Greenwald ‘Overwhelmed With Shock’ Upon Meeting Edward Snowden

By Kate Snow

Glenn Greenwald says his new book, "No Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. Surveillance State" is an attempt to present the entire story of his dealings with one of the most famous whistle-blowers of all time: Edward Snowden.

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"There's been so much said about our reporting about Edward Snowden, about how these documents came to light, so much of which is not true," Greenwald told NBC News National Correspondent Kate Snow. "And this is an opportunity to tell the actual story."

Last summer, Greenwald began publishing reports based on documents leaked to him by the former NSA employee. The stories caused a public debate over the use and limits of government surveillance. Currently Greenwald writes for a digital magazine owned by First Look Media. NBC News has a collaboration agreement with that company.

Greenwald described how the entire episode began with Snowden reaching out to Greenwald in an unsolicited email, using the alias "Cincinnatus" (a reference to a Roman warrior who defended the city against attack). Greenwald ignored those first email entreaties and almost missed the scoop of his career.

Watch the video below to hear Greenwald's account of how he first met Snowden.

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First published May 12 2014, 1:40 PM

Kate Snow is a national correspondent for NBC News, contributing stories to "Nightly News with Brian Williams," the "TODAY" show and Dateline. In this role, she also serves as a fill-in anchor for "Nightly News with Brian Williams" and the "TODAY" show. Prior to being named national correspondent, Snow served as correspondent for "Rock Center with Brian Williams".

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Greenwald 'Overwhelmed With Shock' Upon Meeting Edward Snowden