He knows that the biggest and most secretive surveillance organisation in America, the NSA, along with the most powerful government on the planet, is looking for him. He worked in the US intelligence world for almost a decade. Though that may sound like paranoia to some, Snowden has good reason for such fears. He puts a large red hood over his head and laptop when entering his passwords to prevent any hidden cameras from detecting them. He lines the door of his hotel room with pillows to prevent eavesdropping.
He is deeply worried about being spied on. It is a plush hotel and, what with eating meals in his room too, he has run up big bills. “I’ve left the room maybe a total of three times during my entire stay,” he said. In the three weeks since he arrived, he has been ensconced in a hotel room.
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He chose the city because “they have a spirited commitment to free speech and the right of political dissent”, and because he believed that it was one of the few places in the world that both could and would resist the dictates of the US government. On May 20, he boarded a flight to Hong Kong, where he has remained ever since. “That is not an uncommon occurrence for someone who has spent the last decade working in the intelligence world.”
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He then advised his NSA supervisor that he needed to be away from work for “a couple of weeks” in order to receive treatment for epilepsy, a condition he learned he suffers from after a series of seizures last year.Īs he packed his bags, he told his girlfriend that he had to be away for a few weeks, though he said he was vague about the reason. At the NSA office in Hawaii where he was working, he copied the last set of documents he intended to disclose. Three weeks ago, Snowden made final preparations that resulted in last week’s series of blockbuster news stories. “I’m willing to sacrifice all of that 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.” ‘I am not afraid, because this is the choice I’ve made’ He has had “a very comfortable life” that included a salary of roughly $200,000, a girlfriend with whom he shared a home in Hawaii, a stable career, and a family he loves. “I really want the focus to be on these documents and the debate which I hope this will trigger among citizens around the globe about what kind of world we want to live in.” He added: “My sole motive is to inform the public as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them.” “I know the media likes to personalise political debates, and I know the government will demonise me.”ĭespite these fears, he remained hopeful his outing will not divert attention from the substance of his disclosures. He does not fear the consequences of going public, he said, only that doing so will distract attention from the issues raised by his disclosures. I want it to be about what the US government is doing.”
“I don’t want public attention because I don’t want the story to be about me. 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.”ĭespite his determination to be publicly unveiled, he repeatedly insisted that he wants to avoid the media spotlight. He is responsible for handing over material from one of the world’s most secretive organisations – the NSA. Snowden will go down in history as one of America’s most consequential whistleblowers, alongside Daniel Ellsberg and Bradley Manning.
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