Kerry Fails to Retrieve Snowden Using Stick; Switches to Wheedling Carrot

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. Putin Says Snowden in Airport, Shrugs Off 'Nonsense' U.S. Accusations - St Petersburg Times

Maybe Kerry should arm-wrestle Putin to get Snowden.

http://sptimes.ru/index.php?action_id=2&story_id=37514

President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday acknowledged the whereabouts of fugitive whistleblower Edward Snowden but said "any accusations against Russia are nonsense and rubbish" and urged the fugitive to leave as quickly as possible.

Nevertheless, Putin said Tuesday that Russia had no intention of giving Snowden up, that the fugitive had never received any sort of assistance from Russian security services and that he was "a free man, the sooner he picks a final destination, the better it is both for us and for him," Kommersant reported.

In comments to Interfax, the president said he wanted nothing to do with such affairs, neither with WikiLeaks nor with Snowden.

Ever since the 30-year-old former NSA contractor supposedly arrived at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport from Hong Kong on Sunday, Washington has put tremendous pressure on Russia to extradite the fugitive to the U.S. and avoid giving him shelter him or refugee status.