Denying alleged reports of being backed by Russia, whistleblower Edward Snowden said that he acted alone in revealing information about the workings of the National Security Agency.
In an interview with the New Yorker magazine, Snowden said the entire theory by the top U.S. lawmakers of him receiving help from Russia was "absurd."
"This 'Russian spy' push is absurd," he said adding that he "clearly and unambiguously acted alone, with no assistance from anyone, much less a government." "It won't stick.... Because it's clearly false, and the American people are smarter than politicians think they are."
The interview was conducted by encrypted means from Moscow. After the allegations of being a Russian spy, Snowden counter questioned, "Why Hong Kong?" And then why was he "stuck at the airport forever when he reached Moscow?" (He spent 40 days in the transit zone of Sheremetyevo International Airport.) "Spies get treated better than that," he added.
Three top U.S. lawmakers, Sunday, hinted at the possibility of Snowden being aided by the Russian government. Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, at NBC's 'Meet the Press' had said that he believed it was "a gee-whiz luck event that he ended up in Moscow under the handling of the FSB." However, Rogers did not provide any specific evidence to support his claim.
Michael McCaul, chairman of House Homeland Security Chairman (R-Texas), said that he strongly thinks that Snowden might have been helped by a foreign power. "I personally believe that he was cultivated by a foreign power to do what he did," he said, reported the New York Daily News. "I don't think ... Mr. Snowden woke up one day and had the wherewithal to do this all by himself."