Is He Or Isn't He? Much Confusion Over Snowden And Venezuela

[struggle4progress]

by MARK MEMMOTT
July 09, 201311:50 AM

... First, Alexei Pushkov, chairman of the Foreign Affairs committee of Russia's state Duma, tweeted that "NSA leaker" Edward Snowden had accepted an asylum offer from Venezuela. Snowden, as you probably know, is thought to be in legal limbo at the transit zone of Moscow's airport. He's trying to avoid being sent back to the U.S., where he would be prosecuted for spilling secrets about National Security Agency surveillance programs ...

— Then Pushkov deleted his tweet. Uh-oh. That's usually a sign that someone thinks he shouldn't have said what he just said.

— Pushkov came back minutes later with a tweet that said, "Information that Snowden accepted an offer of asylum from Maduro came from 18-hour release of 'Vesti 24'." That's a Russian news channel.

— But Vesti 24 wasn't mentioning this scoop on its website or on its Twitter page. Hmm. Instead, NPR's Corey Flintoff told us from Moscow that "Vesti 24's 7 p.m. is quoting Pushkov" about Snowden's supposed-decision ...

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/07/09/200382725/is-he-or-isnt-he-much-confusion-over-snowden-venezuela

[HipChick]

1. Assange running the show..

hence the misinformation..

[flamingdem]

4. You're right. I should realize the Andrea Mitchell report and this news about

his acceptance are manipulated.

That may mean they're trying to hook another country and want cover for him to travel there.

I can't believe they'd pick Venezuela since they're a sitting duck for attacks on their surveillance methods

[MADem]

40. Venezuela refines most of their oil on OUR gulf coast.

We "import" their oil....and then we "export" gasoline and petroleum products...right back to Venezuela.

Surely that important fact must be crossing Maduro's mind...

[snappyturtle]

5. I didn't see Assange mentioned in the article. Have you read it

elsewhere? Link if you have it please.

[HipChick]

17. I think even Stevie Wonder can see this..

Trying to think what his motives are..

[snappyturtle]

20. Thanks for the snark.

[KittyWampus]

23. Snappy, the timeline of events places Wikileaks personnel with Snowden even before Greenwald.

[snappyturtle]

24. Thanks for your non-snarky reply. I'm certain Snowden and Assange would

'compare' notes so to speak. But I do not see anything directly linking the two in this part of the timeline. We can,at best, only assume it may have happened. Until one or the other openly says there was a consultation, it's only speculation on our part. I don't regard speculation as credible.
imho

[KittyWampus]

25. Sorry, I can't find the stuff and I'm losing interest. Have a great week, Snappy!

[snappyturtle]

30. I'm sure. And, you have a nice week too KW! nt

[Cha]

26. WhatEv-er makes you think Ass ange is running the show?

Just because Ass ange's ex girlfriend, Sarah Harrison, who works for wikileaks, is in charge of Snowden since Hong Kong? How dare you suggest that?!!

http://wikileaks.org/Profile-Sarah-Harrison.html

[snappyturtle]

31. I didn't know this which is obvious with my reply up thread. But, I have to ask

who cares? What difference does it make? If you were in Snowden's position wouldn't you take advice from a current whistleblower? Doesn't mean Snowden will....but he needs all the input he can get at this point. imho

[flamingdem]

2. Andrea Mitchell said that they'd heard Venezuela has sent a plane

Wow, talk about putting your money where your mouth is. Maduro is going to blow some serious change on that lil leaker!

Then the world will turn to look at civil rights abuses and surveillance in Venezuela, ohh the optics.

[allin99]

45. she is stunningly useless

[randome]

3. Apply the Snowden's Cat Theorem

Somebody please open the frickin' box!



[hr]
[font color="blue"][center]Birds are territorial creatures.
The lyrics to the songbird's melodious trill go something like this:
"Stay out of my territory or I'll PECK YOUR GODDAMNED EYES OUT!"[/center][/font]
[hr]

[flamingdem]

6. Schnowdengers Cat

?

