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Showing Original Post only (View all)Let's be honest about Russia's role in the Edward Snowden matter [View all]
President Putin says that Snowden is a "ordinary transit passenger" who can travel wherever he wants. Except that he's not.
I am flying to Moscow in two hours, where I will also be a transit passenger (I'll let you know if I run into anyone). Except that I have an onward ticket to another destination. If I didn't have another ticket, the airline wouldn't let me on the plane. If they did, and I was denied entry or transit passage, the airline would be subject to fines as well as the cost of shipping me back where I came from.
Additionally, I can't just show up and enter the country. Russia requires a Visa for American citizens, and believe me, it's a time-consuming process to get one for an "ordinary" passenger. If Snowden has left the airport building (I don't think I'll run into him washing in the bathroom and sleeping on some seats), he would at least need a transit visa, which isn't much easier to get.
Bottom line -- the Russians knew he was coming in advance, invited him in, and in all probability have him tucked away at a hotel or other facility outside the terminal.