US News

Rogues go to Russia to celebrate Snowden

WASHINGTON — Benedict Arnold would have fit right in.

A fan club of US traitors went all the way to Russia to give an award to their hero, terror-watch secrets-spiller Edward Snowden.

The group of five government leakers and whistleblowers presented Snowden, who is wanted on espionage charges but is beyond American justice in Russia, with the Sam Adams Award for Integrity in Intelligence.

The presenters, Thomas Drake, Raymond McGovern, Jesselyn Radack, Colleen Rowley and Sarah Harrisom, have a lot in common with Snowden.

Drake worked for the National Security Agency before he leaked data about an electronic snooping program he thought was invasive.

McGovern retired as a CIA analyst to become an anti-spy activist.

Radack was a Justice Department lawyer before she revealed what she considered was unethical conduct by the FBI during interrogation of American Taliban John Walker Lindh.

Rowley was an FBI agent before she blew the whistle on agency screw-ups that she claimed could have prevented 9/11.

Snowden rattled the US intelligence community when he revealed the extent of NSA snooping, including on allies.

Harrison is a WikiLeaks researcher.

Drake said that Snowden was starting to feel at “home” in Russia, where his asylum badly strained US-Russia relations.

Of Snowden’s finding refuge in s Russia, Drake said, “This is where he lives now, and so where you live is your home.”

Drake and the rest of the fan club refused to say where they met with Snowden or where he lives in Russia, citing concerns for his safety.

Snowden’s father, Lon Snowden, also met with his fugitive son.

“He’s doing as well as could be expected,” he said. “He’s safe and he’s free, and that’s a good thing.”