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Wednesday, 21 January 2015 - 17:59

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Dutch secret services work for America: Edward Snowden

Dutch intelligence services AIVD and MIVD walk on the leash of USA's National Security Agency (NSA) and are "extremely docile" and seen as "subordinates", says former NSA and CIA employee Edward Snowden in an interview to Volkskrant and Nieuwsuur. "The Dutch work for the Americans. They do what we tell them to do. They are not appreciated because of their abilities, but because of the free passage they offer," he says. In the interview, he talks about a new information law, and the expansion of eavesdrop powers after the attack in Paris and his situation in Moscow. Snowden revealed tens of thousands of confidential NSA files in 2013 and currently resides in Moscow. Nieuwsuur will broadcast the interview Wednesday at 10 p.m. on NPO 2. Volksrant and Volkskrant.nl will publish the full interview tomorrow. Snowden leaked information and files to journalists about extensive espionage practices at the NSA where he used to work as a system administrator. He released data he stored from the NSA's servers while in Hong Kong. After the US officials had requested Snowden to be arrested, he fled to Moscow. Snowden spent 39 days at the Moscow airport before he was granted a Russian visa.

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