Snowden
I signed a petition on the White House website to pardon him for his role in revealing US surveillance programs.
Today he is on his way to Ecuador, where I just was last month, to request asylum. Below are some articles to check out.
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Wikileaks Defies US to help Edward Snowden
By Peter Griffiths
LONDON, June 23 (Reuters) - WikiLeaks' decision to help U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden escape Washington's extradition attempts in Hong Kong has cemented the anti-secrecy group's reputation as a thorn in the side of the American and British governments.
In comments likely to infuriate Washington, WikiLeaks said it was escorting Snowden to Ecuador and had offered the support of its legal director Baltasar Garzon, a former Spanish judge known around the world for ordering the arrest of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet.
Ecuador, which is already sheltering WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange at its London embassy, confirmed Snowden has sought political asylum although Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino did not say whether the request had been accepted.
"The WikiLeaks legal team and I are interested in preserving Mr Snowden's rights and protecting him as a person," Garzon said in a statement. "What is being done to Mr Snowden and to Mr Julian Assange - for making or facilitating disclosures in the public interest - is an assault against the people."
Frustrating U.S. attempts to extradite Snowden and put him on trial for the unauthorised release of secret surveillance files, WikiLeaks also sent one of its legal team to join him on a flight from Hong Kong to Moscow.
WikiLeaks said British legal researcher Sarah Harrison, one of Assange's closest advisers, had "courageously assisted Mr Snowden with his lawful departure from Hong Kong and ... in his passage to safety".
The campaign group gave no details about how it had helped to arrange the escape of one of the United States' most wanted men.
Advice came from Garzon, a high profile human rights campaigner who investigated corruption cases in Spain and opened an inquiry into alleged crimes under the right-wing dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, who died in 1975.
Since being kicked off the bench in Spain last year - when the Supreme Court found him guilty of illegal wiretapping in a political corruption case - he has spent most of his time outside Spain, advising on international law.
Garzon, who helped broker Assange's asylum in Ecuador's London embassy, was the dealmaker with Ecuador in the Snowden case, a source close to the WikiLeaks legal team told Reuters.
Another prominent legal figure who has represented Assange, the London-based barrister Geoffrey Robertson, was not directly involved in the Snowden case, the source added.
SECRET FILES
Before helping the former spy agency contractor - who leaked National Security Agency documents to a British newspaper - WikiLeaks was best known for publishing secret files, rather than giving direct support to those who leak them.
Assange has been in Ecuador's embassy in London since last June, seeking to avoid extradition to Sweden. It wants to question him about allegations of sexual assault and rape, which he denies.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague held talks with his Ecuadorean counterpart Patino last week in a failed attempt to find a breakthrough in a case that is becoming increasingly embarrassing for the London government.
Assange says he does not want to answer the allegations in person because he believes Sweden would hand him over to the U.S. authorities, who would try him for his role in the release of 700,000 secret U.S. files in one of the biggest leaks in American history.
In an interview with Reuters this month, Assange said he was encouraged by Snowden's actions. "In the United States, the ideals that I have fought for for so long are now catching on, being embodied in the extraordinary courage of individuals such as Edward Snowden," he said. (Additional reporting by Fiona Ortiz in Madrid and Mark Hosenball in Washington; Editing by David Stamp)
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Sunday June 23, 17:50 BST
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMr Edward Snowden, the American whistleblower who exposed evidence of a global surveillance regime conducted by US and UK intelligence agencies, has left Hong Kong legally. He is bound for the Republic of Ecuador via a safe route for the purposes of asylum, and is being escorted by diplomats and legal advisors from WikiLeaks.
Mr Snowden requested that WikiLeaks use its legal expertise and experience to secure his safety. Once Mr Snowden arrives in Ecuador his request will be formally processed.
Former Spanish Judge Mr Baltasar Garzon, legal director of Wikileaks and lawyer for Julian Assange has made the following statement:
"The WikiLeaks legal team and I are interested in preserving Mr Snowden’s rights and protecting him as a person. What is being done to Mr Snowden and to Mr Julian Assange - for making or facilitating disclosures in the public interest - is an assault against the people".
