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In First American TV Interview, Snowden Talks Accountability and Patriotism
mspohr (589790) points out NBC News's interview with Edward Snowden, the first time Snowden has talked with an American television reporter. It's a wide-ranging conversation, in which Snowden emphasizes his ongoing belief that he did the right thing to release the many documents that he did, even at the cost of his ability to travel. Snowden told NBC's Brian Williams "he had tried to go through channels before leaking documents to journalists, repeatedly raising objections inside the NSA, in writing, to its widespread use of surveillance. But he said he was told, "more or less, in bureaucratic language, 'You should stop asking questions.'" Two U.S. officials confirmed Wednesday that Snowden sent at least one email to the NSA's office of general counsel raising policy and legal questions." Perhaps paving the way to eventual repatriation, Snowden also indicated that he would be willing to accept a "short period" behind bars. But, he said, the U.S. should "reform the Espionage Act to distinguish between people who sell secrets to foreign governments for their own gain and people who return information to public hands for the purpose of serving the public interest," and to include contractors as well as government employees.
The part where Snowden claims he "tried to go through channels" is a lie, and he's trying to get out front of the NSA on it because they've "dumped" the one, low key, tangential email he wrote.
The man that has dumped millions of documents has never produced any detailed paper trail documenting all these supposed attempts to "repeatedly" object to anything through "channels." The NSA has produced the one, single message they have. Of course it's not in their interest to show more, if it exists, but Snowden could show what he's got. The problem is he's got nothing.
Just tell the truth. Stop the exaggerations about your "heroic" battle with the chain of command; it didn't happen. You did what you did and there is no need for pretense. Lying about it just damages your credibility and gives your detractors ammo. If you had tried to squabble with the NSA they'd have pulled your access and booted you out the door. We know that. Just stop lying about it.