countries,” he added. “They can be bad policies.” | He continued, “It means knowing when to protect your country, when to protect your Constitution, when to protect your countrymen from the violations and encroachments of adversaries.” Such adversaries “do not have to be foreign countries,” he added. “They can be bad policies.” |
| Mr. Williams pressed Mr. Snowden about any regrets he might have almost a year after fleeing the United States. “What don’t I miss?” he said. “I miss my family. I miss my home. I miss my colleagues. I miss the work.” | Mr. Williams pressed Mr. Snowden about any regrets he might have almost a year after fleeing the United States. “What don’t I miss?” he said. “I miss my family. I miss my home. I miss my colleagues. I miss the work.” |
| But he said none of that made him regret his actions, although he would like to come home, as unlikely as that seems to be. He said he did not want his case to discourage whistle-blowers. | But he said none of that made him regret his actions, although he would like to come home, as unlikely as that seems to be. He said he did not want his case to discourage whistle-blowers. |
| “I’m not going to give myself a parade,” he said, “but neither am I going to walk into a jail cell.” He said he did not think he could get a fair trial under American espionage laws. | “I’m not going to give myself a parade,” he said, “but neither am I going to walk into a jail cell.” He said he did not think he could get a fair trial under American espionage laws. |
| Mr. Snowden also hit back against government descriptions of him as a “low-level analyst” writing computer code for American spies. Instead, he said, he was a trained spy who worked under assumed names overseas for the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency. | Mr. Snowden also hit back against government descriptions of him as a “low-level analyst” writing computer code for American spies. Instead, he said, he was a trained spy who worked under assumed names overseas for the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency. |