Changes
'''Edward J. Snowden''' (b. ca. 1984) is a 29-year-old American [[IT]] specialist and a former employee of defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton (a contractor for the [[National Security Agency]]). In June 2013 Snowden embarrassed [[Barack Obama]] by revealing the mass domestic surveillance program known as "[[PRISM]]," which is an internet snooping program run by the National Security Agency. He explained to shocked Americans that the National Security Agency had in effect built a dossier on every man, woman and child in the [[United States of America]], and probably beyond borders.
Snowden told the British left wing newspaper [[The Guardian]]:
* "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."<ref> [http://www.humanevents.com/2013/06/10/meet-the-nsa-leaker/ Meet the NSA leaker], ''[[Human Events]]''</ref>
The liberal ''Washington Post'' quotes him as saying:
* "Allowing the U.S. government to intimidate its people with threats of retaliation for revealing wrongdoing is contrary to the public interest."<ref> [http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/intelligence-leaders-push-back-on-leakers-media/2013/06/09/fff80160-d122-11e2-a73e-826d299ff459_story.html Edward Snowden comes forward as source of NSA leaks], ''Washington Post''</ref>
After leaking the information in question, Snowden stayed in Hong Kong for a while; he then left China and went to Russia en route to seeking asylum in [[Ecuador]]. Snowden was apparently travelling on a passport that had been revoked. <ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/06/23/obama-administration-confirms-talking-to-hong-kong-about-snowden/ "US revokes NSA leaker Edward Snowden's passport, as he reportedly seeks asylum in Ecuador," Fox News, 23 June 2013]</ref> The [[Wikileaks]] organization has helped Snowden to stay ahead of Obama's grasp. <ref>[http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2013/06/23/with-wikileaks-help-nsa-leaker-snowden-seeks-asylum-in-ecuador-via-moscow/ "With WikiLeaks' Help, NSA Leaker Snowden Seeks Asylum In Ecuador Via Moscow," Forbes, 23 June 2013]</ref> The president of Ecuador [[Rafael Correa]] explained that Snowden cannot go to Ecuador.<ref>http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2013/06/30/ecuador-president-says-snowden-cannot-leave-moscow/</ref>
As of July 6, 2013, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and Venezuealan President Nicolas Maduro had offered asylum to Snowden.<ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23201774/</ref>
==Political reaction==
