Russia grants Snowden a year's asylum, summit in doubt
Could this be a trend? -LOL – Are things really that bad under the Bush/Obama war on terror? Is this all perhaps a little overblown… ?
Could this be a trend? -LOL – Are things really that bad under the Bush/Obama war on terror? Is this all perhaps a little overblown… ?
Thank you Russia!
At least it’s still summer in Russia, but I’m sure he hopes for a Latin America Christmas! He will likely continue to be a thorn for the WH, although a muted one. Putin is just lovin this, poking a finger in the US’s spy program. This isn’t hurting his relationship with Obama any worse than it already was – didn’t you see that picture of them both BEFORE Snowden went public. The both looked exasperated with each other.
When an obamabot de jour starts whining “Why, oh why Putin is sooo mean to the Dear Leader”, remember when Clinton bombed Yugoslavia and Obama bombed Lybia
It clearly demonstrates the utter contempt Putin has for Obama. Despite numerous requests, he basically just told Obama:get lost.
I am reminded of the open mike comment by Obama during the 2012 campaign in a tete a tete with Medvedev, “After the election, I will have more flexibility.” [paraphrasing]. The Russians recognized weakness and are exploiting it. Frankly, the “damage” to the U.S. by Snowden is overblown. The real “damage” is to the credibility of the control freaks that run the U.S.’s security apparatus, who are not troubled by invasion of our own citizens’ privacy.
Another fake scandal. Can’t wait to hear Baghdad Bob Carney on this one.
This is what happens when the US constitution is ignored. We got the most blackmailable person in history sitting in the highest office in the land. Next time, Demwits, vet your candidate. Make sure he is who he claims to be. The welfare of the country is vastly more important than your corrupt party. So, your pigheaded media sycophants have not successfully covered up anything. I.e., we’ve got an imposter sitting in our Oval Office … a regular Frank Abagnale … and the whole world knows it. Only difference is the Kenyan is an incompetent, bungling lackey. In comparison, Bozo makes Billy Bob look like an honest man and Jimmy Earl appear competent. On the bright side, half the country recognized Bozo for the fraud he is from the offset.
Spybama
Yuri, dat pizz of chit maybe to nod stain our Moscovy in Zebtember efteroll, eh.
Good luck, Ed! Watch your back. Eric Holder wants you real bad. You’ve bent a lot of very important people, who should have known better, out of shape. Hope you find a nice Russian girl and bring her back some time. Y dache.
Stay safe, Eddie.
The Xkey is revealed the same day he walks free on Moscow street. What a coincidence ! Putin is caught and remains speechless. Didn’t he promise the status quo until summit with Obama ?
Coming from the People’s Progressive Republic of Maryland he’ll be right at home in Russia.
Too bad that Russia’s become more of a friend to America than Obama but that’s the way it is.
While not a fan of Russia, there are apparently no good guys in the world anymore. The far right want to hunt this guy down, and the far left act like NSA’s spying is a “phony scandal” that we all knew about… and vice versa. The loyal people that brush all this off are just defending their ideological egos and masters. You should never be afraid of the truth. People should not be hunted down or have to seek asylum for speaking the truth. Remember all of the scientists, doctors and artists that fled the USSR to America during the cold war? Funny how things change.
#ericdb wrote “Remember all of the scientists, doctors and artists that fled the USSR to America during the cold war? Funny how things change. ”
well except for artists and other with mental issues, I don’t see them “fleeing” to Russia or China for that matter.
/and yes to all of those going “OMG Snowden is the great whistleblower!”, any informed person did know about metadata collection by the phone companies. As in we keep laughing at the ones here who post I am quitting telecom X to sign up with telecom Y because Snowden and Greenwald have not mentioned them.
Hint: Even the canadian telecoms cooperate with NSA.
He can run but he cannot hide
What it really is is putin pissing on obama’s head and obama seems to like it.
What it really is is putin pissing on obama’s head and obama seems to like it.
Operation Snowjob.
First he went to China then Russia, two countries that have monitored movements of their citizens for more than 70 years, executed millions and this guy goes to Russia and feels safe. He is safe only because Putin wants what is on the hard drive’s he took. Go to Russia daddy and maybe you can get freedom there too.
he will become the toy of all funky nations for all his life… i hope he can find peace in Russia… he needs to be careful about not saying bad things about Putin… he can go jail for 10 yrs… what a dilemma… by the way he will be under surveillance all the time… there is no better punishment than this…
Let me try for the last time.
(1) Snowden, through his own admission through a video and a newspaper interview, stole US government property that he was not authorized to take or distribute. Thus, at this point, he is the only person involved who has broken American laws. You cannot get around this basic fact.
(2) Snowden has not demonstrated any crime or abuse was committed by the FBI, NSA, or any member of the Obama Administration when said parties were implementing the Patriot Act and the NSA spying activities.
(3) Although, I am not a fan and think it should be repealed, the Patriot Act, as well as the NSA activities are not illegal. In fact, no federal court, including the Supreme Court has not heard any case or ruled on any case involving the NSA spying activities. Thus, the NSA spying activities, as such, is not un-Constitutional nor violate the 4th, 10th or any other amendment of the Constitution until a ruling has been handed down by the federal courts. So, please stop saying/writing this is illegal, because it is not.
(4)All three branches are involved in executing the Patriot Act, including the NSA spying activities. And, this has been so before Obama became President. You can blame Obama, but to leave out Justice Roberts, who appoints judges to the FISA court, and Congressional leaders, who are aware of and support the activities, makes the writer looks like a empty-headed fool.
(5)Finally, stop using Social Media, cell phones, etc. if you really want your private conversations to be private. Remember: NSA is getting most of its data from commercial vendors, who get their information/data from you when you sign up for free to use of Facebook, etc. If you want to continue to be naive and lash out our government, when you are an active participant in the process, then go ahead. Just remember, you will be no better than Don Quixote.
How long before he’s assassinated? I give it two months.
Most wanted. LMAO…discounting the double post this will make post 21.
Obama cares not. He is all mouth and no action.
Snowden should be considered for Nobel Peace Prize. It took incredible guts and integrity for him to expose the loss of privacy and freedom here in the USA. He also gets credit for exposing the hypocracy of Obama’s administration that now can be called Bush III since he has not only continued but expanded NSA powers.
Amazing how Reuters uses “SLIP” in this headline, as if he was sneaking away. hmmmm. And we thought the press was about freedom of information?
Thank you for posting something sensible here!
By the way, it has been rumored that Mr. Putin, a former professional spy, is not using Internet or cell phones… and guess why?..
@PortlandME: Thank you for posting something sensible here!
By the way, it has been rumored that Mr. Putin, a former professional spy, is not using Internet or cell phones… and guess why?..
In your face BO!!
Jason144 wrote: “Obama cares not. He is all mouth and no action.” – that’s what Bin Laden thought too…
Once upon a time Russia was our enemy. Now Russia protects our patriots from our anti-Constitutional Republic rouge government that has become our enemy. How the worm has turned.
Another example of Russia cooperating with the USA atop of Syria, North Korea, etc., etc. When will Obama and John Kerry/Hillary Clinton wake up? The answer is that these liberals never will.
When employee’s of the DIA can get away with using their “tools” malichously on private, domestic, US citizens then the government needs to be reigned in. The breadth of NSA’s power obtaining knowledge about everyone is more frightening than comforting. If one person can disclose the tools to obtain information then how is the access to the infomration to be protected from reaching foreign powers? From reaching large U.S. corporations? From reaching political aspirants who may construct propaganda to be used in our own elections?
I hope he gets a chance to visit Anna Chapman. They’d make a very cute couple :)
It’s time to clamp down on Russia and Putin. I thought we claim to be a super power. Let’s pull some strings to teach a lesson for Putin.
Thank you Russia. Thank you Edward Snowden.
It is not desirable to cultivate
a respect for the law,
so much as for the right.
- Henry David Thoreau
Once the kid hit Moscow, this outcome was always going to happen. China didn’t want him because he is a hot potato that could effect Chinese trade with the US. So he went where he could be safe from extradition.
The price? He’s now the new best friend of Russian intelligence. He won’t be coming home. Ever. There have been a lot of amazing “firsts” during the Obama administration. We’ve just witnessed another.