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Rand Paul Warns Edward Snowden: Don't Cozy Up to Russians
Sam Stein
The Huffington Post
6/23/13
WASHINGTON -- Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), one of the few public officials sympathetic toward Edward Snowden, warned the national security leaker on Sunday not to cut deals or cozy up to any government at the risk of losing credibility.
"I do think, for Mr. Snowden, if he cozies up to the Russian government, it will be nothing but bad for his name in history," said Paul on CNN's "State of the Union." "If he goes to an independent third country like Iceland and if he refuses to talk to any sort of formal government about this, I think there's a chance that he'll be seen as an advocate of privacy. If he cozies up to either the Russian government, the Chinese government, or any of these governments that are perceived still as enemies of ours, I think that will be a real problem for him in history."
Paul's comments came in the midst of a hectic Sunday morning in which Snowden left Hong Kong despite requests from the U.S. Justice Department that that government turn him over for prosecution. Snowden is being charged under the Espionage Act for leaking details of U.S. intelligence operations to various news outlets, mainly the Guardian.
Hong Kong officials declined to do so, saying that the extradition request did not fully comply with its law. By the time Paul spoke to CNN, Snowden was reportedly on a plane that had just landed in Moscow. CNN was carrying a live stream of the passenger arrival area in the Moscow airport.
Paul has been one of a few public officials to praise Snowden for leaking material on the National Security Agency's surveillance operations. And despite warning Snowden not to work with the Russian or Chinese governments, Paul continued on Sunday to argue that history would judge the leaks kindly.
"I would say that Mr. Snowden hasn't lied to anyone," said Paul. "He did break his oath of office, but part of his oath of office is to the Constitution, and he believes that, when James Clapper came in March, our national director of intelligence came and lied, that he [Snowden] was simply coming forward and telling the truth that your government was lying. This is a big concern of mine, because it makes me doubt the administration and their word to us when they talk to us, because they have now admitted they will lie to us if they think it is in the name of national security."
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Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Edward Snowden, the National Security Agency contractor behind the disclosures of the U.S. government's sweeping surveillance programs, left Hong Kong on Sunday and was seeking asylum in Ecuador. Five things to know about his admitted leaker and his future:
_ THE LEAK: Snowden disclosed surveillance programs that collect vast amounts of online data and email, sometimes sweeping up information on ordinary American citizens. Officials have the ability to collect phone and Internet information broadly but need a warrant to examine specific cases where they believe terrorism is involved. The revelation sparked debate about government surveillance and post-Sept. 11 civil liberties.
_ THE LEAKER: Since revealing himself as the principal source for reports in The Guardian and The Washington Post, Snowden had been in hiding in Hong Kong. The United States had sought his extradition but officials in Hong Kong rejected that, saying the U.S. petition didn't pass muster. The former CIA operative and NSA contractor has had his passport revoked, although that alone was unlikely to thwart Snowden's travel if he could find a friendly government to host him.
_ THE EVASION: Before the first stories were published, Snowden left Hawaii for Hong Kong. While there, he continued speaking to reporters and disclosing other details. This weekend, he left Hong Kong with advisers from WikiLeaks, the anti-secrecy group that helped disclose a trove of diplomatic cables that embarrassed Washington. He is said to have arrived in Moscow but did not leave the airport. His allies say he is en route to Ecuador, which has an extradition treaty with the United States but permits exemptions for political asylum. Ecuador's embassy in London has housed and protected WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange.
_ THE DIPLOMACY: The United States unsuccessfully sought cooperation from Hong Kong to extradite Snowden to the United States to face criminal charges. Instead, Snowden shuttled to Russia, with which the United States does not have an extradition treaty. His potential next stops were just as dicey for the United States: Cuba, Venezuela and Ecuador. All three have extradition treaties with the United States, but none are strong allies. U.S. lawmakers said Sunday there would be consequences for countries that harbor Snowden.