[randome]

8. Or we could apply Sheldon Cooper's immortal words to the subject.

"Screw him. He was weak."

[hr]
[font color="blue"][center]Birds are territorial creatures.
The lyrics to the songbird's melodious trill go something like this:
"Stay out of my territory or I'll PECK YOUR GODDAMNED EYES OUT!"[/center][/font]
[hr]

[railsback]

7. Seems like all these countries 'offering' asylum have an escape route

Big talk, no results… I can't imagine Maduro wanting Snowden in his country, with the newly empowered Rightwing breathing down his neck. Even holing up in an embassy somewhere would give Capriles et al ammo for blaming Maduro for stifling much needed trade.

[flamingdem]

9. I agree. But Maduro is not dumb. He said in an interview he knows Snowden

is being manipulated.

I would guess that he's made a deal with Russia to use Snowden for the symbolic value while they plot to move away from US influence.

Putin hates Obama and would love to give him a hard time.

That's worth paying for this whole mess, so I'd guess he's made a contribution.

[railsback]

13. I don't know if we can say that Putin 'hates' Obama

More like two big boys posturing in a bar. And the jury is still out for me on Maduro. I have a suspicion that he's more like an Ahmadinejad, a figurehead who slips out of line sometimes and needs to be reeled back in by Cabello behind the scenes.

[flamingdem]

14. True. We need to take all the emotional words out of it

but they did not look friendly at the last summit.

I don't know enough about Maduro but I'm guessing you're pointing to Castro! El Caballo

[railsback]

15. Diosdado Cabello Rondón

[flamingdem]

16. Thanks

I haven't spent time on knowing the players there.

[Cha]

28. Yeah, if you're going by those summit meeting pics..

This is Priceless..



But, wait we did get a small KGb smile..



http://theobamadiary.com/tag/putin/

[snappyturtle]

21. Capriles can only hope. The newly empowered right wing?

Maduro will survive if he can fully adopt (and keep) Chavez's stature with the numerous minions. Trade? The U.S. is not the only player....I bet many countries would gladly fill the void if the U.S. was out of the picture. How arrogant to think that a people accustomed to little couldn't survive without the U.S. U.S. exeptionalism is coming to a close and it's about time. imho

[railsback]

32. Is that the refurbished magic wand you bought on eBay?

You'd think that with all the brouhaha going on between the U.S. and Venezuela over the past several years, Venezuela would have thumbed their nose at the U.S. a long time ago, instead of exporting HALF their oil production to the Evil Empire. Go figure. So, I guess next in line to pick up the slack would be China, but they already bought up half of Ecuador, sending the indigenous people scurrying while their jungles get chewed up, AND China has pipelines draining Iraq/Iran fields, so they're pretty well set. They're also busy building massive solar power complexes. Russia? Probably got the largest untapped reservoirs on Earth. So who's left? Oh, right. All the oil Chavez was giving away, or selling dirt cheap off the market to his neighbors. I'm sure they'll be happy when big bills start showing up. Dominos, man, dominos.

But what do I know? I haven't bought one of those magic wands, yet.

[snappyturtle]

34. Thanks for your viewpoint. I guess time will tell. nt

[MADem]

41. Ecuador rolled over and caved with just a little sweet talk from Smoking Joe Biden!

He gave 'em the "Hey baby, what you wanna do that for?"

And Correa said, "Oh, I was just joshin' ya, Joe--here, have a beautifully formed, perfectly grown, Ecuadoran rose to prove my love for you..!"

And Joe said, "Thanks, and you can sell your roses in America all the live-long day...!"

[railsback]

43. Ecuador NEVER had any plans to grant Snowden anything.

Machismo. Nothing more.

[MADem]

44. iCreo que sí! nt

[GeorgeGist]

10. Meanwhile ...

[HipChick]

18. the level of poverty there though..

most americans are not ready for..It's a land of have and have-nots..

[snappyturtle]

22. Do you honestly think that we're not on the path of have and have-nots? nt

[HipChick]

27. If you've have ever been to South America, you will know what I am talking about..

and no..this country isn't even close...

