WASHINGTON — WikiLeaks officials say former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden has applied for asylum in Ecuador, Iceland and possibly other countries.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange (ah-SAHNJ') says he cannot go into detail about Snowden's whereabouts except to say that he is safe.
Snowden left Hong Kong Sunday to travel to Ecuador through Moscow and other points to avoid extradition to the U.S. He is facing espionage charges stemming from his disclosure of U.S. surveillance programs that collect phone records and online data in the name of national security.
Snowden was not on a flight to Cuba Monday as expected. Ecuador says it is considering its asylum requests. Snowden had previously discussed seeking asylum in Iceland.
Assange's lawyer has said Snowden does not have many options for asylum.
