Wash. Post: Julian Assange: Edward Snowden is ‘marooned in Russia’

[JackN415]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/julian-assange-edward-snowden-is-marooned-in-russia/2013/06/30/67ed243e-e191-11e2-9960-65d66450db63_story.html

Edward Snowden — the fugitive former U.S. intelligence contractor — appears to be stuck in Moscow, unable to leave without a valid American passport, according to interviews Sunday with two men who had sought to aid him: WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange and Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa.
...
Assange criticized the United States, saying: “To take a passport from a young man in a difficult situation like that is a disgrace.”
...
Snowden got from Hong Kong to Moscow by using a letter of safe passage from the Ecuadoran Embassy in London ...
On Sunday, Correa told the AP that an Ecuadoran official at that embassy had committed “a serious error” by issuing the first letter without consulting officials back home. Correa said the consul would be punished, although he didn’t specify how.

Hong Kong complaint that the US extradition document was erroneous, because of the misspelling of his middle name, and hence it could not be processed. Quite conveniently for Snowden to fly out. Yet, for all their celebrated meticulousness, they didn't bother to verify the validity of his Ecuador "Safe Passage" document (without signature? or was it "signed" by Ecuador Minister of Foreign Affairs Julius Assange?).

A masterful example of the Chinese art of using "technicalities. The Chinese is so happy that Snowden serves them well and they got rid of him (to Russia with love, no less) like tossing out a servant after getting full service. (use your own more colorful, entertaining analogies or metaphors here).

[Robb]

1. A pawn might think itself courageous for its sacrifice

... But in the end it is still only a pawn.

[longship]

2. I think we know who sign the "safe passage"

The London Ecuadorean counsel. It even says as much in your quoted article.

It was comments by the government in Ecuador that made that document invalid, not the lack of a signature -- the lack of approval from Quito.

I know. A minor nitpick. But it's nice to get things right.

Snowden is basically done. It's game over for him unless another country steps up and gets docs to him to continue his journey. Russia doesn't seem to like him there but seems to have the patience to let him stew in the Sheremetyevo transit zone.

He may not be there, but that's his last credibly reported location. All others are shear speculation. I would prefer to stick to the reportage. Whether good or bad they are the facts we have.

[JackN415]

3. I think Snowden can help himself imagining he were Tom Hanks in "The Terminal"...

it at least feeds his Munchausen delusional crave to help him getting through day-to-day before going crazy. He has to make do without Catherine Zeta-Jones though.

[longship]

7. Indeed, it's expensive to live there.

One of the reports came from a journalist who deliberately scheduled a 21 hour layover in the Sheremetyevo transit zone to get the lay of the land and possibly connect with Snowden. He said the place is big and fairly comfortable but very pricey.

One would presume that Snowden has had allies traveling with him. And he undoubtedly has been communicating with outsiders like Assange who seems to imply that he is aware of Snowden's well being, if not his location. If he went missing to those people we might likely know about it fairly quickly.

For lack of information to the contrary, I believe Snowden to still be at Sheremetyevo, probably in close to a panic.

[JackN415]

12. Yes, that Aussie journalist was well funded for his work. But the Russian won't let...

Snowden go hungry even if his money runs out. They would at least serve him borscht, and a lot better - without peat- than the stuffs they served Solzhenitsyn in the Archipelago.

[longship]

15. I don't believe Snowden is in Russian custody.

Assange would be all over that and would be reporting it. In fact, if Assange is the honest broker he claims to be, he will know of Snowden's location and be in communication. Any Snowden disappearance would be known to Assange fairly quickly.

Or so I presume.

All we really have to go on is the reportage. I choose not to speculate much beyond that.

[JackN415]

18. My post was a joke. Not meant he was in Russian custody. The Aussie Journalist can eat...

at TGIF, but pricey. Hence, I surmise that if Snowden runs out of money, the Russian at least feeds & houses him for awhile.

Borscht was just a figure of speech.

[longship]

24. I was unsure. Thanks for clarifying.

Plus, borscht can be yummy.

[flamingdem]

5. I'd like to know what Correa means by giving asylum if he reaches the Ecuadoran Embassy

and if it's sincere.

Then he's simply dumping it back on Putin since supposedly Putin has him locked up at the airport hotel.

I believe he's at an embassy because so many reporters have infested the area around the airport and zilch.

So there's a game being played and he might be at the Venezuelan Embassy.

Pres. Maduro of Venezuela is arriving Monday so there should be some news soon.

[longship]

9. That's the deal. Correa did not say he'd grant asylum.

He more or less said that Ecuador cannot consider asylum unless he's on Ecuadorean soil (embassy or country). He also previously said it might take two months to grant asylum.

In other words, getting to the embassy or Ecuador doesn't mean asylum, at least not permanently.

At least that's the way I interpret his words.

[flamingdem]

10. Previously he probably wanted to use Snowden as a bargaining chip

related to trade agreements, indirectly if not directly, or for other issues with the USA.

Yesterday he indicated that he understood Snowden broke the law. That's a real change of tone.

It's hard to know what is going on there which leads me to conclude it's pretty convoluted if not chaotic!

He has more conservative cabinet members to consider.

