This news flash is just in: Edward Snowden has been granted asylum in Russia.
It seems amazing to me that this is even considered news. Sure, the Russians say that they kept Snowden at the Moscow airport for the last month or so (although no one has seen him). Now comes the expected news that Snowden will get to stay in Mother Russia. It was clear from the day Snowden arrived that this would be the outcome. It gives Putin the chance to tweak the USA for its "evil policies" and to take attention away from his own authoritarian practices. After all, the Russian secret police do not have to put up with any of the limitations that the NSA deals with. And we all know what the fate would be of any employee of the Russian secret police who did anything like what Snowden has done. But the real point is this: most likely, Snowden is an agent working for a foreign power. It could be Russia. It could be China. Nevertheless, the Russians want to protect him but to look like they were judiciously granting asylum to this poor fugitive from the evil Americans.
So will president Obama retaliate against Russia for these actions? I doubt it. It will just be another foreign policy flub.
It seems amazing to me that this is even considered news. Sure, the Russians say that they kept Snowden at the Moscow airport for the last month or so (although no one has seen him). Now comes the expected news that Snowden will get to stay in Mother Russia. It was clear from the day Snowden arrived that this would be the outcome. It gives Putin the chance to tweak the USA for its "evil policies" and to take attention away from his own authoritarian practices. After all, the Russian secret police do not have to put up with any of the limitations that the NSA deals with. And we all know what the fate would be of any employee of the Russian secret police who did anything like what Snowden has done. But the real point is this: most likely, Snowden is an agent working for a foreign power. It could be Russia. It could be China. Nevertheless, the Russians want to protect him but to look like they were judiciously granting asylum to this poor fugitive from the evil Americans.
So will president Obama retaliate against Russia for these actions? I doubt it. It will just be another foreign policy flub.
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