U.S. House criticizes former NSA contractor read more at here www.spinonews.com/index.php/item/862-u-s-house-criticizes-former-nsa-contractor

Most of the material he stole from the NSA was not about invasions of privacy, but revealed intelligence and defense programs of great interest to America's foreign adversaries.

The committee said that full scope of damage caused by Snowden's disclosures remains unknown, a review of materials he allegedly compromised makes clear that he handed over secrets that protect American troops overseas and secrets that provide vital defenses against terrorists and nation-states.

A U.S congressional intelligence committee issued a ferocious report accusing former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden of leaking information that caused tremendous damage to U.S. national security, lying about his background and feuding with co-workers.

In a report endorsed by both its Republican and Democratic leaders, the House intelligence committee said Snowden was not a whistleblower as he has claimed.

The committee released only a four-page summary of what it said was a 36-page investigative report that remains Top Secret, but the summary contained strong words about Snowden's actions and background.

It also says he claimed to have worked as a senior advisor for the CIA when in fact he was an entry-level computer technician.

While the report says Snowden stole 1.5 million sensitive documents, other sources who have examined materials he turned over to media outlets say that the total is between 200,000 and 300,000 documents.

Some U.S. officials involved in Snowden-related investigations acknowledge that the U.S. government does not know how many documents Snowden downloaded, and that the 1.5 million figure is an estimate.

The issuance of the House committee report coincided with the release of Snowden a movie directed by Oliver Stone that portrays him as a whistleblower and hero. On Wednesday, prominent human rights advocates urged President Barack Obama to pardon Snowden before leaving office in January.

U.S. officials have said Obama is not considering a pardon for Snowden, who is facing U.S. criminal charges for providing classified information to unauthorized persons.