Current Events –
Edward Snowden: ‘Let Me Come Home’

Former NSA employee turned whistleblower Edward Snowden, has a message for the US government: “I want to come home!

Current Events
The former National Security Agency contractor who leaked documents about top-secret mass surveillance programs against US citizens said he would be willing to reach a plea bargain with US authorities.  In fact, Edward Snowden says he has offered “many times” to go to prison in the United States if they would simply allow him to flee from exile in Russia.  So far, he is still waiting for an answer from the American government.

“I’ve volunteered to go to prison with the government many times,” Snowden said in the interview from Moscow, where he took refuge 2 years ago after exposing the NSA’s snooping activities. “What I won’t do is I won’t serve as a deterrent to people trying to do the right thing in difficult situations.”

“So far, they’ve said they won’t torture me, which is a start, I think, but we haven’t gotten much further than that,” he added.

When asked whether he and his lawyers were actively discussing a deal with the government, Snowden replied, “We’re still waiting for them to call us back.”

US authorities have always been open to a plea deal with Edward Snowden, but they may be stalling on purpose and using Snowden’s inability to leave Russia as punishment against him.  The Russian government has protected Edward Snowden since he fled the United States 2 years ago.  If he were to ever step outside of Russia, the US could apprehend him without any plea deal.

Although former Attorney General Eric Holder intimated that the “possibility exists” to cut a deal for Snowden to return to the United States, the current Justice Department has made it clear that its stance on the matter hadn’t changed and that Snowden would face criminal prosecution were he to return to the United States.

Current Events
Earlier this past summer, the White House received a petition of more than 167,000 signatures calling for President Obama to pardon Snowden, who has been charged with 3 felony counts, including violations of the U.S. Espionage Act.  That petition was rejected.

“The Espionage Act finds anyone guilty who provides any information to the public, regardless of whether it is right or wrong,” Snowden said. “You aren’t even allowed to explain to a jury what your motivations were for revealing this information. It is simply a question of ‘did you reveal information?’ If yes, you go to prison for the rest of your life.”

Unable to see his family, his friends and his girlfriend, Edward Snowden is desperate to come home — so much so that he’s willing to go to jail just to step back onto American soil.  The only problem is, Snowden wants to dictate the terms of his return and the US government is unwilling to allow him to write his own ticket.  Still, Snowden says he doesn’t regret his decision to bring the hidden surveillance programs to light.

“I regret I didn’t come forward sooner, because the longer you wait with programs like this, the more deeply entrenched they become,” Snowden said. “I have paid a price but I feel comfortable with the decisions that I have made. If I’m gone tomorrow, I’m happy with what I had. I feel blessed.”

OK WASSUP! covers current events. Today’s article:
NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden wants to come home.