Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="san1020" data-source="post: 15189468" data-attributes="member: 360234">(CNN) -- The man who has admitted to leaking  classified documents about U.S. surveillance programs appears to have  his sights set on Ecuador. Edward Snowden, who is  charged with espionage in the United States, has asked for asylum in the  South American country, its foreign minister said. WikiLeaks, which  facilitates the publication of classified information and has said it's  helping Snowden's asylum bid, said Sunday that Snowden was heading to  Ecuador "via a safe route." "Once Mr. Snowden arrives in Ecuador, his request will be formally processed," WikiLeaks said in <a href="http://wikileaks.org/WikiLeaks-Statement-On-Edward,253.html?updated" target="_blank">a statement on its website</a>. CNN spotted a car with diplomatic plates and an Ecuadorian flag at Moscow's airport on Sunday.     <img src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130623164425-rs-greenwald-snowden-defense-623-00014621-story-body.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />Greenwald defends NSA leaker Snowden      <img src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130623161616-sots-airport-passengers-react-00002001-story-body.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />Passengers on Snowden's flight react      <img src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130623051351-robertson-hk-snowden-escape-00010010-story-body.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />A hero to some now a fugitive      <img src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130623154618-exp-nsa-leaker-lands-in-moscow-00002001-story-body.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />NSA Leaker Lands in Moscow  And the Reuters news  agency reported that Ecuador's ambassador to Russia said he would be  meeting with Snowden at a Moscow airport hotel. As word spread that  Snowden had left his Hong Kong hideout and was headed to Russia on  Sunday, the former NSA contractor became the center of a global guessing  game. Media reports speculated  that he could be traveling to Ecuador, Venezuela or Cuba -- all  countries where leaders have sharply criticized what they call the U.S.  government's imperialist approach. Why would Ecuador win out? Is that country likely to grant Snowden asylum? Ecuadorian President  Rafael Correa, a left-leaning economist, has railed against the United  States in concert with allies in Latin America. And it's been nearly a  year since the South American country approved a similar asylum request  from WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is now holed up inside  Ecuador's embassy in London. He faces arrest in Britain and possible extradition to Sweden if he leaves the embassy. Ecuadorian Foreign  Minister Ricardo Patino has called on British authorities to reconsider  Assange's case, describing it as "politically motivated." On Sunday, he said that  authorities would review Snowden's petition and give him a reply as soon  as possible, Ecuador's state-run Andes news agency reported. The foreign minister is scheduled to speak at a news conference Monday from Vietnam, where he is traveling on a state visit. On Sunday, a senior  administration official said the United States was asking Ecuador, Cuba  and Venezuela not to let Snowden in or expel him if he enters their  countries. A source familiar with the matter said the U.S. government  had revoked Snowden's passport. There appear to be no  direct flights from Moscow to Ecuador, and it's unclear whether Snowden  could have a connecting flight in another country. Tom Fuentes, CNN law  enforcement analyst and a former assistant director of the FBI, pointed  out that Ecuador hasn't granted Snowden asylum yet. "Right now who knows  where he's going to ultimately end up, or how long it's going to take  him or how many connecting flights," Fuentes said on Sunday. "And you  know, he's pushing the envelope of how many places he can try to go  before he would fall into hands of being in custody and possibly  extradited back to the U.S. "Or technically, because  he does not have a valid U.S. passport, and if he does not have another  valid passport, then the next situation could be for those countries to  say, 'you're here illegally and we'll deport you,' " Fuentes said. Wherever Snowden goes  next, U.S. officials have said they plan to push to prosecute him. But  Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University, told  CNN that extradition treaties "are read differently by countries in  different circumstances." The United States has  its share of critics who say it ignores international law regarding the  treatment of prisoners or the use of drone attacks, and host countries  are allowed to question "whether a charged crime was a political act." "It doesn't help to have  all these senators and members of Congress calling for this guy's  head," Turley said, referring to lawmakers who have accused Snowden of  treason. "All this hue and cry adds to the sort of political perspective  of this case. That is not going to help the U.S. State Department or  the Justice Department."</blockquote>

Verification: Nawa warak dahaya keeyada? (Namaya wadi kireema dahaya)

Top Bottom