CIA Cited Concerns About Snowden 4 Years Ago

Back in 2009, Edward Snowden's boss at the CIA reported some concerns about the then-technician in his file. Snowden had been behaving unusually and the supervisor was suspicious, the New York Times reports. Yet those concerns, documented shortly before Snowden left the job, didn't stop Snowden from getting a new post as an NSA contractor; indeed, the report "slipped through the cracks," a law enforcement source tells the Times. It didn't come up again until investigations following Snowden's revelations about the government.

Only major violations would likely have been reported to other intelligence agencies; this was apparently a more personal comment. Thanks to Snowden's case, however, communication about such concerns has been boosted. Meanwhile, Snowden has received some visitors in Russia—apparently the first Americans to come see him since he gained asylum, the AP reports. The four visitors were all former US government workers, hailing from the NSA, FBI, CIA, and Justice Department. They handed him a yearly award from national security retirees for intelligence figures "who exhibit integrity in intelligence." He was in a good mood and feels that leaking NSA information was the right thing to do, the Americans say. (More Edward Snowden stories.)