Ecuador demands Obama make a written request for NSA leaker

[Catherina]

Source: The Hill


Ecuador demands Obama make a written request for NSA leaker
By Julian Pecquet - 06/26/13 10:50 AM ET

Ecuador demanded Wednesday that the Obama administration make its case in writing to bring NSA leaker Edward Snowden into custody as the country weighs whether to grant him political asylum.

In a sharply worded statement, the Ecuadorian Embassy's deputy chief of mission said the showdown over Snowden “wasn't being provoked by Ecuador.”

...

“This request will be reviewed responsibly, as are the many other asylum applications that Ecuador receives each year,” Baus said. “The Government of Ecuador has requested that the US submit its position regarding this applicant in writing so that it can be taken into consideration as part of our thorough review process.”

...

“As the Government of Ecuador carries out its obligations, the Embassy of Ecuador strongly rejects recent statements made by United States government officials containing detrimental, untrue, and unproductive claims about Ecuador,” Baus said.

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/global-affairs/americas/307887-ecuador-demands-obama-make-a-written-request-for-nsa-leaker

[dipsydoodle]

1. statements made by United States government officials containing detrimental.....

Sad how some never learn to keep their traps shut.

[Catherina]

4. My government is tone deaf.

I know nothing about the asylum process and don't understand why Ecuador needs several weeks. Do you know?

I noted with pleasure that President Maduro of Venezuela just publicly invited Snowden to apply for asylum in Venezuela.

Venezuela’s Maduro: Snowden “Deserves Humanitarian Protection”

Mérida, 26th July 2013 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – “This guy, [Edward] Snowden... has surprised the world in order to ...improve humanity...this youth deserves humanitarian protection,” Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said yesterday at a press conference in Port-au-Prince after meeting with Haiti’s president.

...
“What would happen if it was discovered that Venezuela, a humble country, were spying on the whole world? All the organisations, the [U.N.] Security Council would come down on Venezuela straight away,” Maduro said.

He emphasised that Ecuador is evaluating possible political asylum for Snowden, and that no one has requested asylum in Venezuelan in relation to the case, but that if they were to do so, “we would evaluate it as well”.

The Venezuelan president went on to remember the case of Nelson Mandela, “who was internationally persecuted and characterised as one of the most wanted terrorists by the United States”. On the other hand, he argued, the U.S. government protects “terrorists”, such as Venezuelan Luis Posada Carriles, “who flew the Cubana de Aviacion plan and killed over 70 people”.

“Who deserves protection, the young Snowden, or those who plant bombs? It’s a reflection that we make to the people of the United States and of the world. We defend [Snowden] because ... the denunciations he has made in a very brave way, serve to change the world,” Maduro said.

...

This work is licensed under a Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives Creative Commons license

http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/9765

[another_liberal]

6. Good for Maduro!

The President of Ecuador is a brave man. As he has said himself:

The only country in the World which doesn't have to fear a military coup is the United States, because there is no U. S. Embassy there to organize the takeover.

[Catherina]

10. I really like him. I'm glad the ALBA block has been steadily preventing the US from interfering

in its internal affairs for the last few years. I'm happy Maduro offered it to him but if Snowden were my friend, I wouldn't recommend Venezuela. The right wing opposition there is so dirty that they'd hand deliver him to the US for a deal. I really like Correa, he's funny, smart, and very devoted to what's best for his people.

[another_liberal]

21. My mistake.

It is President Correa who made the comment about coups.

[dipsydoodle]

11. Nope - I don't why they want to mull it over.

They didn't seem cautious a few days back : http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/through-snowden-ecuador-seeks-fight-with-us/2013/06/24/2229ad52-dd07-11e2-a484-7b7f79cd66a1_story.html I doubt that lame veiled threats from the US will influence them - if the US doesn't do business there I'm sure the Chinese do.

Maduro uses a good analogy - what if it had been Venezuela watching the whole world. Some here seem to think there is no world outside of the US.

[Catherina]

15. I wonder if it's a matter of waiting for him to be in Ecuador

before announcing that they granted asylum. I'm not really sure what to make of this. I have a theory but nothing I'd share publicly lol.

Maduro's point was excellent. I hope the US government starts acting like there's a world outside of the US, that doesn't come under it's control. I've been embarrassed, mortified watching my government telling other countries what to do and interpreting their laws for them.

[dipsydoodle]

16. Just a matter

of whether he can get to Cuba without the media picking up on it - which I would doubt. Thats regardless of his final destination.

[Catherina]

17. Why Cuba?

What I mean is there are many different routes to Ecuador, and they're not all in the air either lol. Going via Cuba presents such huge risks, with all that airspace around it, that it seems suicidal.

[dipsydoodle]

20. Direct flight east west - non stop.

West east would be more complicated.

Perish the thought of attempting such a journey by sea. Pissed as as they may well be I doubt the US would shoot down another civilian plan by "mistake" like the Iranian one in 1988.

