Snowden meets with 4 U.S. whistleblowers in Moscow

MOSCOW Four U.S. whistleblowers who have met with former National Security Agency systems analyst Edward Snowden say he is settling into life in Russia and expresses no regrets about leaking highly classified information.

A photo posted on the WikiLeaks twitter account shows Snowden receiving the Sam Adams Associates for Integrity in Intelligence Award. Next to him are WikiLeaks journalist Sarah Harrison and the whistleblowers who presented the award: Coleen Rowley (FBI), Thomas Drake (NSA), Jesselyn Raddack (DoJ) and Ray McGovern (CIA).

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Snowden granted temporary asylum in Russia

The whistleblowers were the first Americans known to have met with Snowden since he was granted asylum in Russia in August. They spoke to The Associated Press on Thursday, a day after meeting with Snowden at a secret location.

One of them, former NSA executive Thomas Drake, says he believes that Snowden "is making the best of his circumstances and is living as normally as possible."

Also Thursday, Snowden's father, Lon, arrived in Moscow to see his son.

Lon Snowden told Russian television outside Moscow's airport that he doubts his son will return to the United States, where he is charged with violating the Espionage Act for disclosing NSA's highly classified surveillance of phone and Internet usage around the world.

"I'm not sure that my son will be returning to the U.S. again," Lon Snowden said but added that "that's his decision." He also said he has not had direct contact with his son and would not say when or where he will be meeting him.

Edward Snowden was stuck at a Moscow airport for more than a month after his arrival from Hong Kong on June 23. He was granted asylum in Russia in August.

Lon Snowden said that it is his understanding that his son has now stopped leaking information.

He thanked Russia and President Vladimir Putin for sheltering his son.

Edward Snowden's asylum status has strained the already tense relationship between the U.S. and Russia, and President Barack Obama called off a meeting with President Putin at a Russia-hosted summit in September.