At just 29, Edward Snowden had a comfortable salary, a good position as technical assistant for the CIA, and as the current employee of the defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton. Snowden has been working at the National Security Agency for the last four years as an employee of various outside contractors, including Booz Allen and Dell. But he is also the "whistleblower" responsible for bringing to light one of the most significant leaks in America's political history, and the NSA is not at all pleased.
despite the fact that he is shinning an unwanted light on the actions of the NSA, and possibly putting himself on the radar of a lot of unhappy and powerful men, he has opted out of anonymity, and chose to reveal his identity, stating the following:
"I have no intention of hiding who I am because I know I have done nothing wrong," he said.
In a note included in 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."
While Snowden chose not to hide his identity, he has asked that media coverage focus on the Government, and not on him. "I don't want public attention because I don't want the story to be about me. I want it to be about what the US government is doing." But he claims that this is not because of fear, stating- "I know the media likes to personalize political debates, and I know the government will demonize me."
"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."
It is not without great sacrifice that this information has come to us, Snowden had a comfortable life, a salary of $200,000, a girlfriend he shared a home with in Hawaii, and a loving family. "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." He said.
After copying all the documents he planned to disclose, he told 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. He then went home, packed his bags, and told his girlfriend he had to leave for a few weeks, something he said was not all that unusual for someone who has spent the last decade working in the intelligence world. On May 20, he boarded a flight to Hong Kong, where he has remained ever since. He said he chose Hong Kong 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. He has been staying in a hotel, and says he has left his room only a few times.
He has reason to fear. Having worked for the NSA for nearly a decade, he is well aware of just how powerful it is. And he knows the U.S. Government has no shortage of resources and technology that can assist in his capture. At this point his future is very uncertain.
"Yes, I could be rendered by the CIA. I could have people come after me. Or any of the third-party partners. They work closely with a number of other nations. Or they could pay off the Triads. Any of their agents or assets," he said.
"We have got a CIA station just up the road – the consulate here in Hong Kong – and I am sure they are going to be busy for the next week. And that is a concern I will live with for the rest of my life, however long that happens to be."
He thinks the government will launch an investigation and "say I have broken the Espionage Act and helped our enemies, but that can be used against anyone who points out how massive and invasive the system has become".
"The only thing I fear is the harmful effects on my family, who I won't be able to help any more. That's what keeps me up at night," he said, his eyes welling up with tears.
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