US using all legal options to get Edward Snowden back: Barack Obama

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama today said the US was "following all appropriate legal channels" to apprehend fugitive American whistleblower Edward Snowden, who fled Hong Kong and landed in Moscow.

In brief remarks to White House reporters, Obama said, "What we know is that we are following all the appropriate legal channels and working with various other countries to make sure that the rule of law is observed."

Earlier, the White House said that the decision to allow Snowden to leave Hong Kong will damage US-China relations, and asked Russia to hand him over.