Second U.S. Intelligence Leaker Referenced in New Edward Snowden Doc; Obama Painted in Negative Light

A new documentary about NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden reportedly points to a second leaker within the U.S. intelligence community, the Guardian reported.

Image source: The Hollywood Reporter

The two-hour "Citizenfour," which premiered at the New York Film Festival on Friday night, contains a scene in which investigative journalist Glenn Greenwald talks to Snowden about a second source, the Guardian said.

The source is "higher in rank than Snowden," according to the Hollywood Reporter, which added that Snowden's "mouth drops open when he reads the details of the informant's leak."

Greenwald — who broke much of Snowden's information in a series of articles — also reveals that 1.2 million Americans are now on a government watch-list, including "Citizenfour" filmmaker Laura Poitras, the Hollywood Reporter added.

More from the Guardian:

Snowden, at a meeting with Greenwald in Moscow, expresses surprise at the level of information apparently coming from this new source. Greenwald, fearing he will be overheard, writes the details on scraps of paper. [...]

The scene comes after speculation in August by government officials, reported by CNN, that there was a second leaker. The assessment was made on the basis that Snowden was not identified as usual as the source and because at least one piece of information only became available after he ceased to be an NSA contractor and went on the run.

In addition "Citizenfour" — the label Snowden used when he first contacted Poitras, the Guardian reported — "doesn’t paint the Obama administration in a very good light," according to Roger Friedman's Showbiz 411, who added that Snowden discussed how the government "violated privacy rights on a massive scale."

Worst for Obama is that the filmmakers make it clear that "all roads lead to POTUS, a fairly serious accusation. There may be serious repercussions," according to Friedman's review.

Here's the documentary's trailer:

(H/T: Drudge Report, The Huffington Post)