Nicaragua's President Ortega says Edward Snowden applied for asylum, which would be granted

[The Straight Story]

Nicaragua's President Ortega says Edward Snowden applied for asylum, which would be granted "if circumstances permit"

BBC News (World) ‏@BBCWorld 1m

Nicaragua's President Ortega says Edward Snowden applied for asylum, which would be granted "if circumstances permit" http://bbc.in/1a8f2vf

911 Operator ‏@911BUFF 8m

BREAKING NEWS JUST IN - NICARAGUA'S PRESIDENT SAYS HIS WILLING TO GIVE NSA WHISTLEBLOWER EDWARD SNOWDEN ASYLUM. AFP. #911BUFF

Nicaragua says would grant Snowden asylum if circumstances permit8 minutes ago by Thomson Reuters

MANAGUA, July 5 (Reuters) - Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega said on Friday that he had received an asylum request from U.S. fugitive Edward Snowden and could accept the bid "if circumstances permit."

https://research.tdwaterhouse.ca/research/public/Markets/NewsArticle/1314-L2N0FB1VV-1

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. The Reuters-based link may be better

The BBC one, although a genuine BBC tweet (https://twitter.com/BBCWorld/status/353293927417266176) goes to a BBC page that doesn't yet mention Nicaragua, or Ortega.

[The Straight Story]

2. Yeah, that's why I updated. BBC gets ahead of itself at times :) (nt)

[Catherina]

3. Good. That makes 3 then.

Contrary to the rightwinger Rory Carroll's dishonest article in the Guardian. Ecuador is still supportive of Snowden's asylum request.

After the UN countries issue their statement condemning the ait blockade France, Spain, Italy, Portugal acceded to at the request of persons unknown, all three countries should send their Presidential jets to pick him up. What the hell, send jets from all supportive countries to pick him up while our Trillion dollar intel machine can play eenie-meenie-minie-moe.

[grasswire]

5. a shell game nt

[allin99]

39. especially now

[flamingdem]

4. What does their constitutional procedure there? Cnn reporting this now.

Wonder what circumstances he means.

Another tease!

[Life Long Dem]

24. Wouldn't be much of a story if they told you that

Another gray area left out to get some stories going.

[Catherina]

6. Beautiful statement

“We are open, respectful of the right to asylum, and it is clear that if circumstances permit it, we would receive Snowden with pleasure and give him asylum here in Nicaragua,” Ortega said, according to AFP.

http://washington.cbslocal.com/2013/07/05/report-nicaraguan-president-willing-to-grant-snowden-asylum/

I'm going to go look for the Spanish original

Edit: Not much more than that except that it was during a public event in front of thousands, and this

Ortega also condemned this week[s airspace blockade against Bolivian President Evo Morales, to fly over some European countries, on suspicion that he was carrying Snowden on his plane. What prevails is "the unity of the empire, which is the same that has oppressed the peoples of our America," Noriega said. They are "colonialist always humiliating peoples," he added.

http://www.jornada.unam.mx/ultimas/2013/07/05/181848815-presidente-de-nicaragua-dispuesto-a-dar-asilo-a-snowden/

[snappyturtle]

7. It is a beautiful statement. I hope it works out. nt

[allin99]

40. "with pleasure", lmao

[Whisp]

8. Nicaragua is probably still stinging from the Reagan murder days.

I don't blame them for trying for a little slap back.

Although 'if circumstances permit' sounds just like 'some people say' - I doubt they are willing to go the whole route but taking the opportunity for a jab.

[flamingdem]

10. From a quick google I see they have no extradition treaty

with gran enemigo Yankee so Snowden just has to get there.

I suppose this will happen when the next diplomatic flight from friendly Latin American countries goes over to Moscow. Maybe a few months.

Putin will be happy.

[struggle4progress]

14. Yeah, I imagine Ortega won't soon forget having the harbors mined or the constant

attacks by rightwing terrorists run from the White House basement

[flamingdem]

23. It's very hot there

but there's a nice beach area.

I think he'll be very lucky to end up there.

[malaise]

9. Well the US granted to asylum to more than a few of the murderous RW pigs and goons

Last edited Fri Jul 5, 2013, 08:35 PM - Edit history (1)

in Nicaragua so there is nothing surprising here.
Sovereign States are allowed to grant asylum to lots of people.

[Scurrilous]

16. Jimmy Carter wouldn't let Somoza into the country.

He ended up in Paraguay where he was eventually assassinated.

A lot of his associates and family members did find refuge in the US though.

[flamingdem]

20. Yes, blown away with a bazooka n/t

[malaise]

43. And associates from several other countries

who served specific interests at any given time. The families of those young men who murdered people at the Boston Marathon were all granted visas because they hated the Russians.

