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'I'm not a spy': Edward Snowden denies 'absurd' theory that he is working with the Russians to leak U.S. intelligence documents
- Snowden has been accused of working with the Russians to leak U.S. data
- In the past, he has also been accused of working with Chinese spies
- He has denied all of the claims, calling them 'absurd' false accustations
- Allegations come after Snowden's lawyer said he was fearing for his life
- Since the leaks, Obama has trimmed powers of U.S. intelligence agencies
Former U.S. government contractor and intelligence leaker Edward Snowden has denied accusations that he worked in collaboration with the Russian government to leak documents about the National Security Agency's surveillance programs, calling the theories 'absurd'.
His denial came after the House Intelligence Committee chair, Rep. Mike Rogers, who is in charge of an ongoing investigations into Snowden's relationship with Russia, said: 'I believe there's a reason he ended up in their hands, the "loving arms" of an FSB (Russian security) agent in Moscow. I don't think that's a coincidence.'
In response to the allegations, Snowden said: 'I clearly and unambiguously acted alone, with no assistance from anyone, much less a government.
'It won't stick, because it's clearly false, and the American people are smarter than politicians think they are. This Russian spy push is absurd.'
Snowden has denied the accusations of the House Intelligence Committee that he worked with the Russian security services to leak documents about U.S national security
In addition, a top member of the the House's Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Rachel McCaul, said: 'I personally believe that he was cultivated by a foreign power to do what he did.
'I can't give a definitive statement on that, but I've been given all the evidence I know Mike Rogers has access to. I don't think he was working alone.'
Speaking in an interview, Snowden pointed to the forty days he spent trapped in Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow after he fled the U.S., as evidence that he had worked alone.
He said: 'Spies get treated better than that.'
This is not the first allegation against Snowden claiming he is a spy. Last July he was accused of working for the Chinese, and has come out against the media for reporting the allegations both last year, and today.
He said: 'If I were a Chinese spy, why wouldn't I have flown directly to Beijing? I could be living in a palace petting a Phoenix by now. The media has a major role to play in American society, and they're really abdicating their responsibility to hold power to account.'
US President Barack Obama speaks about the National Security Agency (NSA) and intelligence agencies surveillance techniques in the US, reacting to leaks by former N.S.A contractor Edward Snowden
In the speech Obama said more could be done to protect the civil liberties of his citizens, and also pledged to end spying on friendly heads of state
The allegations have come only days after President Barack Obama spoke last Friday about the trimming the power of U.S. intelligence services, reacting to the leaks by Snowden.
Speaking at the U.S. Department of Justice on January 17, he called for new privacy safeguards and said he had stopped the NSA spy taps on friendly world leaders.
The president said he would be ending the NSA's hoarding of telephone "metadata", informaion that shows the detail and destination of calls, but not their content, agreeing with critics who said that the program could open the door to more intrusion.
However, Obama has decided that he will allow bulk phone data sweeps of the citizens living in the U.S. to continue as an anti-terror tool.
He said: 'I believe we need a new approach. I am therefore ordering a transition that will end the Section 215 bulk metadata program as it currently exists, and establish a mechanism that preserves the capabilities we need without the government holding this bulk meta-data.
Since Obama's long awaited speech, Snowden has had fears for his life according to his Russian lawyer.
In danger: Snowden took refuge in Moscow to evade treason charges after disclosing U.S. state secrets on NSA intelligence gathering, and now fears for his life and wants to increase security
Explicit threats to kill him were made anonymously by Pentagon and National Security Agency officials, alleged Anatoly Kucherena.
In an interview with Russian news channel Vesti, he said: 'There are real threats to his life out there that actually do exist.
‘These statements call for physical retribution against Edward Snowden.’
Kucherana was referring to an article last week on BuzzFeed entitled
‘American Spies Want Edward Snowden Dead’.
It quoted a Pentagon official as saying: ‘I would love to put a bullet in his head.’
Another source described as a current NSA analyst said: ‘In a world where I would not be restricted from killing an American, I personally would go and kill him myself.’
Snowden in October 11, 2013 during a WikiLeaks press conference. WikiLeaks has been instrumental in aiding Snowden's leaks of information about confidential U.S spying programs
Snowden has been carefully guarded in Moscow since he received temporary asylum in August a move which outraged the U.S. and led to President Barack Obama snubbing a summit invitation from his opposite number Vladimir Putin, a former spy.
The Russian Lawyer said: 'Edward is treating these as real threats.'
‘Today, it might not be enough to have private guards. We must also think about how to safeguard his life and well being.’
‘We think that the U.S. government must take note of such statements.
‘The people who make extremist statements do so while wearing a mask -- they do not reveal their identities.'
‘But we have specific publications that printed these interviews. We will ask for these people's masks to come off. We must know who this NSA officer is, who issues orders about ways to eliminate Edward Snowden.'
Putin has specifically denied his agents worked with Snowden.
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continued....'I would love to put a bullet in his head' - Threats to NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden
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