Edward Snowden, the National Security Agency leaker, has given a wide-ranging interview to The Washington Post about the effects of the startling information he shared this year with journalists, shedding light on the U.S. surveillance apparatus. The revelations from Snowden, a former NSA contractor, about the American government's surveillance of its citizens and allies have generated fierce debate over intelligence-gathering practices. Here are five key takeaways from the interview, the first Snowden has given in person since he arrived in Russia in June. Snowden says ... 1. His mission is 'already accomplished' "For me, in terms of personal satisfaction, the mission's already accomplished. I already won," Snowden told The Washington Post's Barton Gellman in Moscow. "As soon as the journalists were able to work, everything that I had been trying to do was validated. Because, remember, I didn't want to change society. I wanted to give society a chance to determine if it should change itself."
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Edward Snowden gives an interview in person to The Washington Post
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His mission is "already accomplished," he says
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He describes his daily life as that of an "indoor cat"
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Snowden says he raised concerns about surveillance to his colleagues and superiors
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Snowden has so far managed to dodge the U.S. government's attempts to bring him back to @placeholder to face charges of espionage and theft of government property.
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Gellman reported that during more than 14 hours of conversations in @placeholder, Snowden didn't once "part the curtains or step outside."
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His co-workers were often "astonished to learn we are collecting more in the United States on @placeholder than we are on Russians in Russia," Snowden told the Post.
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He said his aim was not to bring down the @placeholder, but to improve it.
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He maintained that stance with Gellman, saying that he's shrugged off personal attacks against him with the intent of keeping the focus on the @placeholder.