There is apparently no real evidence that Snowden was ever in Moscow.

[dipsydoodle]

11.27 BST

My colleague Miriam Elder didn’t manage to get on that plane to Cuba – but she’s very glad, since it seems Edward Snowden never got on it either. I just spoke to her.

She said Aeroflot officials had told her “with a little smirk” that they had been expecting Snowden too.

But Miriam pointed out that Snowden had never actually been sighted in Moscow, and there was actually no real evidence that he had ever been in Russia at all.

Meanwhile a planeload of journalists are now off to spend the day in Cuba …

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/24/edward-snowden-booked-on-plane-from-moscow-to-havana-live-coverage

As I said elsewhere - smoke and mirrors.

[Catherina]

1. I'm laughing, laughing my head off lol! "We know nothing"

“We have nothing to do with this story,” said Dmitri S. Peskov, a spokesman for President Vladimir V. Putin. “I am not in charge of tickets. I don’t approve or disapprove plane tickets. We’re not the proper people to address this question to.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/25/world/edward-snowden-nsa-surveillance-leak.html?pagewanted=3&smid=tw-nytimes&partner=rss&emc=rss

Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, said: "I don't (know if he's planning to stay in Moscow). I heard about the potential (arrival) from the press. I know nothing."

On whether Moscow would still consider a request for asylum from Snowden, Peskov added: "Every application is considered so it's standard procedure … We are not tracing his movements and I know nothing."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/23/edward-snowden-arrives-moscow

Who's playing chess now lol?

[dipsydoodle]

3. "We know nothing"

I noticed that quote yesterday.

[IDemo]

7. "I know nothing"

[Demeter]

24. Russians are VERY good chess players, as a rule

and Iceland appreciates a good game and a good player.

[Hissyspit]

2. @nycjim: Judging from tweets by @MiriamElder & other reporters in #Moscow, dozens of journos are on

@nycjim: Judging from tweets by @MiriamElder & other reporters in #Moscow, dozens of journos are on Aeroflot flight to Cuba. But #Snowden isn't.

[dipsydoodle]

4. Cracks me up that.

Its about a 9 hour flight from the UK so I guess a bit more from Moscow.

Hope none are carrying satellite 'phones - they'd be confiscated on entry.

[Catherina]

5. The good news is some will see Cuba for the first time

How long does it take a Russian military jet to get to Ecuador btw?

[dipsydoodle]

9. I don't know anything about military flights

least of all if they need to refuel whatever.

Having said that I just checked a word map and Russia seems to be only about 5 inches away from Ecuador.

[Catherina]

15. How big was the map lol?

What do you want to bet Snowden is already in Ecuador lol? Or China? Or any number of countries?

It's a big, big world ot there lol

[dipsydoodle]

22. Yes - I exaggerated

Its 6 inches on your map.

[ReRe]

53. I am LMAO, you guys...

Keystone fucking cops. "Where in the world is Edward Snowden?" Journalists on the ground in Cuba. That is so GD funny. Damn my side hurts. Carry on....

[Catherina]

54. You should see twitter lol

The overwhelming majority of people talking about this story there are firmly in Snowden's corner and some of the locations, the tweets are hilarious lol

[Hissyspit]

16. @ezraklein: “How are you feeling, journalist who got on Aeroflot 150 from Moscow to Havana?”

@ezraklein: “How are you feeling, journalist who got on Aeroflot 150 from Moscow to Havana?” “NOT GREAT BOB!”

[Marrah_G]

49. ROFL

[MADem]

34. It's eleven hours and change, and I don't think they have booze service on that flight, either.

I imagine the reporters are sad they drew the Snowden straw, unless one or more of them has a bottle of vodka in their carry on.

[Catherina]

6. John Kerry "would be deeply troubled if China and Russia had had prior notice of Snowden's travel"

John Kerry, the US secretary of state, has been speaking about the Snowden case. Kerry said he would be deeply troubled if China and Russia had had prior notice of Snowden's travel plans. More details soon

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/24/edward-snowden-booked-on-plane-from-moscow-to-havana-live-coverage#block-51c821e2e4b0c1d5e990ab41

[sibelian]

8. Ooooh! and they got all pompous with Putin and everything!

Dearie, dearie, dearie, tut.

You know, I wonder if they feel a little bit silly now.

[Catherina]

12. I know lol! And before that they were taunting him and the USAID working on Springtime for Russia

with that vile McCain sending tweets

Earlier this month, McCain, R-Ariz., an avid Twitter user, tweeted: “Dear Vlad, The #ArabSpring is coming to a neighborhood near you,” linking to a news article about the allegations of fraud after Russia’s parliamentary elections.

Last Saturday, McCain tweeted, “#ArabSpring comes Moscow ‘Russians rally vs Putin, election fraud,’” linking to a report on anti-government protests in Moscow.

Today, Putin responded, calling McCain, “nuts.”

“He has a lot of blood of peaceful civilians on his hands. He must relish and can’t live without the disgusting, repulsive scenes of the killing of Gadhafi,” Putin said, referring to McCain’s role as a pilot and prisoner of war in Vietnam, according to the Associated Press.