[snappyturtle]

29. I've seen poverty in the Baja and under bridges in the U.S. We're on our way. nt

[railsback]

33. Maybe you should try driving through the slums outside of Mexico City

and that's like a resort compared to countries further south.

[snappyturtle]

35. I have seen extreme poverty. ALL I am saying is that we are headed in that

direction....and in some place have. What's with the tent cities and families living in cars? Are you saying that isn't extreme poverty? I'm afraid we will be seeing more of it. I do not want to get into a bidding war or who has seen the worst of the worst. IMHO

[railsback]

36. No, you haven't seen 'extreme poverty'. Not even close.

[snappyturtle]

37. I beg you pardon. OK, you're the king/queen of poverty sightings. Better now? nt

[railsback]

38. You accuse people of being arragont

4 million people live like this in the Neza-Chalco-Itza barrio. THIS is poverty. THIS is rampant throughout the heroic Latin American countries willing to grant Snowden asylum at their expense. Get real.

[img][/img]

[snappyturtle]

39. If I thought you were arrogant....I would have said so. The gist of what I've

been saying upthread is that poverty is global and seeping more and more into the U.S.

[CakeGrrl]

19. Yes, the starry-eyed fantasy vision

of the movies...

Hero makes nearly impossible getaway, sips cocktails on a beach while casually releasing more headline-busting secrets to the frustration of the Evil Obama Empire.

How many days on end can one sit on a beach?

Do the looming DOJ charges weigh on one's mind?

I wonder why the countries making offers weren't at the top of the asylum request list?

[MADem]

42. Looks can be deceiving.....crime, murder and piracy--a real paradise!

And the COPS are in on it!!!


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isla_Margarita

On 20 January 2012 about 30 or 35 Brazilian tourists were robbed in their hotel in Antolin del Campo, Margarita, by a gang of between 13 and 15 armed robbers.[3]

Starting in October, 2011 the Government installed equipment that requires everyone visiting Margarita Island to electronically register their fingerprints and a picture when entering Margarita Island.[4]

Since 2010, there have been four instances of tourist murders. On 27 August 2010 an Italian tourist, Emiliano Astore, was murdered on his boat anchored off Margarita Island in an apparent robbery. Two police officers and a civilian were arrested. A third officer was implicated in the "exploitation of objects" from the crime.[5] On 18 July 2011, 28 year old Briton Tom Ossel was killed resisting seven armed robbers who had tricked their way into the backpackers hotel before they took the guests hostage and raiding rooms for valuables.[6] On 29 March 2011, French tourist Francés Yves Le Bras was murdered in a robbery at the Laguna Mar hotel while he and his wife dined at the Guacuco restaurant.[7] In March 2011, Belgian tourist Bonne Philippe was murdered while eating in a fast food outlet in Playa El Agua, Margarita.[8]

The US Government has not issued any warnings of violent crime on Margarita Island.[9] The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office warns that street crime in mainland Venezuela is high, and that armed muggings and 'express kidnappings' – opportunistic abductions to extort money from someone - are regular occurrences.[10]

Since 1998 there have been about ten pirate attacks on or near Margarita Island. Venezuela is now listed as a dangerous region for pirate attacks and in many regions, including between Margarita and Sucre, sailors should not anchor and yachts should sail in company.[11][12]

[okaawhatever]

11. Struggle, somehow an old thread from Manny Goldwhatever from a few days ago has

topped you. That usually means the trolls are pushing it up. They can't handle having anything pro-America or pro-Obama administration on the top. They suck. I'm glad Snowden found the bastion of transparency and freedom he was looking for.

[randome]

12. Is that the one where he said he would become a 'swine-whisperer' or something like that?

I'm glad I never opened that one.

[hr]
[font color="blue"][center]Birds are territorial creatures.
The lyrics to the songbird's melodious trill go something like this:
"Stay out of my territory or I'll PECK YOUR GODDAMNED EYES OUT!"[/center][/font]
[hr]