Edward Snowden still eying asylum in Germany

September 14, 2019

Edward Snowden, a former employee of the US National Security Agency (NSA), said in an interview he would still like political asylum in Germany. “If Germany were to grant me asylum, it would not be viewed as a hostile act toward the United States,” Snowden told Germany’s Die Welt newspaper.

Snowden criticized Germany and France for not doing anything to support his case so far. “The two countries’ governments were looking for reasons to stop me from coming,” he said. Snowden also reiterated that he didn’t reveal anything that put people’s lives at risk.

Read more: Freedom is acting without asking permission, Edward Snowden tells Berlin

Snowden has previously sought asylum from a number of countries, including Germany, though without success.

The former NSA contractor has been living in exile in Russia for the past six years.

Since he leaked details of secret and extensive US government global surveillance programs in 2013, the US has regarded him as an enemy of the state and slapped him with charges of espionage.

In a separate interview with German news magazine Der Spiegel, he said that if he was found dead it would be the result of suicide.

“This is important for the record. I am not now, nor have I ever been suicidal. I have a philosophical objection to the idea of suicide, and if I happen to fall out of a window, you can be sure I was pushed.

Snowden's book, titled Permanent Record, is going to be released worldwide on September 17

Snowden’s book, titled “Permanent Record,” is going to be released worldwide on September 17

Until the leaks, the public did not know the extent of the surveillance of the NSA and its British counterpart GCHQ. Snowden’s information led to the wider use of encryption technology and an overhaul of data transfer practices from Europe to the US.

Snowden’s actions in 2013 sparked a huge debate about the extent of government surveillance by intelligence agencies. US officials who conduct annual classified assessments of damage from Snowden’s disclosures say the documents will continue trickling out into the public domain for years to come.

Time for a memoir

Snowden has now written a book about his actions and motivations. Titled “Permanent Record,” it’s going to be released worldwide on September 17.

The book offers by far the most expansive and personal account of how Snowden came to reveal secret details about the government’s mass collection of Americans’ emails, phone calls and Internet activity in the name of national security.

The story traces Snowden’s evolution from childhood, from growing up in the 1980s in North Carolina and suburban Washington, where his mother worked as a clerk at the NSA and his father served in the Coast Guard.

Though the book comes six years after the disclosures, Snowden attempts in his memoir to place his concerns in a contemporary context. He sounds the alarm about what he sees as government efforts worldwide to delegitimize journalism, suppress human rights and support authoritarian movements.

“What is real is being purposely conflated with what is fake, through technologies that are capable of scaling that conflation into unprecedented global confusion,” he says.

Oliver Stone reveals Snowden’s human side in new film

A differentiated view of Snowden

In his new film “Snowden,” Oliver Stone makes a clear effort to remain unbiased. Edward Snowden, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, is anything other than a hero with a goal. On the contrary, Stone presents the future whistleblower as an ambitious IT expert who wants to climb the career ladder at the NSA.

Oliver Stone reveals Snowden’s human side in new film

Premiere in Toronto

American director Oliver Stone turned 70 on September 15, a few days after the film’s official premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. In the US, “Snowden” opened in cinemas on September 16.

Oliver Stone reveals Snowden’s human side in new film

From the military to intelligence

Early on, Snowden wanted to serve his country as a soldier in Iraq. During his military training, he broke both legs. It was due to this accident that the young man came into contact with the NSA and the CIA, where he quickly got attention for his strong IT talent.

Oliver Stone reveals Snowden’s human side in new film

Snowden, the perfect student

Snowden’s boss at the CIA, Corbin O’Brian (played in the film by Welsh actor Rhys Ifans) becomes a big fan of the young man’s work. He takes Snowden under his wing.

Oliver Stone reveals Snowden’s human side in new film

Behind the scenes

Gradually, Snowden begins to understand what his work at the intelligence agencies is all about: total surveillance both abroad and at home. Many computer nerds work for the CIA and the NSA. Snowden looks over their shoulders and comes to the realization that privacy has lost its sanctity.

Oliver Stone reveals Snowden’s human side in new film

Thrilling production

Oliver Stone’s “Snowden” shows how the whistleblower evolved from being an ambitious worker to a critic of the system. The film is full of exciting moments and dense scenes. Particularly memorable is the scene in which Snowden gathers top-secret data from a CIA building and smuggles it out – in a Rubik’s cube.

Oliver Stone reveals Snowden’s human side in new film

Working with the press

Stone shows Snowden’s escape from the system as he flees to Asia and begins to collaborate with the journalists to whom he will ultimately release numerous secret documents. Here, Snowden is pictured handing over information to “The Guardian” journalist Ewen MacAskill, played by Tom Wilkinson.

Oliver Stone reveals Snowden’s human side in new film

Snowden’s human side

With his rousing political thriller, Oliver Stone manages to offer a very human portrayal of the whistleblower – not least due to the convincing performance of actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He is depicted as a young man who has a girlfriend and is caught between working for the good of his society and his own interests.

Author: Jochen Kürten / kbm