...

McCain mocked Putin back, tweeting this morning, “Dear Vlad, is it something I said,” and taking to the Senate floor to read, for the record, Putin’s comments. “Apparently, Mr. Putin was not amused,” McCain said on the Senate floor, “I believe that he has been shaken, as he should have been, by the massive demonstrations that have taken place in Moscow and other cities in Russia.”

...

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/12/john-mccain-taunts-putin-via-twitter/

Asshole

[timdog44]

44. I think

McCain has entered his second childhood. It is time for some tender loving care, somewhere else.

[Catherina]

10. Russia defiant as U.S. raises pressure over Snowden

Russia defiant as U.S. raises pressure over Snowden
Almasry Alyoum Published in Almasry Alyoum on 24 - 06 - 2013

...

The White House said it expected the Russian government to send Snowden back to the United States and lodged "strong objections" to Hong Kong and China for letting him go.

...

The Kremlin and the Russian government did not immediately comment. But Russian officials were defiant, saying Moscow had no obligation to cooperate with Washington after it passed the so-called Magnitsky law, which can impose a visa ban and asset freeze on Russian officials accused of human rights violations.

"Ties are in a rather complicated phase and when ties are in such a phase, when one country undertakes hostile action against another, why should the United States expect restraint and understanding from Russia?" said Alexei Pushkov, the head of the foreign affairs committee in the lower house of parliament.

...

A State Department official said Washington had told countries in the Western Hemisphere that Snowden "should not be allowed to proceed in any further international travel, other than is necessary to return him to the United States."

...

http://www.masress.com/en/almasryalyoumen/1875281

[octoberlib]

11. What's more, it's a 12 hour flight

and all the reporters are complaining on Twitter that it's a dry flight. No alcohol being served.

[dipsydoodle]

14. Hard world isn't it.

I bet those reporters would've been a nightmare for others on the flight anyway legging it up and down the aisles in constant attempts to put further spin on this subject.

First time I went to Cuba there were 3 UK couples on board going there to get married. They and their friends drunk the plane dry before we were half way there.

[freshwest]

55. How tragic.

I'm sure they're still being paid to gin up the excitement, though.

[Ichingcarpenter]

13. I know nothing but

I do wonder if that wikipedia plane mentioned earlier
is in play. I read earlier that multiple tickets were bought
which were diversional.

He could catch that private plane out of moscow without notice as compared to q commercial flight.

I just don't know anything about the type of plane an icelander said he would donate for use let alone its range.

[leveymg]

17. How bad can that be? Nice beaches. Great rum. Try the Hotel Saratoga.

[siligut]

18. Can't his travel be traced through his passport?

With all the information the NSA has access to, that seems like a no-brainer. Of course he could have just missed the plane.

[dipsydoodle]

19. Your Adminstration cancelled his passport last week

so not much to trace.

[siligut]

21. I have always needed a passport for travel in any country I have been in

Snowden is being aided by powerful people. He probably wouldn't use his passport even if it were active.

[Catherina]

23. He's traveling on Ecuadoran papers according to Assange

And the NSA can't see much because everyone changed their encryption keys. LMAO!

[siligut]

30. Thank you

He thought this through and is apparently much more knowledgeable than the press makes him appear.

[Catherina]

40. Let me know if you need the quote and I'll dig it up for you. You're welcome :) n/t

[malaise]

20. ROFL

Is this a Peter Sellers movie or is Spy vs Spy the new reality?

[Demeter]

25. It's vastly entertaining, if nothing else.

One might even say....liberating!

[Catherina]

26. " A police officer asked a member of the ground crew if everyone had arrived. The reply was:

A police officer asked a member of the ground crew if everyone had arrived. The reply was: ‘Minus five.'”

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/25/world/edward-snowden-nsa-surveillance-leak.html

[malaise]

35. Hahahahahaha

[East Coast Pirate]

27. AP photo of Edward Snowden's seat

https://twitter.com/maxseddon/status/349106511257161729/photo/1

Standing next to Edward Snowden's seat on flight to Cuba. He ain't here.

[Ichingcarpenter]

28. Ecuador’s foreign minister, is holding a press conference

Ricardo Patiño Aroca, Ecuador’s foreign minister, is holding a press conference in 9 minutes time

From Hanoi.... the minister was already there so I don't think Snowden is there but we might find out more

[Catherina]

29. Beautiful irony in the US getting upset about #Snowden going to Cuba to avoid the law

Occupy Wall Street ?@OccupyWallStNYC 10m

Beautiful irony in the US getting upset about #Snowden going to Cuba to avoid the law, which is exactly why Bush put Guantanamo there! #NSA

[Ichingcarpenter]

31. Snap n/t

[Catherina]

41. Another one!

Arman Maroufkhani ?@persianlikecat now

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! RT @mattyglesias Unlike Snowden, the US intel community would never make an alliance of convenience with unsavory regimes.

[Catherina]

32. They're having fun with this. Now saying he's on the *next* flight. LMAO!

Interfax, the Russian news agency, is reporting that Snowden might be taking the next flight to Latin America via Cuba – citing “a source familiar with the situation”. The source said: “He’s probably got another ticket also via Cuba, as there are no direct flights [from Moscow] to Caracas or Quito.”

