Snowden obtained 2m classified files in NSA leak

Edward Snowden downloaded 1.7 million intelligence files from US agencies, the most secrets ever to be stolen from the US government in a single instance in the nation’s history, according to lawmakers who have viewed a classified Pentagon report. Legislators who saw the secret report claimed that many of the documents taken by Snowden regarding military options could put personnel at risk, although they did not delve into specifics, RT reported. “... Snowden’s actions are likely to have lethal consequences for our troops in the field,” Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee said in a statement. Rogers had recently ignited some controversy after joking that Snowden should be placed on a military “kill list”. The whistleblower downloaded all of the material he would eventually leak while earning over $100,000 annually and working at an NSA facility in Hawaii last year. The Washington Post reported that if Snowden did indeed download 1.7 million he may have only released small percentages of that total to individual journalists. Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.) – the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee – agreed with Rogers, claiming the amount of information Snowden took could “gravely impact” US national security.