Edward Snowden not whistleblower, but 'a serial exaggerator and fabricator': US Congress committee

WASHINGTON - A US congressional committee on intelligence Thursday ruled that former National Security Agency (NSA) official Edward Snowden was not a whistleblower as he claims, but he "was and remains a serial exaggerator and fabricator."

In a report backed by both Republicans and Democrats, the committee said that Snowden caused a serious damage to the security of the United States and its overseas operatives by leaking a huge amount of sensitive documents.

Most of the files leaked by Edward Snowden were not about privacy invasion, it revealed America's intelligence and defense programs abroad, the 4-page summary of original 36-page report said.

The committee, however, did not mention anything about the exact damage caused by the documents leak. Instead, it said: " the compromised information protected American troops overseas and secrets that provide vital defenses against terrorists and nation-states."

Ex-NSA systems analyst Edward Snowden became the worst nightmare of America’s NSA when he leaked a large of number of phone calls and other spying material of the agency to media worldwide in June 2013.

A report based on his revelations said that the NSA had tapped directly into 9 internet firms, including Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Yahoo, to keep track of online communications under a surveillance operation called Prism.

Charged with theft of government property, unauthorized communication of national defense information and communication of classified communications intelligence, Edward Snowden is wanted by the US government.

He is currently residing in Russia on political asylum.