Edward Snowden, the former government contractor who leaked information on the National Security Agency’s surveillance programs, says he sought the job with Booz Allen Hamilton to gather evidence on the agency’s data collection networks.
In a June 12 interview with the South China Morning Post published Monday, Snowden, who previously worked as a CIA technician, said he took the position with the intention of collecting information on the NSA.
“My position with Booz Allen Hamilton granted me access to lists of machines all over the world the NSA hacked,” he said. “That is why I accepted that position about three months ago.”
SCMP reports:
Asked if he specifically went to Booz Allen Hamilton to gather evidence of surveillance, he replied: “Correct on Booz.”His intention was to collect information about the NSA hacking into “the whole world” and “not specifically Hong Kong and China”.
The documents he divulged to the Post were obtained during his tenure at Booz Allen Hamilton in April, he said.
Snowden also told the Hong Kong newspaper that he intends to leak more documents on the NSA’s programs.
Last week, Reuters reported that Booz Allen Hamilton hired Snowden despite finding possible discrepancies in his resume. The Senate has also launched an investigationinto USIS, the government contractor that vetted Snowden in 2011.
“We are limited in what we can say about this investigation because it is an ongoing criminal matter,” Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) said of the investigation. “But it is a reminder that background investigations can have real consequences for our national security.”
According to the latest reports, Snowden has left Hong Kong and is believed to be in Russia. Snowden reportedly did not make a Monday flight to Cuba as planned.
During a Monday conference call with reporters, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said Snowden is “safe and healthy,” but would not give further details on his whereabouts.
