CNN:Hong Kong says will not turn over NSA leaker Snowden if it determines U.S. charges are political

[dkf]

@cnnbrk: Hong Kong says it will not turn over NSA leaker Snowden if it determines that U.S. charges are political. http://t.co/pJJ6Oma4xl

But if his actions are deemed to be political charges, she told Xinhua, then Snowden will not be extradited.
"We will work under the framework of Hong Kong law, and won't allow any illegal or unfair judgment," Hong Kong Secretary of Justice Rimsky Yuen told Xinhua.

Prominent U.S. lawyer Alan Dershowitz, a professor at Harvard Law School, said the espionage charge complicates the case.

"I think it's a dumb decision by the Justice Department to charge him with espionage," Dershowitz told CNN.

"That's a political crime under the extradition we have with Hong Kong. It gives Hong Kong an excuse to say we don't have to extradite him.

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. He chose well.

[dkf]

2. Yup. Smarter than some gave him credit for...

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. He did a lot of research into the boring

Subject of treaty law. Trust me, it can be very boring and dry.

[dkf]

13. It would be funny if he used secret docs to research.

But I bet he was more careful than that.

I have a feeling the NSA is going to do a lot more snooping on people with access from now on. That job is going to suck...you might as well sell your soul.

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. The problem they have is the number of people in the system.

If this was the pre-911 NSA, it was in house. These days it is not.

[dkf]

18. If they spend all their time looking inward, less time to mess around with the public.

[Tx4obama]

5. Yeah, China is a good place for American traitors to run to.

Let's hope the Chinese pick up his ass and toss him into one of their detention centers and then he will have a long time to sit and think about how 'free' China is.

LOL

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. I need to ask

Is this kindergarten?

Sorry if you are upset that some of us do not elect leaders. And since we don't we are quite proper to be critical of them.

Have an excellent day...

[Tx4obama]

16. You must have replied to the wrong person. I said nothing about leaders or Obama.

I was talking about Edward Snowden.

Happy Sunday to you...

[nadinbrzezinski]

21. Happy living in my ignore list

Enjoy yourself with the rest of the party loyalists.

You will continue to make this about what it is not. So it is time to say my good byes.

I hope some day the little blind cat grows up and opens it's eyes. It's an old Russian joke...it applies.

Good bye.

I got very low tolerance and you know why? Police states suck, turn inwards and eat their own.

[Major Hogwash]

25. I was raised in a dictablanda, but I can't stand it when someone in the U.S. disagrees with me.

Man, that is an "11" on the hypocrisy scale.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

51. Obviously it is better for him to be tossed into a U.S. detention center...

You know,....because the U.S. is about freedom...

[morningfog]

29. Long may you run, Snowden! Run free!

[Nanjing to Seoul]

55. I live in China. You want your questions answered, or just feel like spouting xenophobia

Honestly, Hong Kong is NOT part of the Mainland. It's an SAR. . .has its own everything.

[DeSwiss]

35. Not bad for a high school dropout, military washout, with a pole-dancing girlfriend, eh?

- Hehehehehe......

K&R

[frazzled]

3. Wow, CNN and Alan Dershowitz in one package

That makes it doubly ignorable.

[DeSwiss]

36. ....

[ProSense]

56. Alan Dershowitz on Glenn Greenwald: "He did this because he hates America"

Alan Dershowitz on Glenn Greenwald: "He did this because he hates America"

<...>

Dershowitz, for his part, insisted there is no gray area:

"Well, it doesn't border on criminality – it's right in the heartland of criminality. The statute itself, does punish the publication of classified material, if you know that it's classified," explained the guest. "Greenwald – in my view – clearly has committed a felony."

Continuing his assessment of the reporter, Dershowitz held little back:

"Greenwald's a total phony. He is anti-American, he loves tyrannical regimes, and he did this because he hates America. This had nothing to do with publicizing information."

- more -

http://piersmorgan.blogs.cnn.com/2013/06/24/alan-dershowitz-on-glenn-greenwald-he-did-this-because-he-hates-america

Hyping hacks is never a good idea.

[newmember]

4. he's a smart cookie and played our corrupt government exactly how he wanted

If I was in Hong Kong I would buy him a beer.

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. He did.

As to buying him av beer...his next ten years based on the experience of the other six...will be hellish.

[JaneyVee]

8. It will be years before extradition. This administration won't be trying him anytime soon.

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. Nope

If this does not go the administration's way, yup threats have been issued, they want to kill this? Stop talking about it. Perhaps then we will forget about it.

[JaneyVee]

11. This extradition process will be dragged out until at least the next administration.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. I fear you are correct.

Hey, some of us do enjoy these mostly very dry games.

[dkf]

26. What corresponding Hong Kong law would Snowden have broken?

"In order for Hong Kong officials to honor the extradition request, they have to have some applicable statute under their law that corresponds with a violation of U.S. law."

http://seattletimes.com/html/politics/2021243252_apusnsasurveillance.html

[Tx4obama]

34. I'd would think Hong Kong, at the least, has laws about stealing 'property and records'

Right?

That's what Snowden is being accused of.

