Snowden and Greenwald address US campaigners

Edward Snowden and Glenn Greenwald address US campaigners via video

• Whistleblower and journalist make rare joint appearance
• Germany criticises US for lack of assurances over spying

Reuters in Chicago

Supporters of Amnesty International cheer as Edward Snowden is introduced via video at a conference in Chicago on Saturday. Photograph: Frank Polich/Reuters

Edward Snowden and the reporter Glenn Greenwald, who brought to light the whistleblower's leaks about mass US government surveillance last year, appeared together via video link from opposite ends of the earth on Saturday, for what was believed to be the first time since Snowden sought asylum in Russia.

In Germany, meanwhile, a leading ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel criticised the US for failing to provide sufficient assurances on its spying tactics and said bilateral talks were unlikely to make much progress before the German leader visits Washington next month.

The interior minister, Thomas de Maiziere, one of Merkel's closest cabinet allies, told the German weekly magazine Der Spiegel: "US intelligence methods may be justified to a large extent by security needs, but the tactics are excessive and over-the-top.”

Last October, reports based on disclosures by Snowden said Washington had monitored Merkel's mobile phone.

In Chicago, a sympathetic crowd of nearly 1,000 packed a downtown hotel ballroom at Amnesty International USA's annual human rights meeting and gave Greenwald, who dialled in from Brazil, a raucous welcome before Snowden was patched in 15 minutes later – to a standing ovation.

The pair cautioned that government monitoring of "metadata" is more intrusive than directly listening to phone calls or reading emails and stressed the importance of a free press willing to scrutinise government activity.

Metadata includes which telephone number calls which other numbers, when the calls were made and how long they lasted. Metadata does not include the content of the calls.

Amnesty International is campaigning to end mass surveillance by the US government and calling for congressional action to further rein in the collection of information about telephone calls and other communications.

Last year, Snowden, who had been working at a NSA facility as an employee of Booz Allen Hamilton, leaked a set of secret documentsthat revealed a vast US government system for monitoring phone and internet data.

The leaks deeply embarrassed the Obama administration, which in January banned US eavesdropping on the leaders of friendly countries and allies and began reining in the sweeping collection of Americans' phone data in a series of limited reforms triggered by Snowden's revelations. Snowden faces arrest if he sets foot on US soil.

President Barack Obama said last month he plans to ask Congress toend the bulk collection and storage of phone records by the NSA but allow the government to access metadata when needed. Snowden and Greenwald said that such data is in fact more revealing than outright government spying on phone conversations and emails.

"Metadata is what allows an actual enumerated understanding, a precise record of all the private activities in all of our lives. It shows our associations, our political affiliations and our actual activities," said Snowden, dressed in a jacket with no tie in front of a black background.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll this week showed the majority of Americans were concerned that internet companies were encroaching on too much of their lives.

Greenwald, who met with Snowden 10 months ago and wrote about the leaked documents in the Guardian and other media outlets, promised further revelations of government abuses of power at his new media venture the Intercept.

"My hope and my belief is that as we do more of that reporting and as people see the scope of the abuse as opposed to just the scope of the surveillance they will start to care more," he said.

"Mark my words. Put stars by it and in two months or so come back and tell me if I didn't make good on my word."

De Maiziere talked to Der Spiegel about German talks with the US since the revelations over US surveillance of German targets. Berlin subsequently demanded a "no-spy" deal, but it has become clear in recent months that the US is unwilling to give the assurances Germany wants.

"The information we have so far is insufficient," said de Maiziere, one of Merkel's closest cabinet allies. Asked if he expected progress before Merkel pays a visit to President Barack Obama in early May, De Maiziere said: "My expectations of what further talks will yield are low."

Obama visited Europe late last month, saying one of his aims was to reassure allies that he was acting to meet their concerns on the scope of US data gathering.

In January, Obama banned US eavesdropping on the leaders of close allies and began reining in the vast collection of phone data on Americans. But he also said US intelligence agencies would continue to gather information about the intentions of other governments.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/06/edward-snowden-glenn-greenwald-amnesty-international-video