4 ms·

This really sounds like something straight out of some Ludlum book, which, incidentally, I loved. This is by no means advice for Snowden, but it's worth a shot

by kunai 13y ago

This really sounds like something straight out of some Ludlum book, which, incidentally, I loved. This is by no means advice for Snowden, but it's worth a shot. When you're on the run, burn your passport. Get rid of your wallet except for cash. If you can, withdraw as much cash as possible and close your bank accounts. Toss your wallet in a fire, taking only cash. Get rid of any physical attributes that could be used to easily find you. If you wear the same type of shirt every day, wear a different one every day. Shave your facial hair, and get a new hairdo. Be a nomad. Sleep in homeless shelters, and go from place to place, never staying in one location too long. Set false breadcrumbs, like Facebook logins, at strategic locations. Map out a route of where you plan to go, and map out the route where you'll leave linked IPs, logins, property along the way, maybe make a call or two with a prepaid phone and dispose of it. When your money supply is running low, forge your own identity. Create a new name, with a new ethnicity. Get a job. Live there for a while, never getting too close to anyone. Disappear. Get off the grid permanently. If the United States approves a pardon, then show up only after 4 months, it could be a decoy. Always stay on the run. And never. Trust. Anyone. ------ for added effect, listen to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dc7qiosq4m4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dc7qiosq4m4

tn13 13y ago
Withdraw cash ? really ? I am sure triggers have been set on his card. The moment he puts his card in an ATM, the police will probably reach there in 5 minutes. At least they will know his location to begin with. They then will have to just create a perimeter around him. Firstly, before he decided to be a whistle-blower he should have made some plans. If he has not, I would say just go deep into some forest and live there like a hermit for at least a year.
- jiggy2011 13y ago
  I guess the idea would be to stuff your pockets full before you blow the whistle.
  - tn13 13y ago
    In that case he could have planned everything in a much better way. He could have gone to a much safer place such as a European country like Iceland or Sweden or he could have simply got lost in the crowd in India.
- kunai 13y ago
  Agreed; he should have done that before he pulled the trigger, along with the identity destruction. It's kind of too late now... and I think either just lying low in Hong Kong or going to some obscure place in Russia or living in the mountains might be his best options.
JumpCrisscross 13y ago
"When your money supply is running low, forge your own identity. Create a new name, with a new ethnicity." Do this early on, preferably before blowing your cover.
- narag 13y ago
  I wonder why everyone takes for granted he didn't.
contingencies 13y ago
Snowden could enter China without paperwork from Hong Kong. Once inside, train travel (usually, though this may have changed a year or so ago) or long distance bus travel requires no identification and there are a huge number of long and porous land borders to cross, particularly in the Southeast Asian direction. Though he'd want to avoid part of the Vietnam one due to the likelihood of leftover land mines. The Shan, Wa and Kachin armies in northern Burma are known to be extremely hospitable to visitors. Likewise, it's easy to stay off the grid in Laos for decades. While in China, the lack of a passport could be explained with an easily faked 'receipt' from any semi-local embassy: "they're making me a visa". This would of course gel with one's travel story. (Hint: Between Hong Kong and SEA borders there are international consulates for SEA nations in Nanning and Kunming.) (Edit: Cambodia has few hills. Vietnam has too high a population density. Laos is a reasonable option. The Shan State Army is perhaps too affiliated with neighbouring powers. The Wa or Kachin would be better destinations, the latter are also near completely Christian due to US missionary activity, and on bad terms with the central Burmese authorities of late so less likely to hand people over. All in all, the Kachin would be a good bet.)
- JonnieCache 13y ago
  Apparently the hills of vietnam, laos, cambodia etc. are full of westerners on the run. Probably not for quite the same class of crime though.
  - mahmud 13y ago
    Not necessarily "on the run"; there are people who have had enough of the modern lifestyle and decided they want something different for themselves.
    - JonnieCache 13y ago
      There are plenty of those as well. But I'm referring specifically to people wanted for crimes in their home countries. The hippies tend not to stay in the mountains through the winter.

by kunai 13y ago

tn13 13y ago

Withdraw cash ? really ? I am sure triggers have been set on his card. The moment he puts his card in an ATM, the police will probably reach there in 5 minutes. At least they will know his location to begin with. They then will have to just create a perimeter around him. Firstly, before he decided to be a whistle-blower he should have made some plans. If he has not, I would say just go deep into some forest and live there like a hermit for at least a year.

jiggy2011 13y ago
I guess the idea would be to stuff your pockets full before you blow the whistle.
- tn13 13y ago
  In that case he could have planned everything in a much better way. He could have gone to a much safer place such as a European country like Iceland or Sweden or he could have simply got lost in the crowd in India.
kunai 13y ago
Agreed; he should have done that before he pulled the trigger, along with the identity destruction. It's kind of too late now... and I think either just lying low in Hong Kong or going to some obscure place in Russia or living in the mountains might be his best options.

JumpCrisscross 13y ago

"When your money supply is running low, forge your own identity. Create a new name, with a new ethnicity." Do this early on, preferably before blowing your cover.

narag 13y ago
I wonder why everyone takes for granted he didn't.

contingencies 13y ago

Snowden could enter China without paperwork from Hong Kong. Once inside, train travel (usually, though this may have changed a year or so ago) or long distance bus travel requires no identification and there are a huge number of long and porous land borders to cross, particularly in the Southeast Asian direction. Though he'd want to avoid part of the Vietnam one due to the likelihood of leftover land mines. The Shan, Wa and Kachin armies in northern Burma are known to be extremely hospitable to visitors. Likewise, it's easy to stay off the grid in Laos for decades. While in China, the lack of a passport could be explained with an easily faked 'receipt' from any semi-local embassy: "they're making me a visa". This would of course gel with one's travel story. (Hint: Between Hong Kong and SEA borders there are international consulates for SEA nations in Nanning and Kunming.) (Edit: Cambodia has few hills. Vietnam has too high a population density. Laos is a reasonable option. The Shan State Army is perhaps too affiliated with neighbouring powers. The Wa or Kachin would be better destinations, the latter are also near completely Christian due to US missionary activity, and on bad terms with the central Burmese authorities of late so less likely to hand people over. All in all, the Kachin would be a good bet.)

JonnieCache 13y ago
Apparently the hills of vietnam, laos, cambodia etc. are full of westerners on the run. Probably not for quite the same class of crime though.
- mahmud 13y ago
  Not necessarily "on the run"; there are people who have had enough of the modern lifestyle and decided they want something different for themselves.
  - JonnieCache 13y ago
    There are plenty of those as well. But I'm referring specifically to people wanted for crimes in their home countries. The hippies tend not to stay in the mountains through the winter.