The State Department would not say Monday if the extradition policy in place between the United States and Hong Kong is being considered to bring an NSA whistleblower back to the America to face prosecution.
State Department’s spokesperson Jen Psaki answered all background questions regarding the extradition policy established in 1998 but would not go further when pressed regarding the current case.
AP’s MATT LEE: I just wonder if there's anyone in the legal advisers office who's sick to their stomach or feeling some kind of strange emotions that the US is now in a position where it could be accused of pursuing politically motivated prosecutions, especially when it involves part of the People's Republic of China.
JEN PSAKI: Not going speculate whether we're going to use it or not, just that we do have an extradition treaty with Hong Kong.
Edward Snowden, a former NSA employee, came forward over the weekend as the leaker of sensitive American intelligence, including the secretive PRISM program.
Snowden’s interview, aired by the Guardian over the weekend, has raised questions among top officials in the United States government on the legal ramifications of his actions and what steps need to be taken in order to bring him to justice.