G
Guest
Guest
Venezuela offers asylum to U.S. fugitive Snowden :
(Reuters) -
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro offered asylum to former U.S.
intelligence contractor Edward Snowden on Friday in defiance of
Washington, which is demanding his arrest for divulging details of
secret U.S. spy programs.
"In the name of America's dignity ... I have decided to offer humanitarian asylum to Edward
Snowden," Maduro told a military parade marking Venezuela's independence
day.
"He is a young man who has told the truth, in the spirit of rebellion, about the United States spying on the whole world."
The 30-year-old former National Security Agency contractor is believed to
be holed up in the transit area of Moscow's Sheremetyevo international
airport.
Russian officials have kept Snowden at arm's length since he landed from Hong Kong on June 23,
saying the transit area where passengers stay between flights is neutral
territory and he will be on Russian soil only if he goes through
passport control.
It was not immediately clear how Snowden would react to Maduro's offer, nor reach Venezuela if he accepted.
There are no direct commercial flights between Moscow and Caracas, and the
usual route involves changing planes in Havana. It is not clear if the
Cuban authorities would let him transit.
Given the dramatic grounding in Vienna of the Bolivian president's plane this
week over suspicions that Snowden was onboard, using European airspace
could prove problematic.
Read more ...
http://www.reuters.c...E96500420130706
(Reuters) -
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro offered asylum to former U.S.
intelligence contractor Edward Snowden on Friday in defiance of
Washington, which is demanding his arrest for divulging details of
secret U.S. spy programs.
"In the name of America's dignity ... I have decided to offer humanitarian asylum to Edward
Snowden," Maduro told a military parade marking Venezuela's independence
day.
"He is a young man who has told the truth, in the spirit of rebellion, about the United States spying on the whole world."
The 30-year-old former National Security Agency contractor is believed to
be holed up in the transit area of Moscow's Sheremetyevo international
airport.
Russian officials have kept Snowden at arm's length since he landed from Hong Kong on June 23,
saying the transit area where passengers stay between flights is neutral
territory and he will be on Russian soil only if he goes through
passport control.
It was not immediately clear how Snowden would react to Maduro's offer, nor reach Venezuela if he accepted.
There are no direct commercial flights between Moscow and Caracas, and the
usual route involves changing planes in Havana. It is not clear if the
Cuban authorities would let him transit.
Given the dramatic grounding in Vienna of the Bolivian president's plane this
week over suspicions that Snowden was onboard, using European airspace
could prove problematic.
Read more ...
http://www.reuters.c...E96500420130706
Last edited:
