Russia: U.S. Demands To Hand Over Edward Snowden Are ‘Ravings And Rubbish’
By Alexei Anishchuk and Thomas Grove
MOSCOW/NAANTALI, Finland (Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin confirmed on Tuesday a former U.S. spy agency contractor sought by the United States was in the transit area of a Moscow airport but ruled out handing him over to Washington, dismissing U.S. criticisms as “ravings and rubbish”.
In his first public comments since the fugitive flew in on Sunday, he appeared to make light of the affair around Edward Snowden, whose flight from U.S. authorities is becoming an increasing embarrassment for President Barack Obama. Asked by a journalist about the affair, he smiled fleetingly.
“I myself would prefer not to deal with these issues. It’s like shearing a piglet: there’s a lot of squealing, but there’s little wool,” he told a news conference in Finland.
His refusal to hand back Snowden risked deepening a rift with the United States that has also sucked in China and threatens relations between countries that may be essential in settling global conflicts including the Syrian war.
Putin said the 30-year-old American was in the transit area of Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport and, not having gone through passport control, was free to leave.
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http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/06/25/russia-u-s-demands-to-hand-over-edward-snowden-are-ravings-and-rubbish/
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