If you believe this, I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn. The reason reporters never found Snowden in the Moscow Airport is because he hasn’t been there in weeks. Snowden has been held by the FSB (the KGB’s successor) since his arrival in Moscow. FSB handlers were visible during Snowden’s one media appearance in Moscow.
It looks like Mr. Putin likes to catch big fish and then milk it for his own PR campaigns…
Pretty pathetic I’d say…
Portland, I agree with most all of your well organized points. Yup, Snowden did something illegal and he knew it. But just like Edison didn’t invent the light bulb, he just refined it and popularized it; Snowden wasn’t the first person to reveal these activities, he was the first person to popularize the concept. Now he is paying the price. People that were paying attention already knew this was going on. I’m just glad somebody like Snowden came along and put this in the face of people that weren’t paying attention.
But I might argue a bit about the legality of what the NSA is doing. The phone call metadata isn’t quite settled law, but there is legislative authority to do it. But I’m not so sure about this “signaling information”. If that includes which cell-tower a call went through, that is more than metadata, that is location tracking. Plus, if their email header sniffing includes the source and destination IP, they can get location from that. I’m not sure if Jones-vs-US applies; but if it does apply, the NSA should have a warrant to collect that data. I’m not exactly sure what the NSA admitted to is illegal, but there is a significant chance it is. If it is illegal, Snowden shouldn’t be prosecuted.
This has to be driving Obama absolutely nuts. The way I see it, there are only four world leaders who won’t bow down to Obama: Vladimir Putin; Xi Jinping; Bashar Assad; and Kim Jong-un. So my hat’s off to President Putin. He’s a good man. He didn’t crack under pressure and the pressure must have been enormous. Unlike Obama however, Putin is a true patriot and a Defender of the Church. He’s made of far sterner stuff than the Chicago community organizer.
My Ex is Russian born and raised. She told me the stories of what it was like to grow up when it was the USSR. Being spied on, countless people in the KGB, Fear and desperation and lately, I’m feeling like this is where America is headed. We are now All being spied on by our own Gov and if we the people had a half a clue, we’d start to be become scared too…Doubt what I say? Read This From Reuters:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/31/us-usa-security-snowden-xkeyscore-idUSBRE96U14120130731
And Tell me this hasn’t gone completely out of control…
Sad to say that the Fourth Amendment right to privacy now only exists on Russian soil!
Sad to say that the Fourth Amendment right to privacy now only exists on Russian soil!
Over the years the Russians constantly get put into this category of some kind of communist terrorist nation that has no respect for law. Well Russia simply followed the law in this case and the US is losing their mind. It’s pretty bad when the US cannot show it’s own citizens to have respect for basic justice.
The Russian people know all about domestic spying. That’s why they’re cheering him on and all Americans should be, too. All of this is about whistleblowing, and no spying was done by Snowden. The State Run Media and Democrats are trying to railroad Snowden, but it failed. Notice the Media doesn’t talk about the spying going on against the American citizens.
“VKontakte, Russia’s answer to social networking site Facebook, has already offered him a job.” We acquired top talents during WWII using freedom and innovation. But now these magnets are no longer in our hands. What’s going on?
Why do you writers glorify this man without fully vilifying Obama and his tactics?
Stay thirsty my friend!!
Interesting that new info was leaked yesterday, despite Putin’s warning that no new info be leaked while Snowden is in Russia.
Snowden is making Putin look bad here. That may not be a good idea
I don’t care what others may say about me. I know that, when Snowden signed his pledge not to expose state secrets, he also swore to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States, a higher calling. His “leaking” the NSA’s secrets so the people of the United States would know how their government was flagrantly violating their Constitutional Rights was an act of heroism. In my view, Ed Snowden is to be commended, not condemned.
“What it really is is putin pissing on obama’s head and obama seems to like it.”
Reminds me of that scene from Shogun where the samurai urinaterd on the pilot’s head to show him who was boss. And the way the pilot was taken very good care of and even allowed to build a new ship, but could never leave the country.
These same companies buy and sell the exact same data to send you spam and sell you junk, and you think nothing of it. Put “government” in the sentence and now the world is coming to an end. Snowden has now given the opponents, not the data, but the tools to gather the data … what do you think they are going to do with that knowledge? Send you spam??
