4 ms·

Although technically Russia and Norway share a land border, you would have to drive thousands of miles through extremely remote arctic areas, where the major ro

Although technically Russia and Norway share a land border, you would have to drive thousands of miles through extremely remote arctic areas, where the major routes are single-lane roads and the nearest settlements may be hours apart. If one is worried about underhanded tactics by the US, this seems quite a dangerous way to go.

mc32 10y ago
Possibility, yes, but realistically no. I don't see them kidnapping him as a way to bring him before US courts. If I were him I'd be a little more worried about local gangs with little to do and one too many crazy ideas knowing who he is and trying to kidnap him and avail him at some price.
- toyg 10y ago
  > If I were him I'd be a little more worried about local gangs Yeah, all those famous Norwegian kidnapping gangs. /facepalm
  - mc32 10y ago
    Rural Russia isn't exactly the manicured place you imagine it to be.
    - toyg 10y ago
      Ah yeah, I thought you referred to the situation once he crossed the border. Inside Russia, I would expect his transport to be Putin-approved, which is probably the safest you can get.
- pluma 10y ago
  What makes you think he would be brought before US courts if he were kidnapped? Given the US intelligence services' track record it's far more likely a kidnapping would result in his disappearance -- alive or not.
  - notahacker 10y ago
    I'm aware that the US doesn't always make the best geopolitical decisions, but alienating every single European ally you have in order to eliminate one high profile, non-dangerous violator of official secrets acts seems like a fairly unlikely course of action for them to take...
    - tremon 10y ago
      Why is that unlikely? We have seen documents about CIA rendition across Europe, and Europe has even forced presidential planes to the ground on behalf of the USA. I don't share your optimism that Europe cares so much about Snowden that it would respond differently in his case.
lb1lf 10y ago
That is IMHO exaggerating a bit; yes, the arctic parts of Norway are definitely sparsely populated, but it is only a 20-minute drive or so from the Russian/Norwegian border post Storskog to the airport in Kirkenes, Norway - where you can jump on a domestic flight to wherever. If flying is out for any reason, I agree it would be a more cumbersome undertaking getting down south. Then again, nothing stopping the PEN and Snowden from turning it into a PR spectacle by handing over the price at the border crossing - with Snowden in Russia and the PEN crew in Norway, bridge of spies style. Would highlight the absurdity of it all.
neverminder 10y ago
Actually, he could just fly to Murmansk from where there's just a few hundred kilometers to Tromso and take a plane to Oslo.

mc32 10y ago

Possibility, yes, but realistically no. I don't see them kidnapping him as a way to bring him before US courts. If I were him I'd be a little more worried about local gangs with little to do and one too many crazy ideas knowing who he is and trying to kidnap him and avail him at some price.

toyg 10y ago
> If I were him I'd be a little more worried about local gangs Yeah, all those famous Norwegian kidnapping gangs. /facepalm
- mc32 10y ago
  Rural Russia isn't exactly the manicured place you imagine it to be.
  - toyg 10y ago
    Ah yeah, I thought you referred to the situation once he crossed the border. Inside Russia, I would expect his transport to be Putin-approved, which is probably the safest you can get.
pluma 10y ago
What makes you think he would be brought before US courts if he were kidnapped? Given the US intelligence services' track record it's far more likely a kidnapping would result in his disappearance -- alive or not.
- notahacker 10y ago
  I'm aware that the US doesn't always make the best geopolitical decisions, but alienating every single European ally you have in order to eliminate one high profile, non-dangerous violator of official secrets acts seems like a fairly unlikely course of action for them to take...
  - tremon 10y ago
    Why is that unlikely? We have seen documents about CIA rendition across Europe, and Europe has even forced presidential planes to the ground on behalf of the USA. I don't share your optimism that Europe cares so much about Snowden that it would respond differently in his case.

lb1lf 10y ago

That is IMHO exaggerating a bit; yes, the arctic parts of Norway are definitely sparsely populated, but it is only a 20-minute drive or so from the Russian/Norwegian border post Storskog to the airport in Kirkenes, Norway - where you can jump on a domestic flight to wherever. If flying is out for any reason, I agree it would be a more cumbersome undertaking getting down south. Then again, nothing stopping the PEN and Snowden from turning it into a PR spectacle by handing over the price at the border crossing - with Snowden in Russia and the PEN crew in Norway, bridge of spies style. Would highlight the absurdity of it all.

neverminder 10y ago

Actually, he could just fly to Murmansk from where there's just a few hundred kilometers to Tromso and take a plane to Oslo.