Snowden damaged security of US: Bush
WASHINGTON: Fugitive American intelligence leaker Edward Snowden has damaged security of the country by his actions, former US President George W Bush said today.
"I think he damaged the security of the country," Bush said on Snowden, the 30-year-old former technical contractor and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) employee who worked for Booz Allen Hamilton, a contractor for the US National Security Agency (NSA). Bush said he believes the Obama administration "will deal" with the fallout from the controversy unleashed by Snowden, who is now thought to be holed up in the transit area of a Moscow airport after fleeing there from Hong Kong.
Snowden's disclosures about the spy programmes carried out by the NSA and other intelligence entities have shaken the US intelligence community and put the Obama administration on the defensive over accusations of government overreach into citizens' privacy and angered Western governments. But Bush, who was president from 2001 to 2009, refrained from criticising Obama, his successor.
WASHINGTON: Fugitive American intelligence leaker Edward Snowden has damaged security of the country by his actions, former US President George W Bush said today.
"I think he damaged the security of the country," Bush said on Snowden, the 30-year-old former technical contractor and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) employee who worked for Booz Allen Hamilton, a contractor for the US National Security Agency (NSA). Bush said he believes the Obama administration "will deal" with the fallout from the controversy unleashed by Snowden, who is now thought to be holed up in the transit area of a Moscow airport after fleeing there from Hong Kong.
Snowden's disclosures about the spy programmes carried out by the NSA and other intelligence entities have shaken the US intelligence community and put the Obama administration on the defensive over accusations of government overreach into citizens' privacy and angered Western governments. But Bush, who was president from 2001 to 2009, refrained from criticising Obama, his successor.
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Vladimir Putin: Edward Snowden Must Stop Harming US If He Wants To Stay In Russia
MOSCOW, July 1 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that Russia would not hand former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden over to the United States but that if Snowden wants to stay in Russia he "must stop his work aimed at harming our American partners".
Snowden "is not a Russian agent", Putin said, repeating that Russian intelligence services were not working with the fugitive American, who is believed to remain in the transit area at a Moscow airport eight days after arriving from Hong Kong.
He said Snowden should choose his final destination and go there. (Reporting by Alissa de Carbonel; Writing by Steve Gutterman; Editing by Douglas Busvine)
Snowden "is not a Russian agent", Putin said, repeating that Russian intelligence services were not working with the fugitive American, who is believed to remain in the transit area at a Moscow airport eight days after arriving from Hong Kong.
He said Snowden should choose his final destination and go there. (Reporting by Alissa de Carbonel; Writing by Steve Gutterman; Editing by Douglas Busvine)