_ THE FUTURE: The disclosures to this point have been damaging but the journalists who have published them have said they limited the scope to protect national security. Snowden's cooperation with WikiLeaks could signal a new chapter in those disclosures. The chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee said she has been told Snowden has as many as 200 documents and another lawmaker suggested Snowden had received asylum in Ecuador in exchange for disclosing more information.
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US Revokes NSA Leaker Edward Snowden's Passport
Fox News
6/23/13
The anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks said Sunday it is helping
Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who
exposed secrets about the federal government's surveillance program, to
seek asylum in Ecuador.
The announcement came as a source confirmed to Fox News Saturday that the United States revoked Snowden's passport.
Snowden took flight Sunday in evasion of U.S. authorities, seeking asylum in Ecuador and leaving the Obama administration scrambling to determine its next step in what became a game of diplomatic cat-and-mouse.
The former National Security Agency contractor and CIA technician fled Hong Kong and arrived at the Moscow airport, where he planned to spend the night before boarding an Aeroflot flight to Cuba. Ecuador's Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said his government received an asylum request from Snowden, and the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks said it would help him.
"He goes to the very countries that have, at best, very tense relationships with the United States," said Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., adding that she feared Snowden would trade more U.S. secrets for asylum. "This is not going to play out well for the national security interests of the United States."
The move left the U.S. with limited options as Snowden's itinerary took him on a tour of what many see as anti-American capitals. Ecuador in particular has rejected the United States' previous efforts at cooperation, and has been helping WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, avoid prosecution by allowing him to stay at its embassy in London.
"The United States has been in touch via diplomatic and law enforcement channels with countries in the Western Hemisphere through which Snowden might transit or that could serve as final destinations," a State Dept. official told Fox News. "The U.S. is advising these governments that Snowden is wanted on felony charges, and as such should not be allowed to proceed in any further international travel, other than is necessary to return him to the United States."
Snowden helped The Guardian and The Washington Post disclose U.S. surveillance programs that collects vast amounts of phone records and online data in the name of foreign intelligence, but often sweeping up information on American citizens. Officials have the ability to collect phone and Internet information broadly but need a warrant to examine specific cases where they believe terrorism is involved.
Snowden has been in hiding for several weeks in Hong Kong, a former British colony with a high degree of autonomy from mainland China. The United States formally sought Snowden's extradition from Hong Kong but was rebuffed; Hong Kong officials said the U.S. request did not fully comply with their laws.
The Justice Department rejected that claim, saying its request met all of the requirements of the extradition treaty between the U.S. and Hong Kong.
During conversations last week, including a phone call Wednesday between Attorney General Eric Holder and Hong Kong Secretary for Justice Rimsky Yuen, Hong Kong officials never raised any issues regarding sufficiency of the U.S. request, a Justice spokesperson said.
A State Department official said the United States was in touch through diplomatic and law enforcement channels with countries that Snowden could travel through or to, reminding them that Snowden is wanted on criminal charges and reiterating Washington's position that Snowden should only be permitted to travel back to the U.S.
The Justice Department said it would "pursue relevant law enforcement cooperation with other countries where Mr. Snowden may be attempting to travel."
The White House would only say that President Barack Obama had been briefed on the developments by his national security advisers.
Russia's state ITAR-Tass news agency and Interfax cited an unnamed Aeroflot airline official as saying Snowden was on the plane that landed Sunday afternoon in Moscow.
Upon his arrival, Snowden did not leave Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport. One explanation could be that he wasn't allowed; a U.S. official said Snowden's passport had been revoked, and special permission from Russian authorities would have been needed.
"It's almost hopeless unless we find some ways to lean on them," said Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y.
The Russian media report said Snowden intended to fly to Cuba on Monday and then on to Caracas, Venezuela.
