Putin Urges Snowden to Leave Russia

[arely staircase]

MOSCOW—President Vladimir Putin said he hopes Edward Snowden, the U.S. National Security Agency leaker, will leave Russia as soon as possible and reiterated that he doesn't want the situation to damage relations with the White House.
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Mr. Putin noted that Mr. Snowden remains in Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport only because the U.S. has prevented the fugitive from reaching his desired final destination in Latin America.

The comments Monday highlighted Mr. Putin's delicate maneuvering. Though Mr. Snowden's arrival has presented an opportunity for the Russian president to burnish his American-defiant reputation at home and abroad, Mr. Putin isn't seeking a major blowup in ties with Washington. Such a collapse in relations would imperil a high-profile September meeting that Mr. Putin has planned with President Barack Obama in Russia—an event the Kremlin doesn't want to derail.

Russia declined the White House's request to expel Mr. Snowden in part because the U.S. would be highly unlikely to expel a Russian asylum-seeker at the Kremlin's request. But that doesn't mean Mr. Putin views Mr. Snowden sympathetically. The former KGB apparatchik, whose inner circle comprises security-service loyalists, views whistleblowing activities with skepticism and hasn't expressed support for Mr. Snowden's plight or cause.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323394504578607911467319492.html

[Cleita]

1. If he really wants him to leave Russia he can do two things.

First thing he can do is give him traveling papers and a safe passage to a country of asylum. I don't care if he loads him on a Russian submarine, just do it.

The second thing he can do is pressure us, the USA, to give him back his passport and not interfere with his safe passage to a country of asylum. Please tell me that Pooty Poot doesn't have the balls to put it to us. Only he or China can do it.

[arely staircase]

3. that would damage relations with the United States, which as the story states, he doesn't want to do

I am sure he is working on a way to get him into US custody while having plausible deniability.

Smart money is Snowden will be in US custody before Sept. when Obama goes to Russia.

[Thinkingabout]

2. Does anybody want this thief, I wondered if Snowden's n was voing to try o stay in Russia, Putin has

Just watched while Snowden flops around. It will probably be at the expense of the US to take ansprt his butt back to the states, try him and then spend money incarceration.

[Laelth]

4. k&r for exposure. n/t

-Laelth

[Tarheel_Dem]

5. I think certain governments wanted to use Snowden as a bargaining chip. I also think he's....

become a liability ahead of the president's planned trip to Russia. He's losing his value, which is why Greenwald has to make up a new way to write about him every other hour. The Trayvon verdict has displaced Eddie as a lead story, and GG is pissed. He's down to issuing vague threats in an effort to keep us focused on him & Snowie. Pitiful.