Austria did not fear Snowden was on Morales plane: minister

[Poll_Blind]

Source: Reuters

(Reuters) - Austria allowed Bolivian President Evo Morales' plane to land because it did not share other countries' worries that former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden might be on board, Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner said on Wednesday.

France and Portugal abruptly canceled air permits for Morales' plane en route from Moscow, forcing the unscheduled stopover in Vienna late on Tuesday.

An Austrian Foreign Ministry spokesman said rumours that Snowden was on the plane were untrue.

"Austria did not close its airspace and the plane could of course land although many other countries apparently feared that Snowden was on board too," the minister told ORF radio. "Austria did not do that, which means there is no fear here."

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/03/us-usa-security-snowden-austria-idUSBRE96206Q20130703

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This is...interesting. Look at how that second bolded bit is worded. That's the actual quote from the Interior Minister. A number of agencies have been inferring the odd wording to mean that the Austrians did not believe Snowden was onboard. I take it an entirely different way. I take that second sentence, "Austria did not do that, which means there is no fear here", to be a sly dig by the Austrians at the countries who did close their airspace.

I imagine they would have reported it if the Interior Minister concluded by making little whip-cracking motions with his hand and going "Wha-pish! Wha-pish!"...



PB

[Ash_F]

1. Reuters has good reporters but a pathetic right wing management

The editors fuck with the headlines like that on purpose.

[GoneFishin]

4. The right could never win on a level playing field.

Everything they touch is spun.

[Downwinder]

2. I take it to mean: We got the message like everyone else.

Stick it in your ear.

[Poll_Blind]

5. Exactly. nt

PB

[JimDandy]

3. Austria insisted on checking the plane for Snowden

according to Morales.

Sounds like a rug has mounds of dirt being swept under it.

[dipsydoodle]

6. In doing so without permission they violated diplomatic immunity if effect.

Bolivia is classing what amounted to a forced landing as kidnap.

see

• A jet carrying the Bolivian president is on its way home after being forced to land at Vienna airport because of the refusal of some European countries to let it pass through their airspace. Eva Morales was returning from a visit to Moscow. He called it "an excuse to scare, intimidate and punish me".

• Morales was stranded at the airport for 14 hours amid suspicions that the NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden was on board his plane. Both the Bolivian and Austrian authorities insisted Snowden was not on the plane, although the extent to which the Austrian police officers searched the jet was unclear.

• An Austrian official told AP that Morales's aircraft asked controllers at Vienna airport to land because there was "no clear indication" that the plane had enough fuel to continue on its journey. This tallies with audio posted online purporting to be of a conversation between the jet pilot and the control room at the airport.

• The Austrian government said it was given permission by Morales to search the plane but Bolivia's vice-president Alvaro Garcia denied this, saying the jet was entitled to immunity. He said Morales had been "kidnapped by imperialism", while the Bolivian foreign minister, David Choquehuanca, accused France and Portugal of putting the president's life at risk by cancelling authorisation for the plane.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/03/edward-snowden-asylum-live#block-51d420b0e4b06ee79885ed57

see 41 minures back from 4pm BST.

[formercia]

7. I think Junior ought to think twice about any Overseas Trip.

The precedent has been set.

[dipsydoodle]

8. I was surpised he ventured out to Ifrica

.

[JimDandy]

9. Why? Because of the Snowden affair?

[dipsydoodle]

10. No

Last edited Wed Jul 3, 2013, 01:21 PM - Edit history (1)

As is the case with Blair in some countries he could be subject to an arrest warrant for war crimes.

[JimDandy]

11. What African countries might Obama

realistically be subject to an arrest for war crimes?

[dipsydoodle]

12. I said Junior : not Obama.

see reply # 7 for subject reference.

[JimDandy]

13. Aah...makes sense now.

[dipsydoodle]

14. All cool then.

[former9thward]

16. What countries have arrest warrants for Bush?

Answer: None. No country is going to arrest a former U.S. president. That is the real world not internet fantasy.

[dipsydoodle]

17. Dream on.

That was why he cancelled a visit to Switzerland - threat of arrest for sanctioning torture. That one is easy to search.

Whilst on the subject there is current arrest warrant in France for Kissnger in connection with a trial concerning the assasination of General Rene Schneider in Chile c. 1973.

[former9thward]

18. Nothing to do with dreaming except on your part.

Switzerland does not have an arrest warrant for Bush. I live in the real world.

[dipsydoodle]

19. They wouldn't have needed one in advance.

Torture is a crime under International law. A warrant could be issued on request on the spot in this case by Human Rights lawyers. Bush is only to well aware of that as also is Tony Blair - both get expert advice on where its safe to travel.

[former9thward]

20. Not true.

Anyone can request anything. Countries are not going to pay attention to it. The only thing a country pays attention to is if a legal authority that a country is a signatory to makes a request. Nobody else. Real world.

[Catherina]

15. Austrian (or German) paper, "US Requested that Vienna Extradite Snowden"

US Requested that Vienna Extradite Snowden

03.07.2013 | 21:28 | HELMAR DUMBS UND CHRISTIAN ULTSCH (Die Presse)

Bolivian President Morales was forced to land in Vienna. NSA whistleblower Snowden was suspected to be on his jet. In a telephone conversation with the Foreign Office, the U.S. ambassador demanded they extradite him.



Here's the crucial section:

Sie landete gegen 23 Uhr. Kurz danach ging im Wiener Außenamt ein dringlicher Anruf ein. Am anderen Ende der Leitung: US-Botschafter William Eacho. Wie "Die Presse" erfuhr, behauptete er mit großer Bestimmtheit, dass Edward Snowden an Bord sei, der von den USA gesuchte Aufdecker jüngster Abhörskandale. Eacho habe auf eine diplomatische Note verwiesen, in der die USA die Auslieferung Snowdens verlangten.

Translated:

It landed about 11 pm. Shortly after that, the Vienna foreign department received a phone call. The caller was the US embassador William Echo. "Die Presse" learned that he claimed with strong firmness that Edward Snowden was onboard, the whistleblower of the recent surveillance scandals. Eacho referred to a diplomatic note requesting Snowden's extradition.


http://diepresse.com/home/politik/aussenpolitik/1426275/USA-verlangten-von-Wien-Snowdens-Auslieferung?_vl_backlink=/home/politik/aussenpolitik/1416110/index.do&direct=1416110