Snowden still at airport, Ecuador asylum decision could take months

Focus should be NSA activities violating constitution.

It has become clear that the USA is the very same criminal that it has accused other countries of being for so long. The 1% that controls the US gov’t senators, the corruption both domestically and internationally and the int’l crime wave of the past 60 years, in the phony claim of protecting life, liberty and free thinking. What a sham! Everything the US gov’t and its institutions say to the public now throws up a red flag.

We’ll probably be hearing about an accidental suicide, or something of that nature, that he was suddenly involved in- at the airport.

His treatment is disgraceful. The people of America owe him a great debt for revealing the shameless intrusion on their privacy but what happens? The opposite he has to spend his life on the run.

The ends DO NOT justify the means. Hitler had experiments conducted on countless innocent Jews during ww2 is that okay too if something useful comes of it?

Sad times. I hope the people of the world support Snowden every step of the way and make it impossible for the US to take action against him.

It’s one thing to worry about our freedoms as Americans, to want to protect the 4th amendment and to shed light on the NSA’s activities… but why is he talking about our spying on China? Why is he talking about and stealing documents relating to how we spy on other countries? That’s is what is troubling to me. That is dangerous, i assume my country is spying on other countries, as they are on us… I also expect that our government pushes the boundaries to spy on it’s own citizens… boundaries made much weaker under the Patriot act and the post 9/11 Congress. I think he could have accomplished the same ends without going public, he obviously did not think this through and the fact that he is now “in Russia” with access to what he has is damaging to our national security. And the whole irony to this thing is that so he is supposedly ( and he may very well be) trying to promote and protect our personal freedoms and rights… who are the actors helping him do so? Russia, China, Ecuador and Venezuela, countries not known for freedom of speech or bastions of free press and personal and political freedom. The whole situation is nuts, but to knee jerk react in either way is foolish, he is neither a hero nor a traitor, but I think he did not think this out, is in over his head, and his actions are hurting this country and if his intentions were pure there were many other ways to act on the information.

Dude, you’d better come back to the USA. There is no country like the good old USA. We will treat you fairly – we have the best judicial system of all the countries.

Months in an airport – that must suck. I can’t imagine a worse hell, other than prison, of course. I’m guessing that Snowden will end up in Ecuador living a life of leisure, but he could have had that in the U.S. Right now though, it probably is pretty rough. One has to appreciate the sacrifice he’s made for this country. GW spent a winter freezing his toes off in Valley Forge. At least, Snowden’s more comfortable than he was.

Another long, dragged out debacle demonstrating Obama’s incompetence and lack of influence worldwide.

Fionny- Really, collecting phone metadata is equivalent to conducting experiments on Jews in the concentration camps? You do realize that the first to evoke Godwin’s law loses the argument, don’t you?

“Focus should be on NSA activities violating the constitution” is a crock.There are avenues this guy could have taken for this that would have stopped the so called violations of the constitution,but he chose to weaken national security by showing other countries what our capabilities are.He said he went to work to specifically gather info on the NSA.He is a traitor.He said he went to Hong Kong to be safe.Really??
I guess I should hang hundred dollar bills out of my pockets and walk through the hood at night.All of you America bashers are FREE to leave this country if you hate it so much.

@unionwv, this has nothing to do with Obama… it would be the same no matter who was president or who was being held where. If we had a Russian or Chinese intelligence officer who fled here under similar circumstances we would not be handing him or her over so quickly, in fact I think we would be questioning that individual quite rigorously and confiscating any disks, or documents he had on his person, copying them and then begin to engage in a protracted negotiation to return him. It’s not like if Reagan or Clinton were president the results would be different? We would have the same actors acting in similar manners.

Invalid passport, person without nationhood, stuck in the transit area of an international airport for months. Hmm, doesn’t this remind anyone of that Tom Hanks movie “The Terminal”? Good luck Mr. Snowden, let’s hope the Russians are deploying the Spatnez around the airport to ensure that no foreign hit squad can get in (I’m looking at you CIA).

Rainman69:
Sorry but you are the one who is full of it due to a complete lack of knowledge. Have you ever worked a day in a federal job or as a contractor? I was a network administration contractor for several federal (and private) agencies for 4 years. I can tell you pay grade isn’t just some catchphrase when you are a federal employees or contractors. Snowden’s *only* avenue was to take his concern to someone of a higher “pay grade” and if that person shoots it down, that’s the end of it.

What’s next, whistleblower protection? Sorry, doesn’t exist. Unlike the private sector, there are currently *NO* whistleblower laws on the books which universally covers all federal employees (including contractors). In fact, the laws specifically exclude those that work in the national security or intelligence community. Even if those employees were covered, the reality remains that the vast majority of federal employees still lose their cases before it even gets to the court. So yeah, that’s not really a legitimate avenue either, more like a sham.

unionwv:
“Another long, dragged out debacle demonstrating Obama’s incompetence and lack of influence worldwide.”

Obama’s handling of this situation has been rather poor considering the world is not going to bow to U.S. demands so easily. Even some of our allies are undoubtedly seething behind closed doors over the NSA spying on their nationals without cause. With that said, I do need to remind you that the decline of U.S. global influence actually started with Bush Jr and his unilateralism. Many foreign nation’s disdain for the Bush administration is rather well documented. This was true even within the citizenry of the nations that actually sent troops to participate in our illegal 2003 crusade against Iraq. Australia, UK, Italy, Spain, just to name a few.

Frankly speaking, the world has been growing weary of the US alpha dog status, hypocrisy and lack of credibility for a long time now. A Republican couldn’t have had any more success in getting Snowden back under the circumstances. Actually, the situation would have likely been made worse considering the Republicans are even more testosterone driven when it comes to flexing our muscles internationally, particulary military ones. No, it’s not a good idea to start a military conflict or trade war due to something as minor as Snowden’s extradition.

Folks the long and the short of Snowden is he has single handily place us as Americans in harm’s way. Al-Qaeda and other organizations foreign and domestic will now seek alternate methods of communication that will be harder than ever for us to detect. Your human rights were not affected by the operations conducted by the NSA. Some state the NSA has breached our constitution…. How would our founding fathers known about the telephones never mind a cell phone or computers? The NSA still had to seek appropriate warrants to get more information other than numbers, date, and time stamps. You have lived in peace with no domestic attacks since 9 11 until the Boston Marathon. This conversation should be about security of our home land not whether or not the NSA has done us wrong. All the NSA did was exactly what they should do! Protect us from our enemies. That’s why they are called the National Security Agency! Our enemies are here now in our land using our freedoms against us and they are extremely effective at it. Make no mistake about it my friends. Snowden has betrayed his country and the people who live within its borders. I fear for us all the act of one man’s opinion and how it will affect us all in the future.

The question is: “How such clearly unconstitutional laws were approved?” And why no one is asking these questions.

Hang in there Edward, the American people know better. You are a true patriot who will prevail in the end.

Re: “… has been called a “traitor” in the United States.”
– More accurate reporting might say something like “whether he is traitor or hero is hotly debated in the US”
– See: “A recent poll reveals that about a third of those surveyed say Snowden is a patriot. About a quarter say he is a traitor. Less than half had no opinion.” http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/opinion/hot-topics/x76207474/Snowden-the-hero-struck-a-blow-Snowden-the-traitor-harmed-us-all

@bettis, “…guessing ..will end up in Ecuador living a life of leisure”. I’ve read this imagined outcome quite a few places, so am commenting generally, not arguing. Just my opinion, but it’s hard for me to imagine ‘life of leisure’ would be planned by anyone who makes the choices Snowden has. At same time, it’s my guess he also didn’t imagine how complicated and risky his ‘post-revelation’ situation would be – makes me curious what he *did* imagine might unfold!

Folks who are outraged on Snowden reminds one of the folks who were outraged on the heroics that revealed to the Germans that the smell in the air isn’t some sacred German incense burning, but rather human flesh from the crematoriums.

Regarding consequences and the law of cause and affect: any time we choose a behavior, we are at the same choosing potential consequences–whether we realize it or not. And I doubt Snowden expanded his thinking to include these particular forever life-altering consequences.

commonsense4…. Makes a valid point.
I admire a true American Patriot.
Willing to give whatever it takes to defend American values and American Freedom.
However by announcing to the world that Our Government was also spying on citizens and governments of other Countries.
That would definately hurt America.
If that is Treason or not.I do not know.I have not studied the Law.
But it certainly is not very Patriotic. I don’t like it.

This is all for nothing, because Putin already promised sanctuary in Russia, so a U. S. extradition request will go nowhere. Snowden though prefers Ecuador or Iceland because he doesn’t want to be forced by the Russians to reveal technical secrets of the NSA database and data collection, while if either Iceland or Ecuador grants asylum they in fact have little reason to even care about such stuff and may be happy to simply have him as a regular computer programmer or programming teacher. The difference between the two nations is that Ecuador is warmer than Iceland.

This is all for nothing, because Putin already promised sanctuary in Russia, so a U. S. extradition request will go nowhere. Snowden though prefers Ecuador or Iceland because he doesn’t want to be forced by the Russians to reveal technical secrets of the NSA database and data collection, while if either Iceland or Ecuador grants asylum they in fact have little reason to even care about such stuff and may be happy to simply have him as a regular computer programmer or programming teacher. The difference between the two nations is that Ecuador is warmer than Iceland.

Ha ha, he has to live in a Russian airport. Gross. No one wants this loser. He’s going to end up just like Assange, a pariah with a self inflated sense of ego, with a following of gullible weak minded people that will dwindle away…

This is like that Tom Hanks movie…the guu with the fake Russian accent at the airport….living there….lol………

The HK government could exactly tell the U.S. about 2 hours after Snowden departed on an Aeroflot plane. The next day their Secretary for Justice countercharged U.S. for not tendering Snowden’s full name. Things seem not added up.

