The fate of fugitive contractor Snowden, currently in temporary asylum in Russia, is under fresh scrutiny after a National Security Agency official said he would personally consider a deal with Snowden if he stopped exposing US secrets.
"Our position has not changed on that matter at all," White House spokesman Jay Carney said.
"Mr Snowden has been accused of leaking classified information and he faces felony charges here in the United States.
"He should be returned to the United States."
Rick
Ledgett, who heads the NSA's task force investigating the damage from
the Snowden leaks, told CBS television's "60 Minutes" program that it
was worth talking about the possibility of an amnesty deal for Snowden,
such is the rolling damage caused by his revelations.
He caveated his remarks on
the show on Sunday, however, by saying that not all of his colleagues
shared his view and that he would set a "high bar" in return for
dropping criminal charges against Snowden.
Carney, however, noted
that Ledgett was airing his "personal" view and the idea of amnesty for
Snowden was rejected by NSA chief General Keith Alexander in the same
program.
"This is analogous to
a hostage-taker taking 50 people hostage, shooting 10 and then say 'You
give me full amnesty and I'll let the other 40 go,'" Alexander told "60
Minutes."
Alexander also said an amnesty deal would set a dangerous precedent for any future leakers.
Snowden,
a former intelligence contractor for the NSA, has been charged with
espionage by US authorities for divulging reams of secret files in leaks
to several prominent newspapers which have angered US allies and
embarrassed the White House.
He
says that he took the action to expose the sweeping threat to privacy
of covert US intelligence data mining and telephone and Internet
surveillance.
Snowden reportedly stole 1.7 million classified documents.
Carney
said Washington is continuing to press Russia for Snowden's return and
that questions on his fate rested with the Justice Department and not
the NSA.
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