US: Snowden should return to US, face charges

White House press secretary Jay Carney speaks during the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, Monday, Dec. 16, 2013. Carney reiterated the position of the White House that there will be no amnesty for former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. AP

WASHINGTON — The White House says a National Security Agency official who suggested the US consider granting Edward Snowden amnesty was expressing his personal opinion.

White House spokesman Jay Carney says President Barack Obama’s position hasn’t changed. He says Snowden faces felony charges and should be returned to the United States. Carney says Snowden would be afforded due process if returned from Russia, which has granted him temporary asylum.

Carney’s comments came after NSA official Richard Ledgett said it was worth discussing amnesty for Snowden under the right conditions.

Ledgett heads the task force assessing the damage from Snowden’s leaks. He said he’d need assurances that the rest of the data Snowden stole could be secured to prevent further leaks. He told CBS News the bar for those assurances would be high.