4 ms·

Now we know what will happen to Snowden if he is granted asylum by a country that can only be reached by flight. The flight permits will be rescinded, the plan

by buro9 13y ago

Now we know what will happen to Snowden if he is granted asylum by a country that can only be reached by flight. The flight permits will be rescinded, the plane forced to land and subjected to a search, and if Snowden is present I suspect he will be arrested and extradited to the USA on the basis that the asylum is invalid on the grounds that it was not granted in the destination country. Russia really is his best chance. Edit: Which makes me wonder, did Bolivia help spread this rumour (on behalf of Ecuador or Venezuela) to test what would happen

Irishsteve 13y ago
I think searching a government / diplomatic plane isn't allowed.
- acqq 13y ago
  Tell that to Spain: "9.27am BST Morales said he refused a request by the Spanish authorities to inspect his plane in Vienna and has not been granted permission to use Spanish airspace, according to Reuters." http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/03/edward-snowden-asylum-live http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/03/edward-snowden-a...
  - vidarh 13y ago
    They are not allowed to forcibly enter. But of course that does not stop bullying like this where they the "request" permission to enter while making it clear they won't allow him to fly through their airspace if he doesn't.
    - zokier 13y ago
      Which could/would cause as big of a diplomatic uproar as forcibly entering the plane.
      - ignostic 13y ago
        You seemed to think this would be some sort of protection, but ultimately you were right. Bolivia is pissed. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/03/us-usa-security-snowden-idUSBRE9610C520130703 http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/03/us-usa-security-sn...
acqq 13y ago
re: "did Bolivia help spread this rumour" No sane state president would risk his own flight safety "to test what would happen." They president, the delegation and the crew now unnecessarily spent the whole night at the airport for chrissake!
- anentropic 13y ago
  yeah but a 3rd party might spread the rumour to test the waters, eg Russia
iwwr 13y ago
Could he take a more circuitous route, through Russian territory up to the Far East and then across the Pacific to some friendly South American country?
zokier 13y ago
> the plane forced to land Forced how? I doubt anybody would be willing to shoot a civilian plane down to get Snowden, especially if the plane in question was also carrying a president or other high ranking people. So the pilot could relatively safely ignore any demands to land.
- marvin 13y ago
  They still have to refuel...
  - zokier 13y ago
    I guess I meant forced to land unexpectedly/unplanned.
  - jonmrodriguez 13y ago
    Wouldn't it be possible and not that hard to outfit a private plane with supersize fuel tanks, occupying the entire cargo area?
    - jlgreco 13y ago
      Fuel is a lot denser than cargo tends to be; I suspect this would be harder to do safely than you might expect. You'd need to make sure the balance is okay and stays okay throughout the flight (can't have it slosh around). You could surely get Boeing to retrofit one of their planes like that, but I don't think it is something a 3rd party could slap together on short notice.
    - marvin 13y ago
      Probably not. Most airplanes are at maximum takeoff weight when the fuel tanks are full and they are loaded with passengers and cargo.
- Create 13y ago
  aircraft maintenance, Korean Air Lines Flight 007 (incident response observation)
mzs 13y ago
"Officials in Russia, which has made clear it wants Snowden to leave, say an embassy car would be considered foreign territory if a country picked him up." From Reuters: http://www.voanews.com/content/snowden-aslym-options-dwindle-reuters/1693620.html http://www.voanews.com/content/snowden-aslym-options-dwindle... There are embassies for Ecuador, Venezuela, and Iceland in Moscow. EDIT: Oh and Bolivia too.
ChuckMcM 13y ago
I would not put it past anyone in this circus (which the US is making) taunting the US by letting such a rumor slip in order to see what is what. If that is true, and this was the American response, then is suggests we (the Americans) are more frazzled than we should be at this point. Whom ever is heading up the recovery effort in DC is making poor decisions at this point.

by buro9 13y ago

Irishsteve 13y ago

I think searching a government / diplomatic plane isn't allowed.

acqq 13y ago
Tell that to Spain: "9.27am BST Morales said he refused a request by the Spanish authorities to inspect his plane in Vienna and has not been granted permission to use Spanish airspace, according to Reuters." http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/03/edward-snowden-asylum-live http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/03/edward-snowden-a...
- vidarh 13y ago
  They are not allowed to forcibly enter. But of course that does not stop bullying like this where they the "request" permission to enter while making it clear they won't allow him to fly through their airspace if he doesn't.
  - zokier 13y ago
    Which could/would cause as big of a diplomatic uproar as forcibly entering the plane.
    - ignostic 13y ago
      You seemed to think this would be some sort of protection, but ultimately you were right. Bolivia is pissed. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/03/us-usa-security-snowden-idUSBRE9610C520130703 http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/03/us-usa-security-sn...

acqq 13y ago

re: "did Bolivia help spread this rumour" No sane state president would risk his own flight safety "to test what would happen." They president, the delegation and the crew now unnecessarily spent the whole night at the airport for chrissake!

anentropic 13y ago
yeah but a 3rd party might spread the rumour to test the waters, eg Russia

iwwr 13y ago

Could he take a more circuitous route, through Russian territory up to the Far East and then across the Pacific to some friendly South American country?

zokier 13y ago

> the plane forced to land Forced how? I doubt anybody would be willing to shoot a civilian plane down to get Snowden, especially if the plane in question was also carrying a president or other high ranking people. So the pilot could relatively safely ignore any demands to land.

marvin 13y ago
They still have to refuel...
- zokier 13y ago
  I guess I meant forced to land unexpectedly/unplanned.
- jonmrodriguez 13y ago
  Wouldn't it be possible and not that hard to outfit a private plane with supersize fuel tanks, occupying the entire cargo area?
  - jlgreco 13y ago
    Fuel is a lot denser than cargo tends to be; I suspect this would be harder to do safely than you might expect. You'd need to make sure the balance is okay and stays okay throughout the flight (can't have it slosh around). You could surely get Boeing to retrofit one of their planes like that, but I don't think it is something a 3rd party could slap together on short notice.
  - marvin 13y ago
    Probably not. Most airplanes are at maximum takeoff weight when the fuel tanks are full and they are loaded with passengers and cargo.
Create 13y ago
aircraft maintenance, Korean Air Lines Flight 007 (incident response observation)

mzs 13y ago

"Officials in Russia, which has made clear it wants Snowden to leave, say an embassy car would be considered foreign territory if a country picked him up." From Reuters: http://www.voanews.com/content/snowden-aslym-options-dwindle-reuters/1693620.html http://www.voanews.com/content/snowden-aslym-options-dwindle... There are embassies for Ecuador, Venezuela, and Iceland in Moscow. EDIT: Oh and Bolivia too.

ChuckMcM 13y ago

I would not put it past anyone in this circus (which the US is making) taunting the US by letting such a rumor slip in order to see what is what. If that is true, and this was the American response, then is suggests we (the Americans) are more frazzled than we should be at this point. Whom ever is heading up the recovery effort in DC is making poor decisions at this point.