General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWith Snowden Now Free In Russia, U.S. Has Few Options
WASHINGTON The worlds most closely watched layover ended on Thursday as Russia granted temporary asylum to Edward Snowden, the accused intelligence leaker whod been holed up in a Moscow airports transit lounge since June 23.
The Obama administration, which for weeks had issued only muted criticism of Russia as it implored President Vladimir Putins government to do the right thing, lashed out at the decision to offer Snowden a haven but didnt dwell on possible repercussions.
Members of Congress fumed, calling on President Barack Obama to respond firmly. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said the affront was a game changer for U.S.-Russia relations. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said Russia has stabbed us in the back and asked Obama to recommend moving the G-20 economic summit, which is scheduled for next month in the Russian city of St. Petersburg.
But relations with Russia already are so frayed, analysts say, that theres little the U.S. could do to punish Putin for taking in Snowden, whos regarded by many here and abroad as a whistleblower for revealing a top-secret government spy program.
As dramatic as Snowdens revelations are, his hiding out in Russia may not even be the worst snag in bilateral relations, which have deteriorated over the past 18 months and killed Obamas goal of a reset. Other strains include disagreements over Syria, Russias freeze on U.S. adoptions of Russian children, and Congress approval of a law barring several Russian officials from entering the U.S.
Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/08/01/4207480/with-snowden-now-free-in-russia.html#storylink=cpy
HipChick
(25,485 posts)may be just below that of being in a US prison..
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,517 posts)HipChick
(25,485 posts)muriel_volestrangler
(101,264 posts)part of being in them. Snowden will be able in Russia to walk outside whenever he wants. He'll choose his own meals. He'll choose his own timetable. If it becomes clear there's no 'extraordinary rendition' planned for him by the US government (though I do doubt they'd be able to do that in Russia, so they probably won't try), he'll be able to meet the people he wants, when he wants. His girlfriend could join him, or he could form a new relationship.
And that's just comparing it with a perfectly-run, fair, US prison. In practice, they can be hellholes.
David Krout
(423 posts)No.
HeiressofBickworth
(2,682 posts)JoePhilly
(27,787 posts)Or the Russians could disappear him, get his data, then drop his body so as to blame the US.
Tierra_y_Libertad
(50,414 posts)Catherina
(35,568 posts)Last edited Fri Aug 2, 2013, 08:39 AM - Edit history (1)
a city few Americans know anything about in a country we only know about from Cold War bullshit.
"Stabbed in the back"! Who was stabbed in the back other than the US working class that's about the get sold out with Nafta on Steroids by the same elite that keeps telling us how good we have it?
Wake the fuck up. Like Cheney, Bush, Alexander, Graham and Schumer are suddenly our friends.
If the US is ashamed of how were were lied into wars against Afghanistan and Iraq, now might be a good time to show it.
Purveyor
(29,876 posts)Catherina
(35,568 posts)I always look for your posts.
KharmaTrain
(31,706 posts)...with Snowden "on the run", it kept the fascination of the corporate media and, in turn, they began to take a closer look at the NSA and the invasion of our private data. Lots of speculation, little real fact...and many of us want answers. There needs to be investigations and hopefully some will be forthcoming but Snowden will not be any part of it. He's now disqualified himself from being of much use in any Congressional investigations into abuses that he claims he saw and that's a shame. This is an issue that needs to be looked at with a very critical eye and political pressure brought upon congresscritters to reign in the ever-growing ability of not only the government but corporate America to buy, sell and trade our personal information. It's not just meta data...it's all your financial information that IS used to hurt Americans...