| Submit your comments on this article | |||||
| Home Front: WoT | |||||
| Russia defiant as U.S. raises pressure over Snowden | |||||
| 2013-06-24 | |||||
| MOSCOW/HONG KONG - Russia defied White House pressure on Monday to expel former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden to the United States before he flees Moscow on the next stop of his globe-crossing escape from U.S. prosecution. Snowden, whose exposure of secret U.S. government surveillance raised questions about intrusions into private lives, was allowed to leave Hong Kong on Sunday after Washington asked the Chinese territory to arrest him on espionage charges. The 30-year-old flew to Moscow as a transit stop before heading elsewhere, several sources said. But reports he would fly to Cuba were put in doubt when witnesses could not see him on the plane, despite heightened security before take-off. Ecuador, which has sheltered the founder of the WikiLeaks anti-secrecy organization, Julian Assange, said it was considering Snowden's request for asylum. There is no direct flight to Quito from Moscow. "He didn't take the flight (to Havana)," a source at Russia's national airline Aeroflot told Reuters. As speculation mounted about where he would go next - Ecuador, Venezuela or Havana at a later date to escape the crowd of journalists on board Monday's flight - Washington was stung by Russian defiance.
But the Russian government ignored the appeal and President Vladimir Putin's press secretary denied any knowledge of Snowden's movements. Asked if Snowden had spoken to the Russian authorities, Peskov said: "Overall, we have no information about him." He declined comment on the expulsion request but other Russian officials said Moscow had no obligation to cooperate with Washington, after it passed legislation to impose visa bans and asset freezes on Russians accused of violating human rights. "Why should the United States expect restraint and understanding from Russia?" said Alexei Pushkov, the head of the foreign affairs committee in the lower house of parliament. Putin has missed few chances to champion public figures who challenge Western governments and to portray Washington as an overzealous global policeman. But Russian leaders have not paraded Snowden before the cameras or trumpeted his arrival.
Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino, on a trip to Vietnam, said Quito would analyze his asylum request with a "lot of responsibility". He was expected to hold a news conference around 7 p.m. (1200 GMT) in Hanoi. A source at Aeroflot said on Sunday Snowden was booked on the flight due to depart for Havana on Monday at 2:05 p.m. (1005 GMT). But a correspondent aboard could not see him and the seat he was supposed to occupy, 17a, was taken by another passenger. A State Department official said Washington had told countries in the Western Hemisphere that Snowden "should not be allowed to proceed in any further international travel, other than is necessary to return him to the United States". Despite the Kremlin denials, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer
"Putin always seems almost eager to stick a finger in the eye of the United States," Schumer, a senior Senate Democrat, told CNN's "State of the Union". He also saw "the hand of Beijing" in Hong Kong's decision to let Snowden leave.
| |||||
| Posted by: |
| #9 Can you say "Viktor Anatolyevich Bout"? Sure, I knew you could. |
| Posted by: Mullah Richard 2013-06-24 22:08 |
| #8 Looks like it's "gotta get away for a golf game, didn't happen ony watch" time. What a puss |
| Posted by: USN,ret 2013-06-24 20:08 |
| #7 Heck, if the LGBT crowd can roll this president, you think Putin can't? |
| Posted by: Jack Salami 2013-06-24 20:05 |
| #6 Reminds me of Opus' "I dare ya, I double-dare ya, I triple-dare ya ..." flipper-stomping rants aboard the Soviet sub, before the Sub's Captain fired him thru the missle tube. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2013-06-24 19:39 |
| #5 "...or what, Mr. Obama?" |
| Posted by: Muggsey Mussolini 2013-06-24 16:50 |
| #4 "Putin always seems almost eager to stick a finger in the eye of the United States," Schumer, a senior Senate Democrat, told CNN's "State of the Union" Wonder if Chuckie had the same attitude prior to 2004? |
| Posted by: Pappy 2013-06-24 11:01 |
| #3 skinny little creep... Never to be confused with the head of the Chicago Teachers Union who probably has done as much damage fundamentally to the country over a longer period of time. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2013-06-24 10:14 |
| #2 Dozens of "journalists" got punked into taking that slow Moscow-to-Cuber flight. "Please enjoy the film "Battleship Potemkin" with Spanish subtitles, and don't use both sheets of toilet paper at one time. Lunch will be beet enchiladas" |
| Posted by: Frank G 2013-06-24 10:13 |
| #1 skinny little creep Finally the right words are found for this one. SLC --- Thank you SalmonMan! |
| Posted by: Shipman 2013-06-24 09:44 |