Fugitive self-proclaimed spy and NSA secrets leaker Edward Snowden says he wants to return home to the United States.
In his first interview on U.S. television, Snowden told NBC-TV newsman Brian Williams Wednesday that he sees himself as a patriot, but that until he can return to the U.S. he plans to ask Russia to extend his asylum.
He sought to defend himself against charges by the Obama administration that he is a traitor who endangered lives by revealing the extent of an NSA spying program.
Asked whether he would make a deal to return, Snowden said he first wants to make "sure that these programs are reformed," and that the family and country he left behind can be helped by his actions.