Many governments grant asylum to people for a variety of reasons including real or perceived political persecution.

[allin99]

11. Does anyone know how Snowden would get there and what would it take?

Not allowed to fly, right? but isn't there something a country could grant him that allows him to fly and land? iirc?

and then he has to find places to land and re-fuel, right? and i'm pretty sure except for a couple of very hostile countries in the middle east we can block all the airspace in btwn as well as have countries not accept a landing?

and would it have to be a non-commercial flight?

[formercia]

12. Moscow>Havana>Managua...n/t

[flamingdem]

15. Doubt it very much. Havana won't get involved. My guess is Venezuela. nt

[allin99]

17. Someone has to give him papers to fly though, right? and can he...

get to havana straight from russia with no refueling?

[flamingdem]

19. He can get to Caracas if it's a diplomatic flight nt

[allin99]

41. Thanks. I will literally pee my pants laughing if that happens.

[Cleita]

28. Why can't Nicaragua give him papers to fly? n/t

[randome]

30. That would be one hell of a paper plane.

[hr]
[font color="blue"][center]I'm always right. When I'm wrong I admit it.
So then I'm right about being wrong.[/center][/font]
[hr]

[Cleita]

31. *snort*

[allin99]

38. yeah, i'm not super clear on how the papers...

work. Do they *have* to accept them, can they be given before Asylum is granted, can any country do it. I know he had the unofficial Ecuador ones, but HK was all: sure, we don't need a signature, have a nice trip Mr Snowden!

[flamingdem]

13. Do you want to donate?

lol. I think that he'll hitch a ride with the Venezuelans or any other friendly diplomatic flight where he can transit to Managua. I doubt they'd cough up the petrol needed for him so he'll have to wait.

[allin99]

22. oh, i would totally donate, lol...

i'd donate just for the US's little Bolivian plane game. an anti-us private donor could do it, accept for sure they'd be found out because we have eyes and ears on everyone, then they risk their lives ruined. Can't figure out how else.

[flamingdem]

26. I'm willing to pay something for this show

best.caper.ever

The chaos this one person has caused is really quite remarkable.

My hat is off to Mr. Snowden for this massive kerfuffle

[allin99]

32. Absolutely. So far he's got....

EU pretending to be pissed at the US
3/4 of the countries in Latin America hella pissed at the US and Europe
Clapper lying to congress and the American People
tech companies (pretending to be) pissed about the spying
but my absolute favorite was HK's fuck you action and note to the US, i have been laughing since it came out
russia's public fu: 'i don't know what you're talking about', 'oh, sry, can't touch him'. lol.
and just the general egg on the u.s.' face which we absolutely deserve.

[flamingdem]

18. Speculation: Putin is paying Nicaragua, poorest country in hemisphere to take Snowden away

He has his own civil rights problem, his enemies are on trial in Russia and he's looking for cover.

Cuanto costo? What did it cost?

- Haiti might be more poor I am not sure, used to be Nicaragua

[The Straight Story]

25. It all reminds me of this movie for some reason:

[flamingdem]

27. That was quite funny nt

[Cleita]

21. "If circumstances permit"

Read that as if the goon squad from the CIA doesn't pound him into the ground first.

[flamingdem]

29. It might be about the papers needed to leave Moscow

and if Putin is able to supply those.

We know Putin wants to ditch Snowden asap so this might really happen

Plus, Nicaragua doesn't look so ironically bad for a Libertarian, compared to say Cuba.

[allin99]

34. Putin has nothing to gain, he already gave his 'piss off' to the U.S....

in a way that he can claim as neutral.

[davidpdx]

33. Problem solved

People can stop complaining about him being abused. Hopefully he'll destroy whatever information he has left once he gets there.

[JVS]

35. Oh shit! I hope this doesn't cause another cigar embargo!

[ProSense]

36. There is hope

Snowden could win Nicaragua asylum if circumstances permit: Ortega

MANAGUA (Reuters) - Nicaragua has received an asylum request from fugitive former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden and could accept the bid "if circumstances permit," President Daniel Ortega said on Friday.

"We are an open country, respectful of the right of asylum, and it's clear that if circumstances permit, we would gladly receive Snowden and give him asylum in Nicaragua," Ortega said during a speech in the Nicaraguan capital Managua.

Ortega, an ally of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, did not elaborate on the conditions that would allow him to offer asylum to Snowden, who has been at the eye of a diplomatic storm since leaking high-level U.S. intelligence data last month.

Options have been narrowing for Snowden - believed to be staying in a transit area at a Moscow airport - as he seeks a country to shelter him from U.S. espionage charges.

- more -

http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCABRE96411P20130706

...sort of!

[Catherina]

37. Venezuela just said YES!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023179373

I wonder if they're cooking something up lol

[allin99]

42. Anyone know which country has the least to lose? Ecuador, Venzula (any other Latin American country?

[Savannahmann]

44. The easiest, and most obvious

Charter aircraft for the trip, and make it a diplomatic currier flight. I doubt that Europe would do the airspace closed bit again, they can hardly pretend they didn't know it violates the Vienna Conventions again. If the pilot is gutsy enough, just keep flying your course. Keep telling the protesting controllers that you will not turn, diplomatic flight and all that.

Even if they scramble fighters, keep talking onto the radio and telling them it's a diplomatic shuttle flight, and quote the Vienna conventions. Crossing France would take an hour, Spain much the same. Then you're over the Atlantic. International Waters until you reach the Caribbean. In the mean time your foreign secretary is apologizing like crazy, issuing public apology statements and again walking the reporters through the diplomatic protections of the Vienna Conventions. Quote American law on the matter, which is pretty absolute.

The dolt lands, welcome him, and spirit him away to a small villa where he can be debriefed, and every couple months, let him be seen by the press, photographed talking to foreigners at a small café table in town.

The world has it's hero, although granted he's not much of one. The dolt has his sanctuary, and after a few months he should have sufficient anti-bodies to drink the water with no more ill effects. (That by the way is not a racist statement, water quality in many nations is abysmal. One of these days I'm going to post a thread on that, water quality and life expectancy but that's another day)

Every once in a while, the State Department gets to complain about Nicaragua or Venezuela refusing to extradite Snowden, and they get to point to him and declare victory over the hated Yankee.

Hell, it's a win-win. Then in a few years, the CIA will send someone to whack the dolt, and we'll hear how he died from a bullet to the brain fired by an unknown individual at extremely long range. We don't have the slick techniques like the Soviets did with Georgi Markov. Ricin pellet fired from an umbrella gun, very James Bond Villain there. No, we're the US, and we're about as subtle as a club upside the head.

[HipChick]

45. He'll have to look over his shoulder the rest of his life..

[Savannahmann]

46. Oh it's a given that he's a dead man eventually.

He has the lowest probability of anyone alive right now of dying an old man. The United States will assassinate him. That is a given. Even if he gets sent to prison, there will be an accident, or he'll "suicide", or there will be a riot and someone will shank him. The CIA and the other intelligence agencies don't like being in the light, they want to be in the shadows watching, not in the light being watched. They'll never forgive, or forget. Some on our side will cheer when this happens, and for that alone, we should all be ashamed.

[Catherina]

47. Serious question. If several countries offer/grant him asylum

are they under and obligation to state that he's on their territory?

[Savannahmann]

48. Honestly I don't know what the international law/practice is.

Usually they do, but that is always up for application on each situation. I'm sure we spirited away some Soviets and just ignored requests for information from the Soviet Government. Those former spies are probably living in Oklahoma City under a name given to them by Witness Protection. Georgi Markov worked to undermine the legitimacy of the Communist Government in Bulgaria, which is why he was assassinated in London.

But I honestly do not know the answer to your question. I wish I did.

[Scurrilous]

50. We don't need to whack him...

...a steady diet of this crap would probably do the job for us.



Creamy bubblegum flavored carbonated water/corn syrup slurry w/ a piquant amaranth afterburn.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

49. Oh, Daniel's just carrying a grudge because Reagan armed the "freedom fighting" contras.

[woo me with science]

51. Excellent.

[UTUSN]

52. TAKE him - ANYBODY - TAKE him!1 n/t

[Catherina]

53. "We have the sovereign right to help a person who felt remorse after finding out...

"We have the sovereign right to help a person who felt remorse after finding out how the United States was using technology to spy on the whole world, and especially its European allies," Ortega said.

http://www.freep.com/article/20130706/NEWS15/307060051/Bolivia-joins-countries-offering-Edward-Snowden-asylum

[ehcross]

54. Nicaragua's President Ortega says Edward Snowden applied for asylum, which would be granted

It should not surprise anybody that Daniel Ortega wouldn't hesitate to grant asylum to Edward Snowden, although Ortega stole two consecutive elections in Nicaragua. Daniel Ortega did not finish high school, and is not used to consulting anything with anybody. He considers himself "the last word" in Nicaragua.

The above is a reality although there are plenty of educated Nicaraguans whose opinion should be considered, that would probably disagree with the Dictator.

Edward Snowden would not be a welcome guest, and would probably create conflicts in Nicaraguan society. But in this country the word from Ortega is law, despite what rhe law actually says.

Such is life in a corrupt dictatorship run by a corrupt individual.