U.S. lawmakers scoffed. "The freedom trail is not exactly China-Russia-Cuba-Venezuela, so I hope we'll chase him to the ends of the earth, bring him to justice and let the Russians know there'll be consequences if they harbor this guy," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.
With each suspected flight, efforts to secure Snowden's return to the United States appeared more complicated if not impossible. The United States does not have an extradition treaty with Russia, but does with Cuba, Venezuela and Ecuador. Even with an extradition agreement though, any country could give Snowden a political exemption.
The likelihood that any of these countries would stop Snowden from traveling on to Ecuador seemed unlikely. While diplomatic tensions have thawed in recent years, Cuba and the United States are hardly allies after a half century of distrust.
Venezuela, too, could prove difficult. Former President Hugo Chavez was a sworn enemy of the United States and his successor, Nicolas Maduro, earlier this year called Obama "grand chief of devils." The two countries do not exchange ambassadors.
U.S. pressure on Caracas also might be problematic given its energy exports. The U.S. Energy Information Agency reports Venezuela sent the United States 900,000 barrels of crude oil each day in 2012, making it the fourth-largest foreign source of U.S. oil.
"I think 10 percent of Snowden's issues are now legal, and 90 percent political," said Douglas McNabb, an expert in international extradition and a senior principal at international criminal defense firm McNabb Associates.
Assange's lawyer, Michael Ratner, said Snowden's options aren't numerous.
"You have to have a country that's going to stand up to the United States," Ratner said. "You're not talking about a huge range of countries here."
That is perhaps why Snowden first stopped in Russia, a nation with complicated relations with Washington.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is "aiding and abetting Snowden's escape," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
"Allies are supposed to treat each other in decent ways, and Putin always seems almost eager to put a finger in the eye of the United States," Schumer said. "That's not how allies should treat one another, and I think it will have serious consequences for the United States-Russia relationship."
It also wasn't clear Snowden was finished with disclosing highly classified information.
"I am very worried about what else he has," said Rep. Loretta Sanchez, a California Democrat who sits on the House Homeland Security Committee.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said she had been told Snowden had perhaps more than 200 sensitive documents.
Ros-Lehtinen and King spoke with CNN. Graham spoke to "Fox News Sunday." Schumer was on CNN's "State of the Union." Sanchez appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press." Feinstein was on CBS' "Face the Nation."
Fox News' James Rosen, Kelly Chernenkoff and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The announcement came as a source confirmed to Fox News Saturday that the United States revoked Snowden's passport.
Snowden took flight Sunday in evasion of U.S. authorities, seeking asylum in Ecuador and leaving the Obama administration scrambling to determine its next step in what became a game of diplomatic cat-and-mouse.
The former National Security Agency contractor and CIA technician fled Hong Kong and arrived at the Moscow airport, where he planned to spend the night before boarding an Aeroflot flight to Cuba. Ecuador's Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said his government received an asylum request from Snowden, and the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks said it would help him.
"He goes to the very countries that have, at best, very tense relationships with the United States," said Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., adding that she feared Snowden would trade more U.S. secrets for asylum. "This is not going to play out well for the national security interests of the United States."
The move left the U.S. with limited options as Snowden's itinerary took him on a tour of what many see as anti-American capitals. Ecuador in particular has rejected the United States' previous efforts at cooperation, and has been helping WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, avoid prosecution by allowing him to stay at its embassy in London.
"The United States has been in touch via diplomatic and law enforcement channels with countries in the Western Hemisphere through which Snowden might transit or that could serve as final destinations," a State Dept. official told Fox News. "The U.S. is advising these governments that Snowden is wanted on felony charges, and as such should not be allowed to proceed in any further international travel, other than is necessary to return him to the United States."
Snowden helped The Guardian and The Washington Post disclose U.S. surveillance programs that collects vast amounts of phone records and online data in the name of foreign intelligence, but often sweeping up information on American citizens. Officials have the ability to collect phone and Internet information broadly but need a warrant to examine specific cases where they believe terrorism is involved.
