We've seen this movie.
Posted on 07/17/2013 9:37:52 PM PDT by TexGrill
MOSCOW, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden may apply for Russian citizenship and does not want to leave Russia until he is granted temporary asylum, a lawyer said Wednesday.
The fugitive U.S. intelligence whistleblower feels like being driven into a corner, said Anatoli Kucherena, a Russian lawyer who provides legal aid for Snowden.
"As soon as the (refugee) status is granted, he is free to decide whether or not he will stay in Russia. If he leaves for somewhere else, his status will be annulled," Kucherena said.
According to the lawyer, the U.S. government reacted "hysterically" toward the latest developments of the case.
The White House said Tuesday that Snowden should be expelled and sent back to the United States to face espionage charges.
"I am more concerned with the hysteria around that case, with daily statements of the U.S. State Department. Actually, the man got into a difficult situation in our country so we cannot but exercise humane attitude to him," the lawyer said.
According to Kucherena, Russia and the United States have no agreement on re-admission. Russia, therefore, cannot extradite Snowden, who has not committed any crime on Russian territory.
Meanwhile, Kucherena said, Snowden did not qualify for state protection.
"The Refugee Status Law does not include state protection. He will have the same rights as any other person eligible under these regulations," Kucherena said.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.xinhuanet.com ...
Well, he don’t speak the lingo, has NO EDUCATION, cannot hold a job, is not trustworthy. About the only bag a tricks he brings is what he stole from the US taxpayer.
Uh, speak for yourself, "taxpayer".
Good, and when they soak him dry of everything he knows, he will be working in some nondescript factory at and extremely nondescript job (much like Oswald) and wishing he was back in the US. Screw the traitorous idiot.
Ahem, his passport having been invalidated by the State Dept. Snowden cannot board a plane headed for the United States.
Looks like Vlad doesn’t need your ‘flexibility’ anymore, 0. You’ve been outsmarted once again.
On the other hand, once Snowden finally gives Putin all there is to give, he’ll get to live out his remaining years in Siberia.
We've seen this movie.
I bet Snowden has the goods on Obunga, why else would the latter issue daily demands, and send here his representatives educated only in the use of the words “idiot” and “traitor”?
Snowden’s reply to Sen. Humphrey July 16:
Mr. Humphrey,
Thank you for your words of support. I only wish more of our lawmakers shared your principles - the actions I’ve taken would not have been necessary.
The media has distorted my actions and intentions to distract from the substance of Constitutional violations and instead focus on personalities. It seems they believe every modern narrative requires a bad guy. Perhaps it does. Perhaps, in such times, loving one’s country means being hated by its government.
If history proves that be so, I will not shy from that hatred. I will not hesitate to wear those charges of villainy for the rest of my life as a civic duty, allowing those governing few who dared not do so themselves to use me as an excuse to right these wrongs.
My intention, which I outlined when this began, is to inform the public as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them. I remain committed to that. Though reporters and officials may never believe it, I have not provided any information that would harm our people - agent or not - and I have no intention to do so.
Further, no intelligence service - not even our own - has the capacity to compromise the secrets I continue to protect. While it has not been reported in the media, one of my specializations was to teach our people at DIA how to keep such information from being compromised even in the highest threat counter-intelligence environments (i.e. China).
You may rest easy knowing I cannot be coerced into revealing that information, even under torture.
With my thanks for your service to the nation we both love,
Edward Snowden
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jul/16/gordon-humphrey-email-edward-snowden
The Soviet Union is gone. After they milk him, they’ll let him sink or swim on his own.
Good point, my bad.
And how would that make him any different from...say... our current President?
He has a job skill in the information field. It may surprise you that in the computer world, formal degrees are far less important than demonstrable skills. He could write a book and retire. He could sell the movie rights.
He has held a job just fine, until his employer began criminal behavior disregarding the constitution.
As for the language, he could easily find work writing articles, tutoring English (partnered with a Russian teacher or school) consulting to governments and businesses on cyber security, etc etc.
And he could do it with a beautiful woman as his side.
Oh. So he lost his ability to write software when he left for Hong Kong?
“I bet Snowden has the goods on Obunga”
I agree. I think he has something enormous that scares the crap put of our revolutionary socialist government. Forcing down the Bolivian presidents plane, and conducting a search on it because the BELIEVED Snowden was on it is a whole new level of insanity for our Government.
They are desperate to capture him. I think he has evidence about how the election was literally stolen.
AFAIK espiopage and treason are capital crimes in US. Russian Constitution doesn’t allow their law enforcement bodies to extradite a person facing death penalty. Same applied to Russian national facing any chargres abroad, they are under protection of the state and may not be extradited. Asylum holders has all the rights of Russian nationals regarding extradition.
It is simply impossible by law and I don’t think they are about to rewrite it for Obama.
They can prosecute on their own if either nation sends a case to Russia but it won’t happen in this situation.
Could see this coming, the guy is an traitor and enemy of the United States and he ends up seeking citizenship with our Russian enemies....
He'll probably end up working at Kaspersky Labs on anti-virus software and other things (use your imagination). When he's not giving seminars at FSB school, that is.
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