Edward Snowden Still Stuck At Airport, May Be Permitted Entry Into Russia Soon

sl4shd0rk writes "Edward Snowden, the enlightening NSA Whistleblower, may have been granted refuge in Russia as reported by Interfax News. He has apparently been given papers (and a change of clothes) by the Russian government to allow him to soon leave the Sheremetyevo airport. The delay in exodus, cited by a Russian official, is apparently due to the 'uniqueness' of the situation being cause for thorough review of Snowden's Asylum request." Reports are conflicting; WaPo and Reuters say Snowden's Asylum application is still in limbo, whereas other sources are claiming only minor details are blocking his exit and he may be allowed to leave as early as tomorrow. What is certain is that he's not leaving today despite early reports claiming he could.

Comments

We still don't know much of the situation

[Anonymous Coward]

Unreported: how much contact Snowden has had personally with the Russian authorities, just like we have no idea how much contact he had with Hong Kong's.

Is he trading info for asylum?

Re:We still don't know much of the situation

[cold fjord]

Here are some things we do know.

The Russian lawyer that has been speaking for Snowden for some time now is Anatoly Kucherena. Kucherena is head of public relations for the FSB, the successor to the KGB. So the KGB running interference for Snowden and his laptops full of stolen American secrets. John Walker must be jealous.*

Snowden's Choice For Russian Asylum Reveals His 'Mind-Boggling Naiveté'

David Francis' Fiscal Times write-up digs into Snowden for his "mind boggling naiveté":

He is asking for asylum in a country that continues to openly squash dissent, often using violent tactics. Putin runs the country with an iron fist, has jailed people who oppose him, and has chased others out of the country. Opponents have been known to meet early deaths, often under suspicious circumstances.

Francis notes the untimely, often gruesome deaths of several political opponents to Putin over the years...

To make matters worse, the person seemingly speaking for Snowden now — Russian attorney Anatoly Kucherena — also happens to be the head of public relations for the FSB.

Freelance reporter and intelligence expert Joshua Foust writes: "The involvement of known FSB operatives at his asylum acceptance ... suggests this was a textbook intelligence operation, and not a brave plea for asylum from political persecution."

"The Russians are very good at what they do," wrote Foust, referring to their simultaneous control of the "principal" — Snowden — and the public message.

WSJ/NBC Poll: Most Americans View Snowden Negatively - July 24, 2013

In the poll, only 11% of respondents said they viewed Mr. Snowden in a positive light, while 34% said they viewed him negatively. Nearly a third said they didn’t know who he was.

All in all, another impressive triumph for the KGB.

* John Walker so damaged American security by providing the Soviets stolen American cryptographic material that if an actual shooting war with the Soviet Union had occurred, the US Navy may have been defeated at sea. The Soviets would have been able to read their transmissions, know the locations of ships, and their orders. Snowden's damage may be as bad or worse.

Re:We still don't know much of the situation

[cold fjord]

And as far as his lawyer, your claims are ridiculous. In his case he needed to hire a lawyer with connections. In Russia than means that he would likely have contacts with the FSB. If he hired someone unconnected, he would be fucked.

Snowden claimed he wanted asylum, even if only temporary. Asylum in Russia is under the control of the Russian Federal Migration Service, not the FSB/KGB. So why is he talking to the head of public relations for the FSB/KGB intelligence service? Why is the KGB speaking on his behalf?

The Federal Migration Service

The competence of the FMS includes the implementation of legislation regarding refugees, granting political asylum to foreign citizens and persons without citizenship. (According to Russian law, the forms of protection granted are: refugee status; temporary asylum, and political asylum. Political asylum is granted by a personal Decree of the President of Russia).

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But that does not mean that Snowden is giving information to the FSB.

The FSB/KGB has already received information that originated from Snowden, the same as anyone else that reads the newspapers and visits the Guardian web site. That information was Top Secret. Now he is in regular direct contact with the head of public relations for the FSB/KGB when he claims to want asylum that should be going through another government agency. Why? You can't deny that he still has much highly secret information that he hasn't revealed. Glen Greenwald describes it as a "worst nightmare" if it were revealed. Trust the man that has violated so many trusts already? Trust the man that has lied so much?

That poll is bullshit. If a third of people don't know who he was, then the number was larger when the propaganda campaign started. All that this poll shows is that most people are ignorant and influenced by propaganda.

There is more than one poll showing essentially the same thing.

Most think NSA is violating privacy rights but want Snowden charged with a crime
WSJ/NBC Poll: Most Americans View Snowden Negatively
Attitudes Shift Against Snowden; Fewer than Half Say NSA Unjustified

As to the rest of your nonsense.... Snowden chose his actions and picked his associations, not me. It's not my fault he stole an enormous amount of highly damaging top secret information, it is his fault. I didn't force him to work with the head FSB/KGB public affairs instead of the Federal Migration Service to get asylum, he chose that. Not acknowledging that fact is dangerously naïve. My views don't change anything he did. You are just trying to divert from that fact, trying to confuse people.

Your views are far outside the mainstream. You applaud a man that damages American security, for what purpose I can only guess. Your views are from the fringe.

Re:He should just go to America and face the music

[Dan East]

I'll tell you when I lost respect for him. When I learned he wasn't just some innocent IT guy that happened to see information that he, with good conscience, could not just ignore. That's called whistle blowing, but that's not what happened here.

Snowden stated that he tried to get that position for the specific purpose of digging up whatever he could to use against his country. That's called espionage. That makes him a traitor in my book, regardless of what he ended up finding out.

Re:He should just go to America and face the music

[johnlcallaway]

Ah yes .. Assange. The cowardly self-centered publicity whore. They make a good pair.