Putin: Snowden can stay in Russia if he stops damaging US

[Catherina]

Source: RT

President Vladimir Putin says NSA leaker Edward Snowden may stay in Russia, if he wants to, but only if he stops activities aimed against the United States.

“There is one condition if he wants to remain here: he must stop his work aimed at damaging our American partners. As odd as it may sound from me,” Putin told a media conference in Moscow.

However, Russia is not going to extradite Snowden, the president underlined.

“Russia has never extradited anyone and is not going to do so. Same as no one has ever been extradited to Russia,” Putin stated.

Snowden "is not a Russian agent", the president said, repeating that Russian intelligence services were not working with the fugitive American.

He said Snowden should choose his final destination and go there.

...

Read more: http://rt.com/news/putin-snowden-asylum-extradite-489/

---

Burns has been in Moscow for a full week now trying to work out a *deal*.

RT ?@RT_com 25m

MORE: US has held 'high level' discussions with Russia on #Snowden extradition - Obama

https://twitter.com/RT_com/status/351720081035763713

Putin's latest NYET was in answer to this

Published on Jul 1, 2013

US president Barack Obama implies that European countries could be spying on the US, saying there are plenty of European leaders who want to know what he is thinking, during a press conference in Tanzania.

[madrchsod]

1. well duh....

[frontier00]

2. His boss

Julian Assange won't let him take that deal... His puppet master

[cyclezealot]

4. Thomas Drake

http://www.reuters.com/video/2013/06/11/ex-nsa-official-on-snowden-and-the-us-sp?videoId=243280439

[frylock]

8. oh goody! another new expert has joined our ranks!

[Poll_Blind]

9. LOL! Tell me about it!

PB

[cyclezealot]

15. asylum is a right.

[nineteen50]

12. I wish he would stop telling me how

my tax monies are being used to spy on me, NOT!

[Mojorabbit]

32. Where do you think the money is coming from? nt

[Nanjing to Seoul]

18. Would you care to provide proof that Snowden works for Julian Assange, or is your source

the same place Fixed Noise gets all of its news? It's own ass? (before a flame and put in front of a jury for a personal attack, I am using the same line Jon Stewart used when Eric Bolinger or whatever his name is came up with Fox Math for potential terrorists)

[SoapBox]

19. "Julian Assange won't let him take that deal... His puppet master"

Ditto and hilarious.

[cyclezealot]

3. I had thought members of DU

had a brain. ^. Not so sure. Assange needs more puppets then to expose the international consortium of corruption.

[Arctic Dave]

5. Which means they have got all he information they need from him.

LOL.

Another big F you to the US.

[Catherina]

6. Putin briefing right now

http://rt.com/on-air/

Saying they've never worked or pumped Snowden and that Snowden is a free man. He won't extradite him.

[BlueCaliDem]

20. Right. And we should believe what an ex-KGB, America-hating Putin says, right?

Or is it just wishful thinking for Snowden defenders?

So you're willing to believe what an ex-KGB agent-turned-dictator {he prefers the title, president} says, but you'll question everything and anything President Obama says.

Wow. Just wow.

[cosmicone]

24. I doubt Putin is "America-hating"

Countries work in their own national interest and never on emotion.

(Except GWB going after Saddam saying, "he tried to kill my daddy&quot

[BlueCaliDem]

25. Well, experts doubt he's anything but.

I do agree that countries work in their own national interest and Putin's Russia benefited from a business relationship with the United States although the relationship is "prickly but cordial". But he's still a KGB agent who supported the likes of Boris Yeltsin who proved to be a powerful opponent against Gorbachev.

The KGB was NO friend to the U.S., and you can't take the Yeltsin KGB agent out of Putin.