After reading earlier today that CNN and REUTERS are nothing more than western propaganda agencies… I will place them on my list along with FOX and never take them seriously again…!

US government is embarassed now because their secret program attach the world is ‘SERIOUS SECURITY BREACH’, as they know it is a major dangerous threat to other countries, and want to hide that.

now they are accusing other countries for helping the man who revealed this dangerous secret to the world, and chasing him all around the world, want to capture him and kill him, and threaten ohther countries saysing will stop trade programs.

US government is embarassed now because their secret program attach the world is ‘SERIOUS SECURITY BREACH’, as they know it is a major dangerous threat to other countries, and want to hide that.

now they are accusing other countries for helping the man who revealed this dangerous secret to the world, and chasing him all around the world, want to capture him and kill him, and threaten ohther countries saysing will stop trade programs.

US government is embarassed now because their secret program attach the world is ‘SERIOUS SECURITY BREACH’, as they know it is a major dangerous threat to other countries, and want to hide that.

now they are accusing other countries for helping the man who revealed this dangerous secret to the world, and chasing him all around the world, want to capture him and kill him, and threaten ohther countries saysing will stop trade programs.

@box211: You can “be hearing” about an ‘accidental suicide’ only from the voices which speak to you from inside of your head.

To the thousands of Russians, North Koreans, Chinese and other foreigners posting their anti-US views here, we Americans really don’t care what you think.

Most Americans know, as most people worldwide do, that the US is much more free and provides more basic human rights — than China, Russia, North Korea — and most other nations worldwide.

I wonder, what Lowell_Thinks thinks, when he calls Eddie-boy a “real patriot”? Real patriots don’t squat in transition halls of foreign countries like homeless bums while the spy agency of this foreign land copies his hard disks with confidential info about his own country’s intelligence service.

I find this whole story ironic. Here is our government complaining about the damage to our security while our Government has been spying on its citizens for years all in the name of security while also spying on other governments, friendly or otherwise. Then we have foreign governments spying on our companies and our banks and our government. And now, our government is issuing orders to others to obey us and give up this guy who showed all of us how slack our security really is. I cannot help but feel like i am watching some comedy.

As big powers themselves, both Russia and China won’t budge nor do something for nothing for U.S. Kerry was just cherishing his false hope for such favor. You see, Putin only openly spoke out on this almost 3 days after Snowden arrived Russia, brushing aside U.S. hard-pushing rhetoric as he called pig hair.

This shows Obama made no personal friendship with world leaders. He should have long ago invited Putin to Sunnylands or Camp David for a riverside chat hand-in-hand just as he did with Xi and things may turn out a lot different.

blah77, although Snowden has not legally entered Russia, the transit zone remains under their jurisdiction and heavily guarded by Russian forces. I wouldn’t even contemplate using any ‘hit squad’ to make things worse. Remember the Iran hostages crisis 1979-1980 during Carter-Reagan era ？ The squad was sent in, rescuers dead, hostages saved by another channel couple months later.

What’s it like to be a man without a country? Are they treating you okay?I hope you get through this and get back to having a life. You’ll be in my prayers.

I don’t think Americans will miss the hundreds of millions of dollars in Ecuadorian goods that will not be accepted in the US any longer if Ecuador shelters Snowden.

Too bad though that the Ecuador people will suffer, big time. Oh well! They and their ignorant leaders asked for it.

newuser1- Time to stop the comments for a while and take your medication!

‘U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Wednesday that Snowden’s leaks to news media had been a “serious security breach” that damaged U.S. national security.’

Actually, Mr. Hagel, I would say that your government’s secret spy program(s) on civilians, is a serious breach of the American Constitution.

When a national spy suddenly quits his job without good cause, the government that trusts nobody would be after him, making sure he is a brain-dead locomotive, even though he is tight-lipped.

Bomb Equador!!! Those flower-cutting terrorists!

@renumeratedfrog, I believe Equador you mentioned must be a new country just set up by the Wikileaks who is applying for UN membership not asylum any more for Ed.

“U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Wednesday that Snowden’s leaks to news media had been a “serious security breach” that damaged U.S. national security.” Oh yeah since it’s such a serious problem are you going to take responsibility for it? Don’t blame contractor or Snowden – they couldn’t place themselves into the program. What about lying to congress?

renumeratedfrog @ feel free to eat your banana from equador due to the latest developments on the matter.hahaha hey ventosa rana gringo!

How much longer does it take the world to be able to punish those who do harm to the well-being of people by speaking lies to them; spying on them; accusing others of lies (because they can only think that others do what they do!!); by sucking everything out of them, by forming and maintaining organizations in using their (tax-) money which support their false system up to incredible heights?
Governments – more so in a democracy – have the task to serve their people
and not their own pockets.