18 USC 641 Theft of property and records

18 USC 793 Gathering, transmitting or losing defense information

18 USC 798 Disclosure of classified information

[Iliyah]

45. Txobama, if the Chinese

learned that by a foreign newspaper that one of their top security personnel leaked information, that person's family would be in jail with possible threats of dying one by one until he/she gives up and come back to China. This is the country that Snowden found protection from. Therefore, in my opinion, he's giving something up.

[dkf]

14. Maybe we can find a Nominee who will drop the charges.

Probably not realistic but I can hope to find someone with enough guts and a sense of justice.

[Iliyah]

40. Oh yes they will

no doubt on that.

[Catherina]

17. There. After all that *urging* then *expecting*, was that fast enough for them? n/t

[dkf]

19. And they did it a week ago **in secret**. How typical.

[JimDandy]

22. Is there something in the treaty that required Hong Kong to keep

the charges against Snowden secret? If not, why did they keep it secret for a week?

[dkf]

23. We sealed the doc...HK said nothing.

[Hissyspit]

20. Well, that can't possibly be political...

Just read DU over the past week.

[ProSense]

24. Wishful thinking

From the OP link:

Hong Kong Executive Council member Regina Ip said authorities can arrest Snowden if his actions qualify as a crime under Hong Kong law, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported early Sunday.

The notion that this will be deemed political is opinion.

<...>

Snowden has been charged by U.S. federal authorities with theft of government property and two violations of the Espionage Act: unauthorized communication of national defense information and providing U.S. classified intelligence to an unauthorized person.

As to whether those charges might trigger the political offense exception, Young said his initial sense was that the “elements of these offenses exist in neutral terms and cannot necessarily be said to be of a political character.”

More important, he said, would be “the surrounding circumstances including the motivation for the prosecution, the unfairness of his trial at home and his likely treatment in custody.”

If Leung does issue an authority to proceed, a magistrate can then issue an arrest warrant; in exceptional cases, a provisional arrest warrant may be issued without an authority to proceed. Young said he suspected a provisional warrant had already been issued.

- more -

http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1267160/snowden-extradition-hands-hong-kong-government

Snowden spy row grows as US is accused of hacking China
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023068908

[dkf]

28. Too bad they've treated Bradley Manning so badly.

[ProSense]

32. If this was such a smart move, why the stories about trying to go to Iceland?

Iceland received informal approach over Snowden seeking asylum
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023040063

[dkf]

42. Always have a fallback.

Hong Kong still is subject to the wishes of Beijing.

[pacalo]

27. Well, then it's a slam dunk for Snowden.

[MNBrewer]

30. Good.

Fuck the Obama Administration in this context!

[MNBrewer]

31. Barack Obama should be in the jail cell that Bradley Manning is in.

[jberryhill]

38. Wouldn't that a bit crowded, with both of them in there?

[alcibiades_mystery]

53. ROFL...the only way to respond to ludicrous nonsense is with humor

Well played.

[Iliyah]

39. Freedom of speech huh

someone advised on this board advised that the US was trying to oppress. Your effed up statement says otherwise.

[MNBrewer]

49. huh?

[xiamiam]

33. more interesting by the day

I cant explain why I feel relieved. I feel relieved that so many of us are talking about it, masks are off and the WORLD is calling some of these policies out. Its a terrible thing to be relieved about but I am because I felt very much more alone just three weeks ago. Now, I'm relieved that its at least on the table not to be shouted down by partisan at all costs folks.

[Jarla]

37. "I think it's a dumb decision by the Justice Department to charge him with espionage"

"That's a political crime under the extradition we have with Hong Kong. It gives Hong Kong an excuse to say we don't have to extradite him."

Well, Americans appear to be deeply divided in terms of their reactions to Snowden's leaks. Pardoning Snowden would outrage a large number of people, and prosecuting him would piss off a different large group of people.

So, charging Snowden with espionage might be a way for the administration to look like it's doing something while avoiding having to actually deal with the problem.

[xiamiam]

41. i disagree that we are deeply divided..nt

[Iliyah]

43. True, maybe here

But not the rest of America.

[Jarla]

47. In terms of numbers of people...

...maybe not.

But I think there's probably at least a deep division over this between the 1% and the rest of us.

[dkf]

46. I was thinking the same thing.

I can't believe Obama is so jaded that he can't appreciate what Snowden is sacrificing. Obama used to believe... It makes me sad to think what he has come to.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

44. Irony. I remember when the USA was a haven for whistleblowers and dissidents from China.

Now, we're a haven for torturers, war criminals, and banksters.

[slipslidingaway]

48. Strange when things come full circle :( n/t

[xiamiam]

50. i keep thinking about the prison in norway video i saw posted here yesterday

you can add those who profit from the prison industrial complex as well. there is an evil which has permeated our culture. it is unnecessary and unnatural

[davidn3600]

54. Defectors from other countries would always risk their lives to come here...

...now defectors are risking their lives getting out of here.

America has lost her way. In the end, Osama Bin Laden may very well win. We are willing to give up everything for the illusion of safety.

[alcibiades_mystery]

52. Translation: He'll be in US federal custody inside of 72 hours

[Harmony Blue]

57. Are you sure about that?

we shall see....

[alcibiades_mystery]

58. Of course not. Are you sure about tomorrow?