Litvinenko poisoning incident
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_policy_of_Vladimir_Putin#Litvinenko_poisoning_incident
When Litvinenko was dying from radiation poisoning, he allegedly accused Putin of directing the assassination in a statement which was released shortly after his death by his friend Alex Goldfarb.[34] Critics have doubted that Litvinenko is the true author of the released statement.[35][36] When asked about the Litvinenko accusations, Putin said that a statement released after death of its author "naturally deserves no comment".[37]

British historian Max Hastings described Putin as "Stalin's spiritual heir" in his article "Will we have to fight Russia in this Century?".[5] British academic Norman Stone in his article "No wonder they like Putin" compared Putin to General Charles de Gaulle.[6] Adi Ignatius argues that "Putin... is not a Stalin. There are no mass purges in Russia today, no broad climate of terror. But Putin is reconstituting a strong state, and anyone who stands in his way will pay for it."[7] In the same article, Hastings continues that although "a return to the direct military confrontation of the Cold War is unlikely", "the notion of Western friendship with Russia is a dead letter".[5]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_policy_of_Vladimir_Putin#Relations_with_the_West

It's reasonable to believe Putin has no love for the West or the United States {although he needs us to be profitable}. I doubt he forgives Gorbachev and Ronnie Raygun for ending the cold war. The writing is on the wall.

I don't believe that Duhbya went after Saddam out of something as trivial as revenge - although that's a great seller and smokescreen for the masses {Americans love their revenge. That's why we still have the death penalty.}. As you've commented,

countries work in their own national interest and never on emotion

It was no different for Duhbya. He went after Saddam because his oil pals wanted control of M.E. oil, and to help Cheney launch the war that would bring the neo-CON dream, PNAC, into fruition.

[LovingA2andMI]

30. Yes....

Let revitalize the Cold War and believe its 1950-1960-1970 and 1980 again. Russia truly hates the US like a Rocky movie revisited, once again....smh

[BlueCaliDem]

34. No...

Let's not. But do learn to post with a modicum of respect when addressing another DU even if one's mother never taught them, or just not post at all, shall we?

[frontier00]

7. Assange

Julian Assange said yesterday on Abc news that there is no stopping the publication process

[Iliyah]

10. And now some Americans believe

Putin? LOL lol lol lol

And I guess Mr. Snowden will truly learn what freedom means re: the Russian people.

[MynameisBlarney]

11. And I trust Putin exactly as far as I can throw him

which isn't very far, btw.

[nineteen50]

22. Careful Putin most likely

data-mined that post.

[MynameisBlarney]

28. Oh shi-

[dipsydoodle]

13. stops damaging US ?

Its the US which has damaged the US.

Mr Burns should stick to his usual.

[Catherina]

16. Note Putin's parsed wording "if he wants to stay in Russia"

and besides, it's not Snowden 'leaking' anything now. It's Greenwald. So that was an even bigger Nyet with a token figleaf.

So Snowden can leak all he wants but if he wants Russia to approve his asylum request, he should stop leaks that "harm our allies" (whatever that means).

Snowden Applies for Asylum in Russia
By ANDREW ROTH
Published: July 1, 2013

MOSCOW — Edward J. Snowden, the former national security staffer accused of espionage, has applied for political asylum in Russia, a Russian immigration official said on Monday.

...

A series of public figures in Russia have come out in recent days in favor of extending Mr. Snowden political asylum, and on Monday, the question was the subject of a round table at the Public Chamber, a Kremlin advisory body.

“I believe that we should not give him away in any case,” said Aleksandr Sidyakin, a prominent member of the majority United Russia Party. “It seems to me that Snowden is the greatest pacifist. This person has done no less to win the Nobel Peace Prize than Barack Obama.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/02/world/europe/snowden-applies-for-asylum-in-russia.html

Mr Burns sucks at chess.

[Catherina]

26. More parsing. Susan Rice said the leaks weren't damaging

Susan Rice said the leaks weren't damaging. Another ace-in-the-hole they gave Putin for future use.

[dipsydoodle]

33. lol

opens mouth without engaging brain.

[Catherina]

36. What to think? "Edward Snowden breaks silence to threaten new U.S. disclosures"

Edward Snowden breaks silence to threaten new U.S. disclosures
Mon, Jul 01 16:55 PM EDT

LONDON (Reuters) - Former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden has broken his silence for the first time since he fled to Moscow eight days ago to say he remains free to make new disclosures about U.S. spying activity.

In a letter to Ecuador seen by Reuters, Snowden said the United States was illegally persecuting him for revealing its electronic surveillance program, PRISM. He also thanked Ecuador for helping him get to Russia and for examining his asylum request.

