This article is from the source 'washpo' 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.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/snowden-denies-stealing-passwords-to-access-secret-files/2014/01/23/d1f7d9e4-8472-11e3-8099-9181471f7aaf_story.html?wprss=rss_national-security
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Snowden denies stealing passwords to access secret files | Snowden denies stealing passwords to access secret files |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| Former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden denied Thursday that he had ever stolen his co-workers’ passwords or otherwise tricked them in order to gain access to thousands of classified documents that he leaked to news organizations. | Former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden denied Thursday that he had ever stolen his co-workers’ passwords or otherwise tricked them in order to gain access to thousands of classified documents that he leaked to news organizations. |
| In an extensive online question-and-answer session, Snowden also indicated that he would like to return to the United States, but made clear he would only do so if he were protected from prosecution for violating espionage laws. | In an extensive online question-and-answer session, Snowden also indicated that he would like to return to the United States, but made clear he would only do so if he were protected from prosecution for violating espionage laws. |
| “Returning to the US, I think, is the best resolution for the government, the public, and myself, but it’s unfortunately not possible in the face of current whistleblower protection laws,” Snowden wrote in an exchange recorded on a Web site run by his supporters. | “Returning to the US, I think, is the best resolution for the government, the public, and myself, but it’s unfortunately not possible in the face of current whistleblower protection laws,” Snowden wrote in an exchange recorded on a Web site run by his supporters. |
| The session marked the first time that Snowden has fielded questions submitted by the public on subjects including his rationale for stealing a trove of classified documents from the National Security Agency, and his views on the intense debate triggered by the exposure of massive surveillance programs described in those secret files. | The session marked the first time that Snowden has fielded questions submitted by the public on subjects including his rationale for stealing a trove of classified documents from the National Security Agency, and his views on the intense debate triggered by the exposure of massive surveillance programs described in those secret files. |
| Snowden’s online appearance came just days after President Obama delivered a speech announcing that he would seek to end the NSA’s role in collecting U.S. citizens’ phone records. On Thursday, a White House privacy board said that program was illegal and should be shut down. | Snowden’s online appearance came just days after President Obama delivered a speech announcing that he would seek to end the NSA’s role in collecting U.S. citizens’ phone records. On Thursday, a White House privacy board said that program was illegal and should be shut down. |
| Snowden, who has been granted temporary asylum in Russia, has become increasingly outspoken in recent months — emboldened by developments that have raised questions about the legality of the NSA program, but also apparently determined to defend his own motivations and behavior. | Snowden, who has been granted temporary asylum in Russia, has become increasingly outspoken in recent months — emboldened by developments that have raised questions about the legality of the NSA program, but also apparently determined to defend his own motivations and behavior. |
| “I never stole any passwords, nor did I trick an army of co-workers,” Snowden wrote, addressing allegations that he had exploited his colleagues’ computer accounts to gain access to the files he took. Snowden worked as an information technology contractor at an NSA facility in Hawaii before he fled first to Hong Kong and then to Moscow last year. | “I never stole any passwords, nor did I trick an army of co-workers,” Snowden wrote, addressing allegations that he had exploited his colleagues’ computer accounts to gain access to the files he took. Snowden worked as an information technology contractor at an NSA facility in Hawaii before he fled first to Hong Kong and then to Moscow last year. |
| Snowden has been accused of by U.S. officials of committing one of the most extensive and damaging security breaches in the country’s history and undermining programs designed to help protect the country from terrorist plots. | Snowden has been accused of by U.S. officials of committing one of the most extensive and damaging security breaches in the country’s history and undermining programs designed to help protect the country from terrorist plots. |
| In his speech last week, Obama referred to Snowden by name, saying that his disclosures had “often shed more heat than light, while revealing methods to our adversaries that could impact our operations in ways that we may not fully understand for years to come.” | In his speech last week, Obama referred to Snowden by name, saying that his disclosures had “often shed more heat than light, while revealing methods to our adversaries that could impact our operations in ways that we may not fully understand for years to come.” |
| But Snowden cast his actions in more noble terms, saying that he became increasingly dismayed by the scope of surveillance programs that, in his view, violated the U.S. Constitution and threatened basic principles of privacy in the United States and abroad. | But Snowden cast his actions in more noble terms, saying that he became increasingly dismayed by the scope of surveillance programs that, in his view, violated the U.S. Constitution and threatened basic principles of privacy in the United States and abroad. |
| Governments “are seizing billions and billions and billions of innocents’ communication every single day,” Snowden said, “not because it’s necessary...but because new technologies make it easy and cheap.” | Governments “are seizing billions and billions and billions of innocents’ communication every single day,” Snowden said, “not because it’s necessary...but because new technologies make it easy and cheap.” |
| Snowden’s disclosures exposed not only the NSA program that has gathered phone records on Americans, but others that have been used to intercept billions of e-mails and other communications records overseas, and to monitor the cellphones of world leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel. | Snowden’s disclosures exposed not only the NSA program that has gathered phone records on Americans, but others that have been used to intercept billions of e-mails and other communications records overseas, and to monitor the cellphones of world leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel. |
| Attorney General Eric Holder on Thursday became the latest senior Obama administration official to dismiss the idea of granting Snowden immunity from prosecution in order to coax him into returning to the United States, which would enable U.S. officials to question him and learn more about the extent of the material he took. | Attorney General Eric Holder on Thursday became the latest senior Obama administration official to dismiss the idea of granting Snowden immunity from prosecution in order to coax him into returning to the United States, which would enable U.S. officials to question him and learn more about the extent of the material he took. |
| “If Mr. Snowden wanted to come back to the United States and enter a plea, we would engage with his lawyers,” Holder said during an event at the University of Virginia.”The notion of clemency isn’t something that we were willing to consider.” |