He should go to Murmansk, on the northern coast near the Norwegian border. From there, he should be able (with the help of donations) to charter a plane which will fly north of Scandinavia, then down the Atlantic Ocean to Venezuela, without overflying any U.S. allies.
Why would Putin care if he talks to Obama? Obama pushed the idea of homosexuals and insisting on ‘Redefining’ marriage to homosexual pseudo marriages, which Putin knows is insane. Putin says, this push for homosexuals is propaganda and very offensive to society and especially vulgar for the children’s ears and eyes. Putin realizes that the United States government has become Lawless and Godless so he is not going to Trust any talks with the President. As he well knows that you cannot ‘Trust’ a government that is Lawless and Godless.
May God Bless Edward Snowden for risking his life to show us how evil our government has become.
Edward Snowden is hailed as one of America’s greatest ever fighters for liberty and freedom. He is in there with George Washington, John Adams, Samuel Adams, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry. Can you imagine a day when someone speaks out that our government is secretly spying on each and every one of us and that person is sought after and that they may possibly be assassinated or prosecuted for treason? The MILITARY industrial complex has taken over our government and we are now its slaves. Military personnel and military contractors have been assigned to monitor you and me. They are monitoring everything we say or do, where we travel, what we shop for, who we talk to, and they are storing that information (forever).
Corruption and greed now rule America through the US Military. The highest leadership on Wall Street, in the major media, in our military, and in Washington is now corrupt and illegal. The financial system is propped up and rigged through the relentless printing and secret distribution of this money. The Federal Reserve (a private company) is choosing in secret which companies live and which ones die. What is reported and discussed in the major media outlets is being tightly controlled in a military fashion in order to maintain this facade.
America is becoming scary … a N,a,z,i kind of scary.
Russia eh? Well whatever his “grievances”, he has just lost all credibility with me…talk about irony of ironies. Meanwhile, Russia quitely, but stealthily goes about its business of stifling internal dissent…is there any wonder why you don’t see Russian Snowdens? They know as a matter of fact their mothers would receive their heads in a gift wrapped box with testicles stuffed in the mouth. This is how Russia does business and any would be dissident knows it. No..Snowden has no credibility with me, and now many many others.
Is there any way I can get asylum in Russia? It’s looking better and better…
Expect the Obama adminstration throwing a tantrum, coming out kicking and screaming loudly. This is a personal setback and public humiliation of the President of the United States.
As I commented a couple times before, as the top leader of the country, Obama shouldn’t get himself involved so deeply in trying to press Russia to hand Snowden back. Any objective analysis would have told him it has essentially zero chance of success.
If he hasn’t done so, he could conceivably act presidential and stake claim for statesmanship to look at the bigger picture. Now, to avoid appearing weak and looking like an idiot, he has to boycott something. We could only hope that he still has the sense to keep it to a minimum, to avoid disrupting work on issues that are truly important.
@PortlandME: You sound like a model citizen, observing the law even though you don’t agree. Could you offer some advice to Mr. Snowden, how he should have acted to reveal a lie to every US citizen about the program’s existence? To me he’s just one of the confused young people. They are caught in a hypocritical system. It teaches them to be honest, yet lies from the top fly everyday; It takes great pride in US constitution, yet laws against it were passed in a flip of a coin; It advocates openness and transparency, yet whistle-blowers never had good fate. What can be done to save them?
Portland ME and UauS are excellent “useful idiots” for tyrants, just like Lenin had his useful idiots. Portland, I’ve got news for you, just because some people in our government say it’s legal doesn’t make it either ethical or morally right. By your logic the Nazis never should have been disturbed in their mass murder because, after all, they said what they were doing was legal. And I say this w/out being a fan of Snowden. But if the people aren’t willing to limit their government then soon the people will have no freedom.
Saggy, Snowden is in no wise like Washington, John Adams, Samuel Adams, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, or any of those courageous founders of the United States of America who “pledged their lives and their sacred honor” in order to create a truly free nation. Snowden has in no way risked his life, and from all the news out there isn’t giving up all that much in the way of material goods. Many of those truly courageous people you name, I notice you left out their wives who risked as much as they, lost everything, some to include their lives, in keeping their sacred pledge. You do them a disservice to so understate what they did by making Snowden, seeking asylum in Russia of all places, equal with them. He isn’t!
