By holding open the possibility of asylum, the Russians, Ecuadorians, and Snowdens may be working in tandem to secure the most favourable conditions possible for a public trial of the American whistleblower. But that would likely prove further damaging to the Obama administration, and raises the question: Is the administration only posturing when it says it wants Snowden extradited to stand trial, or would it be more content to see him fade into obscurity in Ecuador? The Putin and Correa governments, on the other hand, can't be unconcerned about the effect of their actions on US public opinion and the Republican-controlled House if they provide sanctuary for Snowden. It will be interesting to see how this diplomatic dance works out.
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Father of NSA leaker Edward Snowden says his son would return to US to face charges Associated Press June 28 2013
WASHINGTON — The father of NSA leaker Edward Snowden acknowledged Friday that his son broke the law but doesn’t think he committed treason.
“If folks want to classify him as a traitor, in fact, he has betrayed his government. But I don’t believe that he’s betrayed the people of the United States,” Lonnie Snowden told NBC’s “Today” show.
Snowden said his attorney has informed Attorney General Eric Holder that he believes his son would voluntarily return to the United States if the Justice Department promises not to hold him before trial and not subject him to a gag order, NBC reported.
The elder Snowden hasn’t spoken to his son since April, but he said he believes he’s being manipulated by people at WikiLeaks. The anti-secrecy group has been trying to help Edward Snowden gain asylum.
“I don’t want to put him in peril, but I am concerned about those who surround him,” Lonnie Snowden told NBC. “I think WikiLeaks, if you’ve looked at past history, you know, their focus isn’t necessarily the Constitution of the United States. It’s simply to release as much information as possible.”
Lonnie Snowden declined to comment when reached Friday by The Associated Press.
Edward Snowden, who fled to Russia, is charged with violating U.S. espionage laws for leaking information about National Security Agency surveillance programs.
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Snowden "not our issue", says Putin's spokesman Voice of Russia Radio Jun 29, 2013
The future of former CIA agent Edward Snowden is not on the Kremlin's agenda, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday. The comment came after Ecuador's foreign minister, Ricardo Patiño said that negotiations were underway with Russia over Snowden.
Speaking to the Echo of Moscow radio station, Peskov reminded the audience that during his visit to Finland, President Vladimir Putin “clearly stated that de jure Snowden did not enter the Russian Federation and did not cross the border.”
“Moreover, the president said he does not address this issue and prefers that the appropriate services do this job. Therefore this theme is not on the Kremlin's agenda,” Peskov said.
“As long as this is not our issue, I do not know what variants of developments there can be and what legal and other aspects of this topic there are. I cannot say or explain anything or give any assessment,” he said.
Peskov also noted that: “Public opinion on this issue is very diverse. We know about this and take it into consideration.”
Ecuador's foreign minister, Ricardo Patiño had previously said that negotiations were underway with Russia over CIA whistleblower Edward Snowden. "There were some negotiations over recent days with the Russian authorities," he said.
Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa said that he had spoken with US Vice President Joe Biden about Edward Snowden, and that the US official asked Ecuador to reject the fugitive intelligence leaker's asylum request.
Correa said Ecuador would consult with the United States before making a decision but that ultimately it is up to Quito whether to grant asylum to the man who has made bombshell revelations about covert US surveillance of phone records and Web traffic.
Snowden, currently holed up at a Moscow airport transit area after fleeing from Hong Kong, requested asylum in Ecuador last weekend. His US passport has been revoked.
Correa said the conversation took place Friday, as Biden called and "passed on a polite request from the United States to reject the request". Correa said he told Biden, "Mr. Vice president, thanks for calling. We hold the United States in high regard. We did not seek to be in this situation. Do not get the idea that we are anti-American, as some ill-spirited media outlets are doing."
Correa said he explained to Biden that Ecuador cannot process Snowden's asylum request because he is not physically in the South American country.
"When he comes to Ecuadoran soil, if in fact he ever does, and we have to process the request, the first people whose opinion we will seek is that of the United States," he said.
Correa made his remarks on the Snowden case in a weekly address to the people of Ecuador, this time from the coastal town of Aromo.
http://ruvr.co.uk/_print/116874352.html