Snowden says he will fight any extradition from Hong Kong - report
Ex-CIA staffer whistleblower Edward Snowden has revealed fresh details of US surveillance to a Chinese newspaper. He has vowed to fight any extradition attempt from Hong Kong. Snowden spoke from the secret location as his whereabouts remain unknown.
The interview to the South China Morning Post is the first time
whistleblower Edward Snowden has spoken to the press since
disclosing his identity as being behind highly sensitive leaks
revealing details of the US’s NSA spy program.
“Today, he reveals: more explosive details on US surveillance
targets, his plans for the immediate future, the steps he claims
the US has taken since he broke cover in Hong Kong, his fears for
his family,” the newspaper claims, however not giving
particular details.
The revelations generated headlines across the globe, prompting
both praise and condemnation.
"I'm neither traitor nor hero. I'm an American," Snowden said.
The whistleblower also said that the US has hacked computers in Hong Kong and mainland China since 2009. Snowden estimated that the NSA has conducted approximately 61,000 cyber-attacks, with targets spanning the globe. The Hong Kong news outlet did not disclose how that number was formulated, though.
“We hack network backbones – like huge Internet routers, basically – that give us access to the communications of hundreds of thousands of computers without having to hack every single one,” Snowden said.
Snowden confessed to leaking classified information from Hong
Kong, to which he fled on May 20 from Hawaii. A former technical
assistant for the Central Intelligence Agency, Snowden’s last
occupation was as a defense contractor at Booz Allen Hamilton.
He earlier said he chose Hong Kong because this city has "a
spirited commitment to free speech and the right of political
dissent."
Snowden was last seen Tuesday while checking out of a Hong Kong
hotel, according to witnesses. However, his location remains
unknown.
“People who think I made a mistake in picking HK as a location
misunderstand my intentions. I am not here to hide from justice;
I am here to reveal criminality,” the Post cited him as
saying.
Snowden earlier said he was also considering asylum in Iceland,
while Russian authorities said they would consider granting him
political asylum if requested.
Justice Department officials have reportedly begun the process of
charging Edward Snowden with leaking classified National Security
Agency documents, but no extradition request has yet been filed.
Snowden has vowed to fight any extradition attempt by the US
government.
“My intention is to ask the courts and people of Hong Kong to
decide my fate. I have been given no reason to doubt your
system.”
Amid the developments Beijing refused to be dragged into the unfolding surveillance scandal or comment on Snowden’s allegations against the US.
"China is likely to refrain from using harsh words against the United States now. Americans and the rest of the world are already criticizing the United States," a source close to the Chinese leadership told Reuters.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed that it is monitoring the situation, but refrained from commenting on a possible request for Snowden’s extradition from Hong Kong.
Despite the Fugitive Offenders (United States of America) Order,
extradition agreement between Hong Kong and US (being implemented
since 1998), with both sides obliged to extradite individuals
wanted as felons, there are loopholes in the treaty that may let
Snowden avoid extradition to his homeland, experts say. According
to lawyers, if there are extradition requests from the US,
attempts to return Snowden back home may take months and could be
blocked by Beijing, the Post reports.