[another_liberal]

22. If ordered detour and land . . .

Last edited Wed Jun 26, 2013, 09:37 PM - Edit history (1)

The airspace near any U.S. territory or military base would be dangerous for Snowden. It would take a brave pilot indeed to not obey if ordered to detour and land. Not only his own life and that of Snowden would be at risk if he tried to disobey, but also those of any other passengers on board. A well-armed fighter plane or two would be extremely intimidating.

[dipsydoodle]

23. That could be construed by Russia as an act of piracy.

You think the US would want to risk going that far ?

[another_liberal]

25. Fascinating question.

There's little doubt our government wants him very, very badly. As to whether they will take the risk, one has to remember this is the same President who ordered the hit on bin Laden, despite the fact he was (one assumes) under protection of the Pakistani military.

[mike_c]

2. Ecuador has long been on mine and my partner's retirement list-- looking better and better....

Mostly for practical rather than political or ideological reasons-- we're simply not looking forward to living on a very modest pension in the U.S., and we both want to explore new places and meet new people. We understand that no government is perfect, and that there might be aspects of life in the U.S. that we'll miss, but poverty and unaffordable illness aren't as likely to be among them.

Sorry for the off topic post-- the OP reminded me that we're planning to visit Ecuador in a year or two as we approach retirement age.

[Catherina]

5. I don't know any Americans who've regretted their decision to move there

I think you're making the right choice. I moved to Central America a few years ago and so far the only thing I miss are book stores. And I had to think about that one lol.

[Bacchus4.0]

7. Cuenca is the hot destination for US retirees n/t

s

[railsback]

3. In other words

Ecuador is stalling. They don't want him, either. The longer Snowden sits in limbo without a country, the better chance there is that he'll be apprehended, and then every country can breath a sigh of relief that they don't have to deal with it.

[magical thyme]

8. Meh. Everybody assumes Ecuador because of Assange...

Ecuador has a trade deal due to be renewed, so may not want to risk that at this juncture, or may just be following their laws. Many countries have a slower moving bureaucracy than Americans are used to. Venezuela has already openly invited him. There are any number of countries that would be quite willing to take him in just to stick it to the US.

[railsback]

9. Venezuela said they would consider an asylum request

just as Ecuador did. Again, this is populist bravado expected from Latin American populist leaders. Venezuela is desperately trying to increase their exports right now. Peru, Chile, Columbia, all have free trade agreements with the U.S. Ecuador's main trading partner is the U.S. Venezuela, like Ecuador, understands now that they can't rely solely on oil exports to survive. Its all chest thumping, and stalling, hoping Snowden is captured, and captured soon.

[dipsydoodle]

12. free trade agreements with the U.S ?

Nothing is free in the world . Such agreements basically mean they get subject to buying subsidised US farm produce which lowers the prices their own farmers get.

[magical thyme]

18. I doubt very much they're "hoping he gets captured."

They gain nothing by his capture, they lose nothing by his eluding capture while hanging out in Russia's airport.

I can understand if they are reluctant to provide asylum, given our track record of bombing everything and everyone in our ruthless pursuit of whatever it is we are ruthlessly pursuing. but it took 2 months for them to review and decide on Assange, and with that precedent in mind there is no reason to think that it would take any less time with Snowden.

I suspect, however, that *you* are hoping for his capture and his capture soon.

[railsback]

19. Yeah, well, that doesn't make any sense

Bombing Ecuador? ROFL. That fits in nicely with the NSA is spying on everyone / losing our 'freedoms' meme.

[dipsydoodle]

13. I like that headline

although the narrative makes it clear its the administration and not a personal request from himself.

[Catherina]

14. Me too lol. Correa himself had some interesting things to add

but I haven't had the time to f look for the original source.

Through his Twitter account the president stressed that the Washington Post had "accused" Ecuador of having double standards.

They have managed to focus on Snowden (an ex-intelligence agent who fled the United States) and the "evil" countries that "support" him, making us forget the terrible actions he denounced against the U.S. people and the whole world, he expressed on Twitter.

"The world order is not only unjust, it is immoral," stressed the president.

...

The Ecuadorian government puts principles above its interests, said Foreign Affairs Minister Ricardo Patiño in a press conference from Vietnam where he was on an official visit.

http://www.plenglish.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1552231&Itemid=1

Top Dem threatens to block trade deal with Ecuador over Snowden
By Julian Pecquet - 06/26/13 07:09 AM ET

[pampango]

24. Obviously any extradition request would have to be in writing (legal writing at that).

That's what was delivered to the Hong Kong government - for all the good it did.

It is interesting to request a brief from a foreign government in advance of a decision to grant a visa, much less an official decision on granting asylum to someone. That is a different way to go about granting asylum rather than than just granting it and letting the chips fall where they may.