Ecuador: Decision on Edward Snowden asylum could take months

[hack89]

Source: CBS

Ecuador's foreign minister said Wednesday his government could take months to decide whether to grant asylum to fugitive U.S. National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden.

Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino compared Snowden's case to that of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has been given asylum in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London.

"It took us two months to make a decision in the case of Assange, so do not expect us to make a decision sooner this time," Patino told a news conference during a visit to Malaysia's main city, Kuala Lumpur.

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57591070/ecuador-decision-on-edward-snowden-asylum-could-take-months/

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Translation: We want nothing to do with him

[magical thyme]

1. Translation: US-Equador trade deal is up for renewal in one month.

Assange shows established precedent of requiring 2 months, so we don't need to stall or rush, just follow our normal processes and remind people of them, in order to keep Snowden off the table as a bargaining chip.

[Bacchus4.0]

5. Ecuador really wants to continue that agreement

however, it is unlikely that the US would have reauthorized Snowden or not. Peru and Colombia already have an FTA with the US that superceded the Andean Pact, and Bolivia was suspended a few years back. That means Ecuador is the sole remaining country in the Andean trade agreement

Ecuador will try to get in on the Pacific Alliance to replace the Andean pact that is expiring.

[Myrina]

2. Care to elaborate as to how to came to your "translation"?

I didn't end up at the same conclusion you did.

[hack89]

4. Do you think Snowden is going to sit in a transit lounge in Moscow for months?

Notice how Ecuador didn't say "he is welcome to stay here while we decide what to do?"

[Myrina]

8. No, but do we know forsure he's "still" in Moscow?

[hack89]

11. Beats me. nt

[Thinkingabout]

3. Our trade agreement should be based on honor of extradition of any and all fugitives they may get

into their possession. As I have stated before, cut the money off.

[nineteen50]

6. All the bids are not in yet.

[longship]

7. Yup! Another country doesn't want him.

China? Nope! Glad to see him gone.

Russia? Nope! Wants out of their airport on the way some place else.

Iceland? Apparently not. Might have to become a citizen to be qualified.

Ecuador? Apparently not. Gee, these things take years to sort out.

Venezuela? ???? Has shown interest, but only very obliquely. No word yet.

Cuba? ???? Why didn't Snowden get on the Havana flight?

Mr. Snowden had better get used to airport food. For now, that's where he's apparently stuck.

[totodeinhere]

9. It took them two months to decide to grant asylum to Assange. Just because

they are taking their time doesn't mean they don't want him. Your comments about the other countries are merely speculation as well.

[longship]

10. Indeed, I admit it's speculation.

But Snowden, from all appearances, is still apparently in the Moscow airport transit zone. He may not be, but that's the latest we have and there's probably enough press in there looking out for him.

And that's speculation as well, I suppose.

But I am not one to make wild speculations or conspiracy theories. I don't think that my post was unreasonable, given what we know.

Plus, we also know that the USA is attempting to make prospective countries for shelter think twice about it. (Words from Kerry and Obama to Russia and China, etc.)

I would be open to other interpretations as well, as long as they don't stray too far from what has been reported. However, I must admit that part of that may be false as well. But I don't think anybody can credibly claim that Snowden did not fly to Moscow from Hong Kong or that he was not within the transit zone for some time.



Thanks for your response.

[bemildred]

12. They are laughing at us. There is no hurry about ending it.

We have juvenile voyeurs in the basement, expensive ones too, with really big guns, and they cannot even protect all this "data" they have collected, nor do they know what to do with it.

What they don't get is that Putin and the Chinese don't want that "data", they know already what we are doing, the data itself is useless to them, if it ever was useful to anybody, which is doubtful. They think we are fools, and they are correct.

But having Snowden flit from place to place with us in embarassed pursuit, hoist by our own petard, that is priceless. And that is also why our "leaders" are in such a state about it.

Mr. Snowden does appear likely be be in limbo for some time.

[davidpdx]

13. The same version of the story had this little tidbit

It is interesting that two different claims are being made one by Ecuador and one by Assange. Who's telling the truth?

But Ecuador's foreign minister indicated a decision on Snowden's asylum request could take two months.

"It took us two months to make a decision on Assange so do not expect us to make a decision sooner this time," Foreign Minister Richard Patino said in Kuala Lumpur, referring to the founder of anti-secrecy group Wikileaks, Julian Assange.

He added that Ecuador would consider giving Snowden protection before that if he went to Ecuador's embassy - but Russian officials say Snowden does not have a visa to enter Russia.

Ecuador's acting foreign minister, standing in for Patino in Quito, was quoted by local media as saying on Wednesday that Ecuador had not given a temporary travel document to Snowden, contradicting Assange, who is holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy in London.

Assange told reporters on Monday that Ecuador had supplied Snowden with a "refugee document of passage".

http://news.yahoo.com/snowden-still-airport-ecuador-asylum-decision-may-weeks-153553312.html

[alcibiades_mystery]

14. Heh heh heh

Enjoy the airport, mah dude.