Why did the brilliant trained spy ever go to Hong Kong? Why didn't he fly directly to Venezuala

[jmowreader]

117. That's one possibility

Try this out: During the latter years of the Cold War a PFC who worked in the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment's security office committed some piddly infraction and was put on barracks restriction over a three-day holiday. 3ACR was the unit tasked with defending the Fulda Gap - the area where the Soviets were expected to cross into West Germany through. In those grand days when we just KNEW the commies were gonna invade any second now, 3ACR was the most important unit in Europe.

So to get back at his platoon sergeant for ruining his weekend, he went in to the office, copied the 3ACR's war plan onto a laptop, typed up a set of flag orders (a document you needed if you wanted to travel by land from West Germany to Berlin; it had a picture of a US flag at the top and when you typed them, your ID card and flag orders had to match character-for-character. The official reason was that the Soviet private who checked your flag orders couldn't read English; the real reason is they were just fucking with you), went AWOL, drove to Checkpoint Alpha, got through the American side, drove the kilometer to the Soviet checkpoint, and offered the contents of the laptop in exchange for asylum in the Soviet Union. The GRU copied the information on the laptop, picked up the phone, dialed the 3ACR staff duty officer and asked that he come pick up the 3ACR's problem child. He got twenty years in Leavenworth so he should be out by now.

There's a decent possibility the Chinese were fixin' to give Snowden to the American Embassy once they copied all the information he brought them, or at least they told him they would. (The "he only had one copy" thing...come on, do you really believe that? He didn't steal hardcopies, he stole computer files. He seems to know how to use a computer; I don't think he forgot how to type "copy c:/*.* f:" after he got out of the building.) Seriously, folks: What advantage would China have keeping him? China already has people with every skill Snowden has or claims, and the guys they have already speak both Chinese and English.

He's a better fit for Russia simply because Putin wanted a very sharp stick to poke Obama's eye with. I give them a year to be tired of Snowden and send him away...who would take him then? Cuba maybe?