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSBRE96017M20130701?irpc=932

How would Reuters have seen a letter to Ecuador and have been able to validate its origins?

[dipsydoodle]

38. Lot of spin and supposition going on.

Best I've heard today is that the operation concerning spying on the US's own population is named Operation Rimjob.

[Sand Wind]

14. Putin, again putting US nose in his caca. Nt

[nineteen50]

23. I wonder if Putin is part of the

global 1% power-elite. Are the U.S. and Russian 1% power-elite on the same team?

[SoapBox]

17. Comrade Snowden!

Thanks for being such a true, blue American! Glad you love the good old US of A so much!

[Nanjing to Seoul]

21. Yeah. . .keep your mouth shut next time about illegal activities of the US government

That goes for the fucktard Bradley Manning and any whistleblower out there!

You signed your contract. Do your job without a conscience. And if you whistle blow, make sure you are publicly in the USA so you can have politically based charges trumped against you and be like Nelson Mandela was. . .imprisoned for almost a quarter of your life.

Honestly, the stupid burns sometimes.

I guess the Pentagon Papers, Upton Sinclair, Karen Silkwood (who was murdered for her whistleblowing) and all the others mean nothing. Just shut up and do your job or else you hate the "Good old U, S of A."

Living overseas has given me a much different perspective of the "Good old U, S of A." It forced me to look my country from another side. But I guess I am not a true, blue American.

[Galraedia]

29. Snowden didn't reveal anything illegal.

That doesn't make it wrong or right, just not illegal.

[gholtron]

27. I hope he stays in Russia.

I hope he gets a job in one of their secret agencies. I wonder if he would then expose what the Russian government is doing to their people? Anyways, good riddances to him.

[BlueCaliDem]

35. No one will trust him as far as they can hurl him.

What Snowden doesn't understand - and neither do his fans on this site - is that he's already seen as a traitor by other countries for what he's done. He's seen as a sell-out and a coward. No, of course not by the people {who refuse to live in the real world, much like around here} in those other countries, but certainly by the intelligence agencies. You can be sure he's being closely watched. You can bet your Snowden fan button on that.

Snowden is an embarrassment to the United States and a pariah in the countries he's looking to hide in. Neither are noble titles.

[Kolesar]

31. Exile in Frostidong or if Assange squawks, it's back to America for prosecution

Sucks for you

[DeSwiss]

37. Well, if there ever was any question in your mind......

...that should answer them. Because why in the world would Russia give a rat's ass about anyone ''hurting'' their avowed enemy?

It's all BULLSHIT.

Yes, they're all in this together.

Why?

- How else could they ever hope to control all 7 BILLION of us?

K&R

''You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.'' ~Buckminster Fuller

[Catherina]

40. There is that. There's also that Putin very carefully parses his words.

As Greenwald just tweeted, which Putin knows,

Glenn Greenwald ?@ggreenwald 8h

NOTE: Snowden's leak is basically done. It's newspapers - not Snowden - deciding what gets disclosed and in what sequence.

I didn't say Snowden couldn't leak more documents if he wanted to. Obviously, he can do so if he's inclined. That's obvious.

What I said is that he's not doling out documents to us in drips & drabs. He gave us all the documents he provided to us weeks ago. That process is done. And we - not he - are the one deciding which of those gets published and which don't, and in what order. That's what this meant: "Snowden's leak is basically done. It's newspapers - not Snowden - deciding what gets disclosed and in what sequence."

See the HuffPost interview I gave on this earlier today:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/01/der-spiegel-edward-snowden-nsa_n_3529752.html & http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1rl4jto

And harm? What harm when Susan Rice was very vocal that no harm was done?

THIS is 11th dimensional geopolitical chess, not that stuff the kiddies were talking about.

Representatives of the global 1%, such as Merkel, are all in this together. I've never been quite sure where Putin fits in.

[jakeXT]

39. Damaging us or the US? What happened to shearing the piglet?

"It's like shearing a piglet - too much squealing, too little wool."

http://mobile.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-23061317

[Catherina]

41. It's still squealing. Loud. Even louder now

But Putin gets to pretend he tried to help his, what did Kerry call them again, oh yeah, friends.