U.S. assures Russia Snowden won't be executed or tortured

[unhappycamper]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/26/us-usa-security-letter-idUSBRE96P0NV20130726



U.S. assures Russia Snowden won't be executed or tortured
By Darya Korsunskaya and David Ingram
MOSCOW/WASHINGTON | Fri Jul 26, 2013 1:59pm EDT

(Reuters) - The United States has made a formal promise to Russia not to execute or torture Edward Snowden if he is sent home to face charges of illegally disclosing government secrets, and the Kremlin said Russian and U.S. security agencies are in talks over his fate.

~snip~

Russia has refused to extradite Snowden, who leaked details of a secret U.S. surveillance program including phone and Internet data, and is now considering his request for a temporary asylum.

In a letter dated Tuesday July 23 and released on Friday, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder wrote that he sought to dispel claims about what would happen to Snowden if he is sent home.

"Mr. Snowden has filed papers seeking temporary asylum in Russia on the grounds that if he were returned to the United States, he would be tortured and would face the death penalty. These claims are entirely without merit," Holder wrote.

[dipsydoodle]

1. Aside from which Holder is entirely without merit.

.

[bemildred]

2. "Would we lie?" nt

[alc]

3. who's definition of torture will they use?

Bush allowed waterboarding even though he didn't allow "torture".

Pushing the legal line as far as your lawyers will let you isn't a good precedence. Especially if other countries disagree with that line. You can probably get a US court to agree but other countries, states, parties, and groups will hate you and not trust you.

Politicians really need to start paying attention to the spirit of the law rather than letter of the law in lots of areas.