[JackN415]

14. He has Ecuador flower, fruit growers to contend. They might have told him...

look senor Presidente, leave the problem to Venezuela. It has oil money. We only have flower and fruits. Why take on something that doesn't even mean anything to us? For what? Image? senor Presidente, we can't feed our kids with image.

[JackN415]

20. Correa told the driver who would take Snowden to Ecuador embassy ...

that he would give the guy $100 to get lost in traffic and end up at the Venezuela embassy instead.

[longship]

13. No, I discount that report about the embassy limo.

The Ecuadorean embassy would have been staked out by reporters as soon as the destination of Moscow was reported. Same for Venezuelan embassy. Iceland, too.

There has been no confirmation on the report and there should have been. Nobody ID'd Snowden as getting into the reported limo. I treat the report as suspect.

Plus, we have Assange reporting Snowden safe at Sheremetyevo in Wikileaks company.

The fact is that if he were in an embassy there would be no reason to keep it secret, would there? And certainly Russia would know because Snowden would have to exit the transit zone through a Russian immigration/customs checkpoint to get to the alleged embassy vehicle.

It's weird, but I think Snowden's still at Sheremetyevo probably eating leftovers out of the trash bins by now, unless he has a benefactor with resources.

Putin's patience is weird, though.

[flamingdem]

17. Thanks! I agree with your reasoning

You're saving me from too much speculation, though I love to speculate.

I guess the media would have found out if Snowden was at an Embassy.

There are reports of a special hotel that's for people without visas, it has wireless!

That initial report was probably incorrect as it gave a tip as to where to look and no cigar.

However, I haven't heard of any reporters snooping around the Embassies.

One would think some employees would rat to the media anyway.

[longship]

19. And this from Assange this morning on ABC.

Our legal people have been in contact with Mr. Snowden. I can't say anything about the present situation.

He's being circumspect, but I suspect he's telling the truth.

Then, he said this about Snowden's father's concerns:

Mr. Snowden's father as a parent, of course he is worried in this situation, every father would be worried in this situation. We have established contact with Mr. Snowden's father's lawyer to put some of his concerns to rest.

I have no reason to distrust this statement either since it could easily be verified.

I have found Assange's claims with suspicion but these seem to be on the level. Plus, they match the credible reports which is all we have right now.

I think this resolves itself, at least partially, before week's end. One would hope, at least. One way or another.

[flamingdem]

21. I'll admit

quietly due to the c. war going on lol that I read Assange's interview and found parts of it to be compelling.

What I abhor is the idea that he'll leak what he wants when he wants. That aspect is a gloating power trip. So funny coming from someone so powerless to even leave his residence.

[JackN415]

22. Leftover in trash bins? No way. Chinese takeouts, courtesy of the Chinese embassy

[longship]

25. More levity. I must presume. ROFL

Just hope it isn't Panda Express.

[alcibiades_mystery]

4. "To take a passport away from somebody wanted for a felony..." The horror...

Whatever one may think of the charges, it's indisputable that Mr. Snowden is, in fact, wanted by law enforcement, and facing a federal felony charge. He is, of course, free to return and face the charge, or seek asylum, or live day to day in an airport. I'm sure most people on Earth don't give a fuck which option he chooses. Why anyone would expect the US to continue the passport of somebody wanted for a felony and known to be traveling abroad is, on the other hand, bizarre.

[flamingdem]

6. That's about all Assange could say to defend him

- how unfair it was for the USA to revoke his passport, fail!

Assange doesn't care since he apparently has the Snowden documents or knows how to access them.

[JackN415]

8. That shows the state of mind (or mindlessness) of Assange the martyr :) n/t

[BeyondGeography]

26. A little window into what Assange thinks of the rights of sovereign governments generally

Not much. Which can lead to terrible miscalculations by the anti-government utopians.

I remember a quote from John Perry Barlow, who basically said governments may be slow and stupid, but when they want to make your life miserable, they really can. Assange, who is still fully convinced of his innate intellectual superiority to any stuffed shirt who would oppose or try to exert power over him, was saying, "not the brightest bulbs at State," just a week ago when he was believed that Snowden's asylum in Ecuador was a done deal due to his maneuvering, which wound up inflaming Correa to the point where he almost got his ass kicked out of the safe house.

[cali]

11. I'm sorry, but what the hell are you talking about: "the Chinese art of using "technicalities"

want to explain that?

[JackN415]

16. Example: the Chinese is quite adept to manage trade policy to their advantages using...

technicalities or pretexts. This ranges over many things for many years. If you are not familiar, googling it.

From software piracy, intellectual properties, to trade tits-for-tats (like holding agriculture or perishable goods at ports until spoilage while checking to see if Chinese regulations are met), to creating artificial reasons like restricting rare earth metal export...

To be fair, the Japanese used to do this also during their mercantilism expansion in the 60's to run worldwide trade surplus. But they still had to contend with WTO. The Chinese ran up a huge trade surplus in a different way and they are quite good at it. They have their own art.

[flamingdem]

23. In Hong Kong the technicality of Snowden's middle name was used

to excuse themselves for letting him leave without a passport!

[Major Hogwash]

27. OMG! Where's the Skipper?? Gilligan is stuck in Russia!!!!

How the hell did he wind up there to begin with, and who thought this escapade was going to end well??