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/24/edward-snowden-booked-on-plane-from-moscow-to-havana-live-coverage#block-51c82cd5e4b0e5e3073a9db9

ARTIST TAXI DRIVER ?@chunkymark

FOUND HIM>>>“@msnnews_ian: Snowden "spotted" in North Wales.

[dipsydoodle]

33. Yes - North Wales

[Monkie]

37. some people laughed at me when i stared a topic suggesting this was all a big troll and misdirection

whatever you say about snowden, he is a nerd, a nerd who has been hanging around on the internet since he is 17, he is anything but stupid, and a lot of people have been fooled by this whole charade, among them a lot of members of the press.
i really doubt he is going anywhere near south-america.

[Catherina]

39. I didn't laugh. I thought you were right lol but I do think he will go to Ecuador

It's a strong Leftist country where the President has very little opposition and that opposition is from the hard Left. He also doesn't play games with the US.

If course he could stay in Russia or China but my money's on Ecuador and the ALBA bloc.

[Monkie]

42. i know you did not, i just dont think he should fly across international airspace

he might go to ecuador, i just personally think it is risky, not so much because of the government there, which has strong progressive credentials, i worry about rendition if he crosses international airspace, and i worry that the US governments previous meddling in the region would allow them to think they had more of a right to rendition him illegally from ecuador, or believe that they could get away with it.
i think he would be safer in mainland europe where he could drag this through the court for years regardless of the politics of the government in power in any of the nations.
i have personal reasons for hoping he stays in europe, i want to the evidence he has used to severely punish those US companies that broke EU laws to collaborate in this spying while evading taxes on multi-billion euro profits.

[Catherina]

47. He won't. RT was just explaining how pilots have the leeway and fuel to deviate

and avoid US airspace. There are so many routes to take to get to Ecuador too. Wikileaks lawyer was just on Democracy Now saying he's "on a safe route to Ecuador" so I assume that means no US airspace. If anyone knows how dirty the US plays, it's wikileaks and Snowden. They won't leave the US an opening to nab him in transit.

Mainland Europe is too easy imo and the European governments can't be trusted not to cooperate with the US because this scandal touches them too. I think it would be even easier to illegally extradite him from Europe and they'd turn a blind eye to it until later when they'd issue a few feeble protests. His information, the same information, will keep coming regardless of where he is and in Ecuador, he'd have a cooperative government and press to support him.

[Monkie]

50. international airspace is a legal no-mans-land, and how does the US treat international law?

i did not suggest he had to cross US airspace, but international airspace is covered by international law, and the US has treated international law as toilet paper for a long time?
you could be right about europe, but the laws are very clear in europe with regards to extradition, asylum, and political offenses. and i see a parallel with a recent case in the UK, where a "blind terrorist hate preacher" who was blinded and lost his arms while "defusing a landmine" in afghanistan dragged his extradition case through the UK and EU courts for 8 years, his "political" case was weak to say the least.

[Bluenorthwest]

45. I'm laughing at those who claimed to know he was selling intelligence in Moscow

'to the highest bidder'. They lie with a casual ease. They speak those lies with great conviction.

[aquart]

46. Well, then, who IS paying his bills?

[Catherina]

48. He used his cash then maxed out all his credit cards at first. There are several funds for him

Last edited Mon Jun 24, 2013, 11:12 AM - Edit history (1)

Wilileaks handles the main one. Assange just put this out a few minutes ago.

Wikileaks has paid for Snowden’s travel cost and lodgings since he has left Hong Kong, Assange revealed. But Snowden paid his own hotel bills in Hong Kong, he said.

Asked about how Snowden had been able to travel after his US passport had been cancelled, Assange said Snowden was “supplied with a refugee document of passage by the Ecuadoran government”. But this did not imply they would accept his asylum application.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/24/edward-snowden-booked-on-plane-from-moscow-to-havana-live-coverage#block-51c85f74e4b0e19fe8d756e1

[Franker65]

36. Just a cover up for the media to go on holiday

Think about it - he doesn't show up and a jet load of journalists fly to Cuba....

[Rise Rebel Resist]

38. awesome

[Catherina]

43. Snowden is on a safe route to Ecuador according to Wikileaks attorney on Democracy Now now

LIVE: "#Snowden is on a safe route to #Ecuador," says @justleft, an attorney to #WikiLeaks and Julian Assange. http://democracynow.org

[kentuck]

51. Russia is a big country...

I'm sure they have more than just one airport in Moscow? Why would we assume he landed in Moscow? Maybe he is being held by the Russians for questioning and "de-briefing"? There is a distinct possibility that several lies were told about his departure and where he was headed, etc? Maybe he is still in Hong Kong?

[patrice]

52. Apparently he's been advanced to the next step in the interview process for the buffer-class of

mid- and upper-mid- level, assault-weapon-armed, managers for the stateless Citizens of the Archipelago.

Explains a lot about why background checks are such anathema to gun-owners.