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Edward Snowden, defector [W:139]

Glowpun

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He is to have said "ask for asylum from any countries that believe in free speech and oppose the victimization of global privacy." Let us see. He asked for asylum in Russia, what is wrong with this picture? Why did he do what he did?
 
He is to have said "ask for asylum from any countries that believe in free speech and oppose the victimization of global privacy." Let us see. He asked for asylum in Russia, what is wrong with this picture? Why did he do what he did?

If he did, probably because he has got a very warm reception from human rights groups who have been suggesting he stay together with difficulties in getting out and getting a bit depressed stuck in the terminal. Anyway it will not happen as Putin made very clear he would only give him Asylum if he stopped his leaks.

Iceland I think was his first choice.
 
I had heard yesterday he has applied to several countries

Fugitive US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden has sent asylum requests to 21 countries, according to a statement published by Wikileaks.

They include China, France, Ireland and Venezuela. Russia and Norway confirmed they had received applications.

But Russia said he later withdrew the application as the Kremlin had set conditions.

BBC News - Snowden 'asylum requests to 21 countries' - Wikileaks
 
Right now there will be a lot of moral outrage against him, Julian Assange and Bradley Manning. I can understand American anger at people betraying national government secrets however that is rarely counterbalanced by comments about those countries who have been spied on / betrayed or disparaged through leaked documents.

History will judge these three men better than they are judged now - they have shed light on murky underhand dealings against many allies (including the UK) by a supposed friend. What reason did the US have for spying on EU offices in America? What reason did the US have for vast intelligence gathering operations against friends and allies?
 
Right now there will be a lot of moral outrage against him, Julian Assange and Bradley Manning. I can understand American anger at people betraying national government secrets however that is rarely counterbalanced by comments about those countries who have been spied on / betrayed or disparaged through leaked documents.

History will judge these three men better than they are judged now - they have shed light on murky underhand dealings against many allies (including the UK) by a supposed friend. What reason did the US have for spying on EU offices in America? What reason did the US have for vast intelligence gathering operations against friends and allies?

Secrets the Government shouldn't have had in the first place mind you.
 
He is to have said "ask for asylum from any countries that believe in free speech and oppose the victimization of global privacy." Let us see. He asked for asylum in Russia, what is wrong with this picture? Why did he do what he did?

Kind of Ironic where he seeks asylum in the places "that believe in free speech and oppose the victimization of global privacy" and two of those are Russia and Cuba :doh
Those two countries have governments that have massive scope over peoples lives: Russia - ***** Riot Protests, Human rights in Russia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
and Cuba.... Human rights in Cuba - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Human rights in Cuba are under the scrutiny of Human Rights Watch, who accuse the Cuban government of systematic human rights abuses, including torture, arbitrary imprisonment, unfair trials, and extrajudicial execution
 
WTF is he still even alive?

President Obama has killed Americans with Hellfire misslies for less.
 
WTF is he still even alive?

President Obama has killed Americans with Hellfire misslies for less.

But not when they are sitting in a transit lounge in Russia.
 
But not when they are sitting in a transit lounge in Russia.

Come on now.

We're talking about "The Man Who Killed bin Laden!!!" here.

Do you really think he has ANY limitations?
 
There's a first time for everything.

True. I'm sorry to say I am getting visions of my grandchildren living in the game world of instant assassination as a part of life. Besides of which from what I have heard they likely would not know which one was him. Be killing several and maybe never find him.

Regardless of Russia's response at this time it wouldn't be in their interest. Everything he has to leak would then be released.
 
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Got to thank him. He revealed quite a bit.
 
Wonder if he thought to bring enough ruble coins to eat out of the snack machines...and his underwear has got to be getting pretty rank by now.
 
Throughout history friends and allies change like a preteen's wardrobe.

It would be truly interesting to know who is spying on whom around the world. I doubt any nation is surprised the USofA is spying on them, and they on us as best they can.

Given how the CIA has missed huge sea changes in the world, like the fall of the Iron Curtain, I don't think we can sweat this too much.

Now if they put a hit out on Snowden, do as the Roosians do, a deadly Isotope in his soda so he takes weeks to die.

I think Snowden will surrender, not sure why he did all this, pretty sure someone should be in jail with him for letting a high school drop-out get so much intel...

But I don't see him ending up in a safe haven... more like a USofA prison cell. With no Wi-Fi of course.... :lol:
 
Edward Snowden, defector?

Hmmmmm.

Edward Snowden, hero who is defecting.


That's better.
 
1. He is not guilty of espionage.

2. What am I to say to people who do not understand/mind being under constant surveillance and the removal of their rights of privacy or their lack of knowledge of how systems work.

3. Was not the US accusing China of being the worst for this? Seems it was herself.

4. You cannot expect countries to engage in economic relations such as Europe was about to do with this level of spying. Clearly the US could use it to listen to economic discussions and use that to take take economic opportunities from the EU to the US.

