Snowden: US Can Recover from Fallout of Surveillance News

Well, only if they're willing to admit a problem in the first place

Months after his revelations spurred outrage about the state of civil liberties in the United States, Edward Snowden expressed hope for his native nation on Thursday, saying "what makes our country strong is our system of values."

"We can correct the laws, restrain the overreach of agencies, and hold the senior officials responsible for abusive programs to account," Snowden said in an online chat.

The former government contractor's leaks last summer brought intense scrutiny to the National Security Agency's surveillance programs, causing criticism of the U.S. government, domestically and internationally.