Edward Snowden may have recently received a three-year extension of his stay in Russia, but the former National Security Agency contractor says in a new interview with WIRED magazine that he still clings to hope of returning home to the United States, even if it means living behind bars.
“I told the government I’d volunteer for prison, as long as it served the right purpose,” Snowden said the article released Wednesday. “I care more about the country than what happens to me. But we can’t allow the law to become a political weapon or agree to scare people away from standing up for their rights, no matter how good the deal. I’m not going to be part of that.”
Described by WIRED as “the most wanted man in the world,” Snowden is being sought for leaking top-secret documents that unveiled widespread surveillance programs overseen by the federal government. He currently is hiding out in an undisclosed community in Russia, where he says he goes mostly unrecognized.
The magazine includes numerous photographs of Snowden, including a previously unseen one of him with his former boss Michael Hayden, a past director of both the NSA and CIA. Other photos show Snowden in silhouette in a hotel room, or on a couch looking fatigued. In another photo, Snowden wears a T-shirt with the word “SECURITY” on the back. The one expected to draw criticism, however, is the magazine cover showing Snowden, whom many Americans consider a traitor, wrapped in an American flag.
“He thought very carefully about that moment,” WIRED editor-in-chief Scott Dadich, who wrote about the photo shoot for the magazine, told TODAY's Willie Geist. “He said, ‘I love my country. I feel like a patriot. And this is an important thing for me.’ And it was at that moment that we knew that we had the cover.”
In the WIRED article, Snowden disputed government claims that he lifted 1.7 million documents, calling the figure inflated. He also said he left a trail of digital bread crumbs so that investigators would know which documents he copied and took and which ones he only “touched.”
His intent was to act as a whistleblower, not as a spy for a foreign government, he told the magazine. Government auditors, however, failed to catch on to any of the clues he left behind.
“I figured they would have a hard time,” he said. “I didn’t figure they would be completely incapable.”
In audio released by WIRED, Snowden describes technology as “the greatest equalizer in human history” and said his actions were driven by the desire to help educate Americans about their nation and their leaders.
“I gave this information back to the public, to public hands, and the reason I did that was not to gain a label but to give you back a choice about the country you want to live in,” he said.
Snowden also told WIRED about a top-secret NSA program in the works called “Monstermind,” which would automatically retaliate against cyber attacks from foreign countries without any human involvement.
WIRED writer Jim Bamford, who spent three days interviewing Snowden for the article, explained how such a program could go awry.
“So you can have North Korea maybe attacking the United States through a cyber attack, but masquerading it through Iran or masquerading it through Russia,” he said. “And if you just turn around and automatically fire back, you may be starting an accidental war.”
The NSA told TODAY in a statement its officials would gladly speak with Snowden — but back on American ground.
"If Mr. Snowden wants to discuss his activities, that conversation should be held with the US Department of Justice. He needs to return to the United States to face the charges against him," the agency said.
Bamford told TODAY he's amazed by the extent of the documents Snowden had access to.
“I've probably interviewed more NSA whistleblowers than anybody else,” said Bamford, who is a former agency whistleblower himself. "I was astonished at the accesses that Ed Snowden had. I mean, he had access to material well beyond top secret. Way over most anybody's head at NSA.”
你都看懂了吗?下页有中文对照翻译哦。
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据英国《当日新闻》网站(Today)8月13日报道,爱德华·斯诺登可能已获得俄罗斯为期三年的居留许可。然而,这位前美国国家安全局职工在新一期《连线》杂志采访时表示,即使要遭受牢狱之苦,也愿意重返美国。
“我告诉美国政府只要目的正确,我愿意回国认罪服刑,”斯诺登在周三公布的报道中表示。“比起自身的遭遇,我更关心美国的安危。但无论有多大的好处,我们不能让法律成为政治武器,或者成为恫吓人们放弃捍卫自身权利的威胁。我绝不会这样做。”
斯诺登因泄漏机密文件、向媒体披露由联邦政府启动的秘密监控项目而被通缉,被《连线》杂志形容为“世界头号通缉犯”。目前,他藏身于俄罗斯一隐秘社区内,并称在那里没人能认出他。
这本杂志中包含许多斯诺登的照片,其中一张首次曝光他与前任老板——前美国国家安全局及中央情报局局长迈克尔·海登的合影。其它照片则是关于斯诺登在酒店房间里或沙发上看似疲惫的剪影。在另一张照片中,斯诺登穿了一件背部印有“SECURITY”(“安保”)的T恤。斯诺登被多数美国人认为是卖国贼,原本以为这样的照片是在吸引更多的批评指责,然而,斯诺登拥抱美国国旗的照片却刊登在这本杂志的封面上。
“他仔细斟酌着那一时刻。”《连线》杂志主编斯科特•达迪奇(Scott Dadich)为杂志撰写了这组照片拍摄的故事,他向《当日新闻》记者的威利•盖斯特(Willie Geist)透漏“斯诺登说,‘我爱我的祖国,我是一个热爱祖国的人。这一点对我来说至关重要。’那一刻,我们认为这张照片应作为杂志的封面。”
在《连线》杂志的一篇文章中写道,斯诺登与美国政府发生争议,政府声称他盗取了170万个文件,他直呼数字被恶意夸大。他还解释到自己故意留下一些蛛丝马迹,以便调查人员知道哪些文件被他复制,以及哪些文件只是被“动过”而已。
他告诉该杂志,他的目的是揭发高密,而不是外国政府间谍。然而,政府审计人员未能理解任何他留下的线索。
“我想他们那段时期一定很难度过。”他说。“我没有想到他们会完全没办法。”
《连线》杂志发布的一段音频中,斯诺登将技术描写为“人类历史上最伟大的均衡器”,还称他的行为是为了帮助美国人去了解他们的国家和领导人。
“我将这些信息公之于众,这样做的原因不是要给自己添加一个标签,而是还你一个选择权,由自己决定要生活在什么样的国家里”他称。
斯诺登再次向《连线》杂志爆料,美国国家安全局正推进一个名为“怪兽大脑”的机密NSA项目,这一项目可以自动回击国外网络攻击,无需人工参与。
《连线》杂志编辑吉姆·班福德(Jim Bamford)解释了这一项目的漏洞之处,为写这篇文章他耗时三天对斯诺登进行个人专访。
“所以你可以设想,朝鲜要通过网络攻击美国,但它伪装成是来自伊朗或俄罗斯的攻击”他称。“如果你只是转向自动反击,那么你可能会引发一场意外的战争。”
美国国家安全局向《当日新闻》透漏,政府官员声明愿意与斯诺登对话——但要等他回到美国。
“如果斯诺登先生想讨论自己的种种行为,那么他应该与美国司法部面谈。他需要回到美国接受指控。”该机构表示。
班福德告诉《当日新闻》,他的惊讶于斯诺登所窃取的文件机密程度。
班福德之前也是一名泄密者,他称,“我可能是采访国家安全局泄密者最多的人。”“我对爱德华·斯诺登所窃取的文件机密程度感到很吃惊。我是说,他窃取的材料远远超出最高机密。这已超过了多数美国国家安全局领导的权限。”
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