The report from the US House of Representatives argues that information released by Snowden – concerning US mass surveillance and data collection by the NSA and other governments around the world – caused “tremendous damage to national security”.
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On the day before the release of the Snowden Movie, US lawmakers released a highly critical report of the disclosures made by the man who has been living in Russian Federation since 2013.
The report also claims that Snowden shared over 1.5 million files, the “vast majority” of which “have nothing to do with programs impacting individual privacy interests – they instead pertain to military, defense and intelligence programs of great interest to America’s adversaries”.
A separate letter sent to Obama from lawmakers also says that Snowden should not be given a pardon and “the US government must hold him accountable for his actions”.
Lawmakers said that in order to avoid interfering with a criminal investigation, the committee did not interview Snowden, who is living in Moscow, or any witnesses who may be called should Snowden face trial.
The summary alleges Snowden was reprimanded by his managers just two weeks before he began downloading the massive amount of data he would later leak to reporters in Hong Kong. It says that Snowden “failed basic annual training for NSA employees on Section 702” – a controversial part of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that allows for the mass collection of information on foreign communications, which Snowden’s later disclosures threw into the global spotlight.
“A review of the materials Snowden compromised makes clear that he handed over secrets that protect American troops overseas and that provide vital defences against terrorists and nation states”.
According to a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union, Snowden would still be eligible to vote because he has not yet been convicted of a crime.
He continues: “I was very happy to learn Oliver Stone had decided to make a film about Edward Snowden and believe this is a powerful and inspiring film”.
The report also took issue with Snowden’s portrayal of himself as a whistleblower, claiming that he ignored all legitimate avenues through which to raise his concerns about the United States surveillance activities.
The committee also described Mr Snowden as a “serial exaggerator and fabricator”.
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The HPSCI said it disagreed with a petition by human rights organisations in favour of a presidential pardon for Snowden, saying it had sent an open letter to Obama urging him not to consider such a pardon.