@Tonylord: “It’s time to clamp down on Russia and Putin. I thought we claim to be a super power…” LOL we need to borrow money from the Chinese to buy a clamp, don’t we :)
Wow, Russia cares more about government accountability, government transparency, and personal freedom than America! How things have changed in one generation.
Russia did the right thing. What else could it do?
Russia has no extradition treaty with the US. The US never made a formal request. Snowden applied for asylum, his right under international law. The law is that such requests must be considered. He was certainly able to make a credible case for political asylum. So what legal course does Lindsay Graham, John McCain, Robert Menendez, Obama and all the rest to follow?
Michael Mcfaul, the US ambassador to Russia said Russia should just “hand him over”. What does that mean? Oh, yes, the old CIA method. Just grab him and bundle him into a plane bound for the US. Can’t let all these unnecessary legalities get in the way of National Security, can we. Funny how crime becomes a way of life for criminals.
Chalk up another “victory” for the boy-king. If only Hillary had been in charge, this never would have happened. Cough sputter.
The administration should just pout in silence. Don’t even think about boycotting the Olympics or the G20.
Stalked by the American media, George Zimmerman might be the next US citizen to seek asylum in Russia so to once again taste freedom. Ironic.
Thank you Russia!
Robert Allen, Major, USAF .. defender of the Constitution
Now I wonder if any reporters from ABCCBSNBCCNNPBSMSNBC will fly to Russia and interview Snowden. There is a remote chance that what he’d say might make the Dear Leader look bad so, probably not.
When I was a child, numerous Russian patriots fled to the United States in search of asylum and freedom.
Now, in Bush and Obama’s America, American patriots flee to Russia in search of Asylum and freedom. I am ashamed of my country and my countrymen for allowing this to happen.
Reagan’s “shining city on a hill” is now Obama’s stinking pile of feces in the sewer.
@texas58 you Godwin right off the top comparing nazis killing Jews with the US government monitoring domestic communications? Really Mike and the EFF weep. You do realize FDR had the US Govt. monitor mail telegraph and all phone calls outside local 5 digit zone right? Remember the CIC in plain clothes but still US army) at all train and many bus stations? This occurred in the US at the same time of the Holocaust.
So please show how you are not the useful idiot that raises a protest but still uses the internet and your cell phone.
All contemporary national states are basically the same. The difference is in the scheme of representation of a society. Somewhere it is tribes sending their delegates. Somewhere representative systems, commonly called “democracy.” Everything depends on the perception and the culture.
There are some alternative ideas to contemporary states. Like what Pirates’ parties talk about: voting via the Internet; direct democracy. Anyway, it’s all in the beginning of a long transformation. Which, by the way, can be the reverse: to authoritarian regimes.
If we assume that today’s states are unacceptable, we should support Assange/Manning/Snowden. They were brave enough to give up their credit cards and mortgages and all middle class “values” for something else.
Mr. Snowden has made the right choice. Russia and possibly China are the only entities which can afford ignoring the U.S. state’s opinion. And he would better stay here in Russia. Because situations in LATAM countries are not predictable enough, if we are talking about 15-20-25 years.
I am highly sceptical that the Russian intelligence had less knowledge about NSA programs than Snowden. It would explain why it took time for President Putin to make the decision on the 1st of July. After Putin has made the decision, any attempts to change his mind were nothing more than politicking.
How many defectors with state secrets did we send back during the Cold War?
I’d grant asylum to Attila the Hun if I thought it would get me out of a meeting with our horse faced, so called, Secretary of State.
He carried four laptops out of the most heavily guarded facility in America. You can’t carry four laptops out of a Wal-Mart, but I guess the NSA operates on an “honor code”.