Snowden has been in hiding for several weeks in Hong Kong, a former British colony with a high degree of autonomy from mainland China. The United States formally sought Snowden's extradition from Hong Kong but was rebuffed; Hong Kong officials said the U.S. request did not fully comply with their laws.
The Justice Department rejected that claim, saying its request met all of the requirements of the extradition treaty between the U.S. and Hong Kong.
During conversations last week, including a phone call Wednesday between Attorney General Eric Holder and Hong Kong Secretary for Justice Rimsky Yuen, Hong Kong officials never raised any issues regarding sufficiency of the U.S. request, a Justice spokesperson said.
A State Department official said the United States was in touch through diplomatic and law enforcement channels with countries that Snowden could travel through or to, reminding them that Snowden is wanted on criminal charges and reiterating Washington's position that Snowden should only be permitted to travel back to the U.S.
The Justice Department said it would "pursue relevant law enforcement cooperation with other countries where Mr. Snowden may be attempting to travel."
The White House would only say that President Barack Obama had been briefed on the developments by his national security advisers.
Russia's state ITAR-Tass news agency and Interfax cited an unnamed Aeroflot airline official as saying Snowden was on the plane that landed Sunday afternoon in Moscow.
Upon his arrival, Snowden did not leave Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport. One explanation could be that he wasn't allowed; a U.S. official said Snowden's passport had been revoked, and special permission from Russian authorities would have been needed.
"It's almost hopeless unless we find some ways to lean on them," said Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y.
The Russian media report said Snowden intended to fly to Cuba on Monday and then on to Caracas, Venezuela.
U.S. lawmakers scoffed. "The freedom trail is not exactly China-Russia-Cuba-Venezuela, so I hope we'll chase him to the ends of the earth, bring him to justice and let the Russians know there'll be consequences if they harbor this guy," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.
With each suspected flight, efforts to secure Snowden's return to the United States appeared more complicated if not impossible. The United States does not have an extradition treaty with Russia, but does with Cuba, Venezuela and Ecuador. Even with an extradition agreement though, any country could give Snowden a political exemption.
The likelihood that any of these countries would stop Snowden from traveling on to Ecuador seemed unlikely. While diplomatic tensions have thawed in recent years, Cuba and the United States are hardly allies after a half century of distrust.
Venezuela, too, could prove difficult. Former President Hugo Chavez was a sworn enemy of the United States and his successor, Nicolas Maduro, earlier this year called Obama "grand chief of devils." The two countries do not exchange ambassadors.
U.S. pressure on Caracas also might be problematic given its energy exports. The U.S. Energy Information Agency reports Venezuela sent the United States 900,000 barrels of crude oil each day in 2012, making it the fourth-largest foreign source of U.S. oil.
"I think 10 percent of Snowden's issues are now legal, and 90 percent political," said Douglas McNabb, an expert in international extradition and a senior principal at international criminal defense firm McNabb Associates.
Assange's lawyer, Michael Ratner, said Snowden's options aren't numerous.
"You have to have a country that's going to stand up to the United States," Ratner said. "You're not talking about a huge range of countries here."
That is perhaps why Snowden first stopped in Russia, a nation with complicated relations with Washington.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is "aiding and abetting Snowden's escape," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
"Allies are supposed to treat each other in decent ways, and Putin always seems almost eager to put a finger in the eye of the United States," Schumer said. "That's not how allies should treat one another, and I think it will have serious consequences for the United States-Russia relationship."
It also wasn't clear Snowden was finished with disclosing highly classified information.
"I am very worried about what else he has," said Rep. Loretta Sanchez, a California Democrat who sits on the House Homeland Security Committee.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said she had been told Snowden had perhaps more than 200 sensitive documents.
Ros-Lehtinen and King spoke with CNN. Graham spoke to "Fox News Sunday." Schumer was on CNN's "State of the Union." Sanchez appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press." Feinstein was on CBS' "Face the Nation."
Fox News' James Rosen, Kelly Chernenkoff and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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