EDWARD SNOWDEN – “Runaway Pride”

USA's Nightmare who shook the NSA and has left questions for 
the world ....."what we do, government must know?"

Edward Joseph Snowden, an American, born on June 21^st 1983, was a former technical contractor for the US National Security Agency – NSA, and a former employee of the CIA who leaked the details of various top-secret U.S. and British government mass surveillance programs to the press. He revealed classified information on US and European telephone metadata and the PRISM and Tempora Internet surveillance programs – which has triggered a series of debates in The Congress and also on the issues related to budget allocation of the NSA programs!

One can imagine what mental and emotional condition he was in when he leaked the information, to Glenn Greenwald, journalist at The Guardian, in spring 2013.

He was happily living with his girlfriend Lindsay Hills, at a comfortable house in Hawaii – before he leaked the classified, security documents.

They had even built a basement where they both shared their future dreams. Jonathan Mills 57 years - father of Lindsay Hills – a software programmer, dealing in the business of restaurants IT packages, reportedly said that, “Snowden always had very strong convictions of right and wrong.” He must have found something disturbing enough that he would go this far.”

Mills also added that Snowden was acting in good faith and he believed he has done morally right to inform the world the “ugly truth of government’s power play!”

Snowden fled from Hawaii to Hong Kong and from his a hotel room, said “I have thought long and hard before publicizing details of an NSA program code-named PRISM.” I felt accountable to Americans that they should know “what is being done to them!” He further added that he leaked the details because he felt the United States was building an unethical and secret espionage machine that spied on every American.

"I don't want to live in a society that does these sort of things ... I do not want to live in a world where everything I do and say is recorded. And this, I am NOT willing to support or live under," Snowden said. And now, not only thousands of Americans, but all over the world, people believe that what Snowden did is right!

Snowden's disclosures are said to rank among the most significant security breaches in United States history. On June 14, 2013, U.S. Federal prosecutors charged Snowden with espionage and theft of government property.

He tried to negotiate talks with the Chinese authorities, but they refused him the asylum. Therefore, he fled Hong Kong airport to Moscow on 23rd June, 2013. Snowden had been staying in the transit area of the airport for over a month, while Russian authorities debated whether to accept his application for temporary asylum.

Snowden is believe to have spent his time in the transit lounge learning Russian language and surfing internet quietly in his dedicated place. A Russian airport authority in charge, on condition of anonymity has said “Snowden is a very nice and polite man, who keeps confined at one place.” Few airport authorities revealed that people coming to Moscow, inquired them, “where is Snowden- and tried to snoop around as if to catch his glimpse!”

Then on Thursday 1^st August 2013, early morning, the news came in of Snowden being granted temporary asylum for one year. Snowden has left Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, around 7:00 a.m., according to the lawyer, who said he had personally handed him the essential asylum documents on Thursday morning.

Attorney Anatoly Kucherena appeared on Russian television, showing a scanned copy of an official document approving his asylum request. Snowden was in a safe place, according to him, who said he would not reveal the location for security reasons.

In a Wikileaks statement, Snowden thanked Russia for giving him asylum and criticized the Obama administration as showing "no respect" for the law. He said that "in the end the law is winning."

Snowden's father, Lon Snowden, on Thursday morning gave an interview to Russian TV and  praised Russian leader Vladimir Putin for protecting his son, expressed thanks for the asylum given his son and said that he aims to come to Russia to visit him.

In Washington, spokesman Jay Carney said that the White House is "extremely disappointed" in Russia's decision to grant asylum to Snowden. But the reality is that -“Russian deal is done” - Putin has taken 100 % advantage of the situation!

The impending talks between Russia and US are hampered as Obama’s official visit to Russia in Fall 2013, is a debatable issue now – further the fate of G 20 summit looms in darkness. But Russia has taken a step forward in what can be termed as an emerging cyber war!

Whether, Russia will use Snowden or vice versa – both complement each other in the given circumstances!

It is not a “thrill to leak and run – unless there exist  a chip in the Snowden’s computer brain - to break away from ruthless power of US” said an IT student at Harvard University. Likewise another IT student at MIT reportedly stated - “we all need to awaken to a new morning where we carry the keys to IP addresses ourselves and not leave any documents in the safe, which US government can open whenever we are on vacations!” A classical statement was made by a computer programmer working in Silicon Valley, who said “Snowden – has snowed on Pentagon and when it shall melt, NSA leaks will leave US in water!”

If Snowden can escape under the eyes of US and later seek asylum in Russian territory – he can also manage to call his girlfriend, Lindsay Mills – and seek paradise in the cyber world – on a territory much dreaded by the US Authorities!

Indeed, he is an unbeatable “runaway pride” for all those who respect law, truth and their private domain!

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