5. You need to be aware of the involvement of Private Business in this - think insider trading.

6. Are you aware of the secrecy of this and that Congress does not even know what is going on?

7. Ask East Germans what it was like.

I think the US is going to feel sooo humiliated in a few years when it sees how it has thrown away it's rights and become a totalitarian state.

1st, 4th and 5th Amendments I am told.

and for comparison an article on the heavy handed way the US deals with leaks in comparison with her Western allies.

US prosecution of Snowden and Manning exceeds international norms | Sandra Coliver | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

I think if he can bide his time, he will get Asylum.

Notquiteright are you in favour of the US droning it's own citizens in the US?
 
It looks like he is running out of options as country after country denies his asylum request.


http://www.reuters.com/video/2013/0...ests-spurned?videoId=243732171&videoChannel=1


Whoever advised him on this did a lousy job.

And why did he not fly to the country he wanted to defect to before he released all the info?

Sounds like he did not think this thing through.

A pity - because I think it is great what he did.

And now it looks like he may have to either turn himself into American authorities or spend the rest of his life in that airport - a prospect which Putin seems to not be gaga about.
 
He is to have said "ask for asylum from any countries that believe in free speech and oppose the victimization of global privacy." Let us see. He asked for asylum in Russia, what is wrong with this picture? Why did he do what he did?

Sorry, but I can't even believe I am reading this. The "countries that believe in free speech" are threatened and bullied by the US not to grant asylum to Snowden. In some countries it is not even legally possible.
Snowden went to Russia because he could go to Russia. He did not go to Russia because he likes the political system there or because he wants to give all his information to the Russian secret services.
 
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It looks like he is running out of options as country after country denies his asylum request.


Snowden's asylum requests spurned | Video | Reuters.com


Whoever advised him on this did a lousy job.

And why did he not fly to the country he wanted to defect to before he released all the info?

Sounds like he did not think this thing through.

A pity - because I think it is great what he did.

And now it looks like he may have to either turn himself into American authorities or spend the rest of his life in that airport - a prospect which Putin seems to not be gaga about.

Well it was wiki leaks and Assange and Ecuador who originally helped him but it seems like the US has managed to get to them in some way.

Meanwhile Venezuela's President says he is willing to give Snowden Asylum. He is in Russia and says he would be happy to take him home with him as reported on RT but he says he has not received a request. Bolivia has also said they will give him Asylum. Both I am sure would be better than the transit lounge as long as he did not then become the target of a drone strike. A lot of European countries have simply said they cannot say till he is there so possibly some checking will be going on to see if possible though it looks unlikely at the present moment.

According to RT, Glen Greenwald has said there is about to be some breath taking new leaks - I think they may be about us, the Brits, but I may have got that wrong.
 
Well it was wiki leaks and Assange and Ecuador who originally helped him but it seems like the US has managed to get to them in some way.

Meanwhile Venezuela's President says he is willing to give Snowden Asylum. He is in Russia and says he would be happy to take him home with him as reported on RT but he says he has not received a request. Bolivia has also said they will give him Asylum. Both I am sure would be better than the transit lounge as long as he did not then become the target of a drone strike. A lot of European countries have simply said they cannot say till he is there so possibly some checking will be going on to see if possible though it looks unlikely at the present moment.

According to RT, Glen Greenwald has said there is about to be some breath taking new leaks - I think they may be about us, the Brits, but I may have got that wrong.

I heard the Venezuelans had said others should take him in - I had not heard the RT report.

I did read that the Venezuelan rep had talks with Putin today...so that might be promising.


And yes, if he gets asylum somewhere - he better keep his head low or stay around a large group of people or he might get drone striked...as pathetic as that would be.
 
He is to have said "ask for asylum from any countries that believe in free speech and oppose the victimization of global privacy." Let us see. He asked for asylum in Russia, what is wrong with this picture? Why did he do what he did?

Because he doesn't have many options. US govt took away his visa and is using economic pressures against other countries that even think about taking him in.
 
Kind of Ironic where he seeks asylum in the places "that believe in free speech and oppose the victimization of global privacy" and two of those are Russia and Cuba :doh
Those two countries have governments that have massive scope over peoples lives: Russia - ***** Riot Protests, Human rights in Russia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
and Cuba.... Human rights in Cuba - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

What makes you think Snowden is a fan of Russia's/Cuba's government policies?
 
Btw, US govt couldn't be more hypocritical by threatening economic sanctions against Ecuador when we have taken in Ecuadorean bankers avoiding prosecution/extradition.
 
No one really knows where Snowden is. At this point, media reports can't be trusted because any government interested in sheltering Snowden for whatever reason is certainly not going to reveal it.

But Snowden doesn't deserve asylum because he participated in the NSA's spying efforts and therefore deserves to be punished for that trangression. It's honorable that he admitted his mistake and told the world the truth, but he still needs to be punished for being part of the organization he now condemns.
 
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