HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_019650.jpg
1.53 MB
Extraction Summary
10
People
4
Organizations
3
Locations
2
Events
2
Relationships
3
Quotes
Document Information
Type:
Book page / house oversight committee evidence
File Size:
1.53 MB
Summary
This document is page 162 from the book 'How America Lost Its Secrets' by Edward Jay Epstein, bearing a House Oversight Committee Bates stamp. The text discusses the 'Hong Kong Scenario,' suggesting that Edward Snowden may have been brought under Russian intelligence control during his stay in Hong Kong, citing Vladimir Putin's admission of engagement. It also details Snowden's communications with activists like Runa Sandvik and Laura Poitras, noting that NSA sources believed Russian intelligence could bypass their encryption methods.
People (10)
| Name | Role | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Edward Snowden | Subject |
Former NSA contractor, discussed regarding his flight to Hong Kong and Moscow
|
| Vladimir Putin | President of Russia |
Authorized Snowden's trip to Moscow; admitted Russian officials engaged Snowden in Hong Kong
|
| Laura Poitras | Journalist/Activist |
Contact of Snowden; used PGP encryption
|
| Glenn Greenwald | Journalist |
Contact of Snowden
|
| Runa Sandvik | Activist |
Person to whom Snowden revealed his true name and address via email
|
| Micah Lee | Activist |
Contact in the anti-surveillance movement
|
| Jacob Appelbaum | Activist |
Contact in the anti-surveillance movement
|
| Parker Higgins | Activist |
Contact in the anti-surveillance movement
|
| Unnamed Former NSA Counterintelligence Officer | Source |
Interviewed by the author in 2015 regarding Russian surveillance capabilities
|
| Edward Jay Epstein | Author |
Author of the book 'How America Lost Its Secrets' (implied by filename 'Epst' and book title context)
|
Organizations (4)
| Name | Type | Context |
|---|---|---|
| NSA |
National Security Agency
|
|
| Russian Intelligence Service |
Suspected of bringing Snowden under its sway
|
|
| Russian Government |
Allowed Snowden to fly without a visa
|
|
| House Oversight Committee |
Document bears a 'HOUSE_OVERSIGHT' Bates stamp
|
Timeline (2 events)
Late 2012 or Early 2013
Potential timeframe for Russian intelligence spotting Snowden
N/A
Edward Snowden
Russian Intelligence
Relationships (2)
Putin authorized trip to Moscow; Russian officials engaged Snowden.
Interactions via PGP encryption.
Key Quotes (3)
"His disclosure about the case leaves little doubt that Russian officials had engaged Snowden in Hong Kong, that Putin had authorized his trip to Moscow, and that the Russian government allowed him to fly to Moscow without a Russian visa."Source
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Quote #1
"“It is not statistically improbable that members of this circle were being watched by a hostile service,” a former NSA counterintelligence officer told me in 2015."Source
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_019650.jpg
Quote #2
"“That might work against amateurs, but it wouldn’t stop the Russians if they thought they might have a defector in the NSA.”"Source
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_019650.jpg
Quote #3
Full Extracted Text
Complete text extracted from the document (2,238 characters)
162 | HOW AMERICA LOST ITS SECRETS
it controlled in the NSA to expose himself by contacting journalists.
Snowden’s continued interactions with Poitras and Greenwald make
it implausible that he was under Russian control before he went to
Hong Kong.
Snowden’s continued interactions with Poitras and Greenwald make
it implausible that he was under Russian control before he went to
Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong Scenario
The most compelling support for the scenario that Snowden was
brought under Russian control while he was in Hong Kong comes, it
will be recalled, from Vladimir Putin. His disclosure about the case
leaves little doubt that Russian officials had engaged Snowden in
Hong Kong, that Putin had authorized his trip to Moscow, and that
the Russian government allowed him to fly to Moscow without a
Russian visa. We know that Putin’s version is supported by U.S. sur-
veillance of Snowden’s activities in Hong Kong. We also know that
the Russians went to some lengths not only to facilitate his trip to
Moscow but to arrange to keep him in Russia. This supports the
possibility that the Russian intelligence service managed to bring
Snowden under its sway during his thirty-four days in Hong Kong.
brought under Russian control while he was in Hong Kong comes, it
will be recalled, from Vladimir Putin. His disclosure about the case
leaves little doubt that Russian officials had engaged Snowden in
Hong Kong, that Putin had authorized his trip to Moscow, and that
the Russian government allowed him to fly to Moscow without a
Russian visa. We know that Putin’s version is supported by U.S. sur-
veillance of Snowden’s activities in Hong Kong. We also know that
the Russians went to some lengths not only to facilitate his trip to
Moscow but to arrange to keep him in Russia. This supports the
possibility that the Russian intelligence service managed to bring
Snowden under its sway during his thirty-four days in Hong Kong.
The Russian intelligence service might even have been aware
of Snowden and his anti-NSA activities before his arrival on May
20. Snowden was anything but discreet in his contacts with strang-
ers in the anti-surveillance movement, including such well-known
activists as Runa Sandvik (to whom he revealed his true name and
address via e-mail), Micah Lee, Jacob Appelbaum, Parker Higgins,
and Laura Poitras. “It is not statistically improbable that members of
this circle were being watched by a hostile service,” a former NSA
counterintelligence officer told me in 2015. When I told him that
Poitras and others in her circle had used PGP encryption, aliases,
and Tor software in their exchanges with Snowden, he said, arching
his eyebrows, “That might work against amateurs, but it wouldn’t
stop the Russians if they thought they might have a defector in the
NSA.” He explained that both the NSA and hostile services have the
“means” to bypass such safeguards.
of Snowden and his anti-NSA activities before his arrival on May
20. Snowden was anything but discreet in his contacts with strang-
ers in the anti-surveillance movement, including such well-known
activists as Runa Sandvik (to whom he revealed his true name and
address via e-mail), Micah Lee, Jacob Appelbaum, Parker Higgins,
and Laura Poitras. “It is not statistically improbable that members of
this circle were being watched by a hostile service,” a former NSA
counterintelligence officer told me in 2015. When I told him that
Poitras and others in her circle had used PGP encryption, aliases,
and Tor software in their exchanges with Snowden, he said, arching
his eyebrows, “That might work against amateurs, but it wouldn’t
stop the Russians if they thought they might have a defector in the
NSA.” He explained that both the NSA and hostile services have the
“means” to bypass such safeguards.
I asked what the Russian intelligence service would have done if
it had indeed spotted Snowden in late 2012 or early 2013. “Maybe
it had indeed spotted Snowden in late 2012 or early 2013. “Maybe
Epst_9780451494566_2p_all_r1.z.indd 162 9/29/16 5:51 PM
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