Wow, Putin says he must stop anti-US activity, Snowden leaks more documents, and Putin gives him 1 year vacation in Russia
I am grateful that Snowden has alerted the American people to the degree that the government had been lying about the surveillance programs. The claim that it is necessary for national security isn’t persuasive as we know any warnings about Muslim terrorists are ignored (Maj Hasan, the Tsarneav brothers, the Christmas Eve bomber). Testimony from the NSA that nothing improper is happening is laughable. For those claiming Snowden should have gone through the “whistleblower” process have not been paying attention to what happens under Obama to anyone who dares tell the truth. The country needs more courageous truth tellers.
Snowden: “I don’t want to live in a society that does these kinds of things”.
Welcome comrade Snowden… Welcome to Russia… Home to what was the world’s most prolific and often brutal spy/secret police organization, in the history of the world. Welcome to your new home, where you now WILL in fact be monitored 24/7, by undoubtedly having agents follow you everywhere you go, and have all your communications listened in on by actual people. Enjoy now being used as a tool by the Russian government, against your homeland and fellow countrymen. Your a** now belongs to them, to do with you as they see fit. Also enjoy working some crappy job, because the US will undoubtedly find your money and freeze it.
Enjoy it for now Ed… It won’t last long.
So, when are the lawless thugs who violated the Constitution with these programs going to trial?
All over a 29 year old…gee and I bet this reporter information was for google maps…’State television also showed a picture of Snowden, wearing a backpack and a blue button-up shirt, getting into a grey car at the airport driven by a young man in a baseball cap.” Surprised they did describe the make model and year of the car…street name etc.etc.etc…
Putin is just sticking it in Obama’s eye and giving his finger to the US. After al, it is now after the election and he figures that means Obama will give him more slack (as Obama said he would) and is just a pansy anyway.
@PortlandMe; The Constitution is the Law of the Land! Whether or not the government is currently following the law does not mean what they are doing is legal! History will show your position to be that of a shill, the type that Okay’d the Nazi’s activities since they were ‘lawful’ inasmuch as they were on the books…..
By pushing Snowden into a “corner”, Obama administration is victimizing his girlfriend. In one year, Snowden may find a new Russian girlfriend, marries her then he becomes Russian citizen to live there forever.
The old girlfriend will be heart broken.
Putin to Obama – in your face
At 70 years old, I could never have imagined that there would be a day when I was thanking Russia. But I am.
Thanks for protecting this American who is no less a patriot than the men who founded his(our) country.
How’s that ‘reset’ going Mr. President? Obama’s lack of sophistication as a negotiator of anything is appalling. Obama is wonderful at delivering the words written by others, but he has no clue about how to be an effective leader or President.
Good, and I hope for his sake that they grant him permanent asylum within that year (and they probably will) – the Russian ladies are so much hotter than Ecuadorian or Venezuelan ones! And for the numbskulls like Graham / McCain / Reid / Feinstein / Schumer who are talking talk of a possible Sochi boycott – remember that the USA threated to boycott the 1980 Moscow Summer Games because of the Soviet’s invasion of Afghanistan – and of course because of the communist regime’s suppression of speech and other human rights.
I hope the Obama administration grows a pair and breaks all ties with Russia
I hope the Obama administration grows a pair and breaks all ties with Russia
Is our government insane? The NSA has already gone beyond Snowden’s leaks and they have been thrown under the bus. This is a reason to postpone a summit? The guy is just a distraction anyway.
Life sentence for Manning, but at least not the death sentence. What lies in store for Snowden if caught? The U.S. reaction to being embarrassed by reports of their evil program of spying on the entire world or military misdeeeds, including Ambassadorial Gossip about other countries is not forgiving to U.S. whistleblowers. That tells the world reams of truth that the U.S. is up to no good in their “spook” activities. Under the guise of espionage against “terrorists,” the NSA is actually a “spook” agency with its eyeballs and ears on the entire world, allies, and otherwise. What the hell is going on here? Since when did our government start reverting to Stalinist USSR tactics? In the future does squealing on one’s father, mother, or neighbors get you rewards from the state, but squealing on your government gets you a death sentence in a Gulag?
If this happens under Romney this is a very big deal, I doubt Obama even gets blamed, the liberal news media probably blames whoever is in charge of the NSA. It’s never Obama’s fault as far as the American media goes. Besides they can probably talk how Obama is so tough now, cancelled a summit, lol.


