7 ms·

Snowden may be granted entry to Russia Wednesday

64 points by ra 13y ago

peterkelly 13y ago
> "He plans to get a job" Getting a letter of reference from his previous employer may turn out to be a bit tricky...
- grinich 13y ago
  Though he does release early and often.
- dmxt 13y ago
  In Russia Federation, most employers don't require a letter of reference and they don't contact previous employer.
  - ekianjo 13y ago
    Not only Russia, most companies don't, almost everywhere in the world.
xentronium 13y ago
Sigh, he probably doesn't know what he is signing for. Unless one of his friends from foreign organizations is ready to employ and shelter him, of course.
- mjolk 13y ago
  Snowden is not stupid - he knows what he's getting into. If the Russian government is offering to shelter him, it's in exchange for more information. They have no use for a mid-level sysadmin that they can't trust.
  - lhnz 13y ago
    I still find it difficult to believe that the Russian government didn't have information about the US' spy programs already.
    - Teapot 13y ago
      They might have. They wouldnt tell anyone what they know, or what they dont know about.
      - mjolk 13y ago
        Exactly. This is an American (well, former) screaming from a soapbox that whatever USA-conspiracy theory in mind is factual. This is a free pass to use him as a puppet.
    - mjolk 13y ago
      I'm sure that they did, but that doesn't mean that Snowden doesn't know/have access to useful, privileged information.
mtgx 13y ago
It's really very unfortunate that he couldn't go to Latin America, all because US' European friends would rather break international law, and try and stop an asylum request, than let him go. I think even most accused terrorists would've had an easier time getting asylum than Snowden. In fact, I think I've just read about one getting asylum in Europe recently, and it has happened before, too.
- eshvk 13y ago
  > European friends would rather break international law, and try and stop an asylum request, than let him go. I am confused; I thought airspace was sovereign territory. As a country, are you not allowed to allow or deny access to anyone you wish to allow ? I am not clear where the breaking of international law comes.
  - moocowduckquack 13y ago
    Try grounding Air Force One by denying travel over Europe half way through a flight and then holding the US president for twelve hours against his will on the basis that you want to search his plane for a suspect and see how far you get under international law by claiming that it is fine because your airspace is sovereign territory. Part of international law is that sovereignty has to respect sovereignty.
  - pyrophane 13y ago
    Sort of. It could be considered a violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that "Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution."
    - deleted 13y ago
      [deleted]
  - ivanhoe 13y ago
    It might constitute the breaking of Vienna Convention http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna_Convention_on_Diplomatic_Relations http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna_Convention_on_Diplomatic.... Usually diplomatic cars, airplanes, etc. are not to be stopped and particularly not to be searched by local police, so this was a HUGE diplomatic screw up, especially since Snowden wasn't on the plane.
moocowduckquack 13y ago
I really hope he takes up Anna Chapman's offer of marriage, mainly because it would be hilarious and would keep Bruce Sterling happy. Of course it would look really bad in the US press, and mean that he would definitely be under surveillance from a known Russian spy, but that is probably better than the paranoia of maybe being under surveillance from a companion who could well be a spy, and at least he'd share some ground.
adcoelho 13y ago
I feel like this is more of a gateway for applying for asylum in some embassies, as required by some countries, rather than an opportunity to stay in Russia indefinitely, or at least for an year until the next renewal.
- k-mcgrady 13y ago
  I think that is his plan. He can't apply for asylum in most countries without going to their embassies and to do that he needs entry to Russia.
  - adcoelho 13y ago
    But its weird that Russia suddenly decided to grant him this safe pass after denying him asylum in order to maintain the relations with the USA. Could there be a hidden agenda somewhere?
    - k-mcgrady 13y ago
      I don't think they ever denied him asylum, this is the first he has applied. They just said that he had to stop releasing information that's damaging to the US in order to be granted asylum.
kushti 13y ago
Proud to be Russian today

64 points by ra 13y ago

peterkelly 13y ago

> "He plans to get a job" Getting a letter of reference from his previous employer may turn out to be a bit tricky...

grinich 13y ago
Though he does release early and often.
dmxt 13y ago
In Russia Federation, most employers don't require a letter of reference and they don't contact previous employer.
- ekianjo 13y ago
  Not only Russia, most companies don't, almost everywhere in the world.

xentronium 13y ago

Sigh, he probably doesn't know what he is signing for. Unless one of his friends from foreign organizations is ready to employ and shelter him, of course.

mjolk 13y ago
Snowden is not stupid - he knows what he's getting into. If the Russian government is offering to shelter him, it's in exchange for more information. They have no use for a mid-level sysadmin that they can't trust.
- lhnz 13y ago
  I still find it difficult to believe that the Russian government didn't have information about the US' spy programs already.
  - Teapot 13y ago
    They might have. They wouldnt tell anyone what they know, or what they dont know about.
    - mjolk 13y ago
      Exactly. This is an American (well, former) screaming from a soapbox that whatever USA-conspiracy theory in mind is factual. This is a free pass to use him as a puppet.
  - mjolk 13y ago
    I'm sure that they did, but that doesn't mean that Snowden doesn't know/have access to useful, privileged information.

mtgx 13y ago

It's really very unfortunate that he couldn't go to Latin America, all because US' European friends would rather break international law, and try and stop an asylum request, than let him go. I think even most accused terrorists would've had an easier time getting asylum than Snowden. In fact, I think I've just read about one getting asylum in Europe recently, and it has happened before, too.

eshvk 13y ago
> European friends would rather break international law, and try and stop an asylum request, than let him go. I am confused; I thought airspace was sovereign territory. As a country, are you not allowed to allow or deny access to anyone you wish to allow ? I am not clear where the breaking of international law comes.
- moocowduckquack 13y ago
  Try grounding Air Force One by denying travel over Europe half way through a flight and then holding the US president for twelve hours against his will on the basis that you want to search his plane for a suspect and see how far you get under international law by claiming that it is fine because your airspace is sovereign territory. Part of international law is that sovereignty has to respect sovereignty.
- pyrophane 13y ago
  Sort of. It could be considered a violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that "Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution."
  - deleted 13y ago
    [deleted]
- ivanhoe 13y ago
  It might constitute the breaking of Vienna Convention http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna_Convention_on_Diplomatic_Relations http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna_Convention_on_Diplomatic.... Usually diplomatic cars, airplanes, etc. are not to be stopped and particularly not to be searched by local police, so this was a HUGE diplomatic screw up, especially since Snowden wasn't on the plane.

moocowduckquack 13y ago

I really hope he takes up Anna Chapman's offer of marriage, mainly because it would be hilarious and would keep Bruce Sterling happy. Of course it would look really bad in the US press, and mean that he would definitely be under surveillance from a known Russian spy, but that is probably better than the paranoia of maybe being under surveillance from a companion who could well be a spy, and at least he'd share some ground.

adcoelho 13y ago

I feel like this is more of a gateway for applying for asylum in some embassies, as required by some countries, rather than an opportunity to stay in Russia indefinitely, or at least for an year until the next renewal.

k-mcgrady 13y ago
I think that is his plan. He can't apply for asylum in most countries without going to their embassies and to do that he needs entry to Russia.
- adcoelho 13y ago
  But its weird that Russia suddenly decided to grant him this safe pass after denying him asylum in order to maintain the relations with the USA. Could there be a hidden agenda somewhere?
  - k-mcgrady 13y ago
    I don't think they ever denied him asylum, this is the first he has applied. They just said that he had to stop releasing information that's damaging to the US in order to be granted asylum.

kushti 13y ago

Proud to be Russian today