Edward Snowden responds to release of e-mail by U.S …

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An e-mail released by U.S. officials shows that Edward Snowden asked National Security Agency lawyers about legal authorities for NSA surveillance.

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Ellen Nakashima and Barton Gellman

NSA, former intelligence contractor try to shape debate over whether he tried to blow whistle before leak.

Terrence McCoy

In an hour-long television interview, Snowden portrayed himself as a patriot who broke the law in an act of civil disobedience.

Q: How do you respond to todays NSA statement and the release of your email with the Office of General Counsel?

The NSAs new discovery of written contact between me and its lawyers - after more than a year of denying any such contact existed - raises serious concerns. It reveals as false the NSAs claim to Barton Gellman of the Washington Post in December of last year, that after extensive investigation, including interviews with his former NSA supervisors and co-workers, we have not found any evidence to support Mr. Snowdens contention that he brought these matters to anyones attention.

Todays release is incomplete, and does not include my correspondence with the Signals Intelligence Directorates Office of Compliance, which believed that a classified executive order could take precedence over an act of Congress, contradicting what was just published. It also did not include concerns about how indefensible collection activities - such as breaking into the back-haul communications of major US internet companies - are sometimes concealed under E.O. 12333 to avoid Congressional reporting requirements and regulations.

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Edward Snowden responds to release of e-mail by U.S ...