Snowden deems life in Russia ‘great’

MOSCOW Edward Snowden would like everyone especially his critics to know that he is happy with life in Russia. Happy, and also sober.

"They talk about Russia like it's the worst place on earth. Russia's great," the former NSA contractor told journalist James Bamford during an interview in Moscow for the PBS program NOVA, which released a transcript of the conversation last week.

During the interview, Snowden focused on a speech that former NSA and CIA director Michael Hayden had given in 2013 in which he predicted that Snowden would become depressed and drunk.

"It was funny because he was talking about how I was everybody in Russia is miserable. Russia is a terrible place," Snowden recalled. "And I'm going to end up miserable and I'm going to be a drunk and I'm never going to do anything."

Hayden's exact prediction during that speech was that Snowden would "end up like most of the rest of the defectors who went to the old Soviet Union: isolated, bored, lonely, depressed and most of them ended up alcoholics."

But even after two Russian winters, vodka's siren song apparently has no sway over Snowden.

"I don't drink. I've never been drunk in my life," Snowden said.

Snowden has been living in Moscow for more than a year, ever since the Russian government gave him asylum after the U.S. government revoked his passport, leaving him stranded at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport.

Snowden became the subject of an international manhunt after he revealed himself as the source of highly publicized leaks detailing previously unknown U.S. surveillance programs. He is wanted in the United States on theft and espionage charges.

Snowden has apparently settled into life in Russia rather well. His exact whereabouts haven't been publicized, but his girlfriend moved to Russia to be with him in July, according to the recent documentary Citizenfour.

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Snowden deems life in Russia 'great'