Snowden testifies to the European Parliament about the NSA surveillance
7 March 2014, 19:52 -- The NSA whistleblower has given extensive evidence to an inquiry into the surveillance of European citizens, describing what he calls a 'bazaar' of EU intelligence agencies allowing the US to spy on pretty much everyone.
Snowden's testimony to the Parliamentary inquiry on electronic mass surveillance saw the whistleblower discuss his role at the US National Security Agency (NSA) and the things that the agency required him to do. He also answered some questions presented by the parliament.
In the long-awaited testimony, Snowden said he had raised his concerns about bulk surveillance to 'more than ten distinct officials, none of whom took any action to address them,' before he approached journalists.
None of the testimony was new information as such, because Snowden was loath to pre-empt the stories of the journalists to whom he has given NSA and GCHQ documents. Much of it was a restatement of his belief that mass surveillance programs are entirely unjustified and a waste of resources that could be spent 'running down real leads.'
The former analyst said there were 'many other undisclosed programs that would impact EU citizens' rights,' but he would leave decisions over their potential disclosure to 'responsible journalists in coordination with government stakeholders.'
'The ultimate result of the NSA's guidance is that the right of ordinary citizens to be free from unwarranted interference is degraded, and systems of intrusive mass surveillance are being constructed in secret within otherwise liberal states, often without the full awareness of the public,' he added.
'Ultimately, each EU national government's spy services are independently hawking domestic accesses to the NSA, GCHQ, FRA and the like without having any awareness of how their individual contribution is enabling the greater patchwork of mass surveillance against ordinary citizens as a whole.'
Snowden added that he does seek asylum in the EU, but no member state has agreed to take him. 'Parliamentarians in the national governments have told me that the US, and I quote, 'will not allow' EU partners to offer political asylum to me, which is why the previous resolution on asylum ran into such mysterious opposition. I would welcome any offer of safe passage or permanent asylum, but I recognize that would require an act of extraordinary political courage.'
Voice of Russia, theinquirer.net, gigaom.com
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