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Ladybbird · 23-06-13, 20:20

SITES THAT THE NSA (PRISM) ARE SPYING ON YOUR MOVEMENTS/ACTIONS/INFO

The Evidence...
(Note on the Top Left Hand Side and Bottom Right Hand Side, it is marked.... TOP SECRET:

..Big Brother is Watching You..

:

......

RELATED:

America Broke Copyright Laws First

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Ladybbird · 24-06-13, 00:00

A Quote made today on CNN that will go down in History- from NSA's "Intelligent" Director, Keith Alexander:

Quote:

"I've Never Heard of Wikileaks I Don't Know What it is"

Boom Boom .......

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Ladybbird · 24-06-13, 00:48

Whistleblower Snowden Escapes Arrest in Hong Kong - Thanks to US Errors

Edward Snowden heads for Ecuador after flight to Russia leaves authorities in US amazed and infuriated

Tania Branigan in Hong Kong, Miriam Elder in Moscow and Nick Hopkins, The Guardian, Sunday 23 June 2013

Journalists show a picture of Edward Snowden, to passengers arriving in Moscow from Aeroflot flight SU213. Photograph: Igor Kharitonov/EPA

Edward Snowden was five hours into his flight from Hong Kong, having already been served one of two hot meals, when news of his departure to Moscow began to electrify media organisations all over the world.

The Hong Kong authorities waited until Snowden was safely out of Chinese airspace before sending out a short press release that confirmed the intelligence whistle-blower had been allowed to leave on Aeroflot flight SU213, bound for Russia.

The 30-year-old had not been stopped on his way to Chek Lap Kok airport, and was allowed to slip away on a hot and humid morning, despite American demands that he be arrested and extradited to face trial for espionage offences.

The reason?

The Americans had mucked up the legal paperwork, the authorities claimed in a statement released at 4.05pm local time.

Hong Kong had no choice but to let the 30-year-old leave for "a third country through a lawful and normal channel".

If the sudden "discovery" of a flaw in legal proceedings prompted sighs of relief around the island and across the rest of China, there would have been sharp intakes of breath in Washington and London, where diplomats and intelligence officials had been hoping the net around Snowden was finally tightening.

A fortnight into a series of revelations that have embarrassed and infuriated the National Security Agency and Britain's GCHQ, their target was on the move again, heading, it seems, to central or south America, and potentially beyond the reach of authorities that could try to shut him up.

The escape from Hong Kong was another audacious move from Snowden, who went to ground a week ago and has not been seen since.

It was choreographed with the help of WikiLeaks, whose legal director is Baltasar Garzón, the former Spanish judge who enraged the British government by issuing an international warrant for the arrest in the UK of former Chilean president General Augusto Pinochet. "The WikiLeaks legal team and I are interested in preserving Mr Snowden's rights and protecting him as a person," Garzón said.

Once on board the Airbus A330-300, and for perhaps the first time in two weeks, Snowden would have been unaware of the diplomatic rows raging 40,000ft below him, as American officials woke up to find that the former NSA contractor had eluded them again and China reacted with indignation to his latest revelations.

The White House appears to have been caught flat-footed by the latest manoeuvres. On Saturday, President Obama's national security adviser, Tom Donilon, told CBS news he expected Hong Kong to arrest Snowden because it "has been a historically good partner of the United States in law enforcement matters and we expect them to comply with the treaty in this case".

Lawyers in Hong Kong thought so too, and reacted with amazement to the statement from the Hong Kong Special Autonomous Region (HKSAR).

Simon Young, a public law specialist at the University of Hong Kong, said the decision was "a shocker".

"The US government will be irate with their Hong Kong counterparts [and] may even question whether the Hong Kong government was acting in good faith pursuant to their treaty obligations. I'm surprised."

Ronny Tong Ka-wah, a barrister and legislator for the pro-democracy Civic party, said letting Snowden leave with a minimum of fuss must have been China's preferred option.

"If Beijing was to refuse to surrender Snowden, that might harm Sino-US relations. On the other hand, if Beijing was to allow Snowden to surrender, it might well be subject to criticism both here in Hong Kong and in European countries making noises about the conduct of the US."

The formal response from the US department of justice was measured.

"We will continue to discuss this matter with Hong Kong and pursue relevant law enforcement co-operation with other countries where Mr Snowden may be attempting to travel," a statement said.

But on Capitol Hill there was undisguised fury, particularly when it emerged that Snowden appeared to be intending to leave Moscow for Cuba, and then possibly Venezuela or Ecuador.

"Every one of those nations is hostile to the United States," fumed Mike Rogers, chair of the House intelligence committee. "The US government must exhaust all legal options to get him back. When you think about what he says he wants and what his actions are, it defies logic."

Democrat senator Charles Schumer said Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, "always seems almost eager to stick a finger in the eye of the United States, whether it is Syria, Iran and now, of course, with Snowden".

General Keith Alexander, director of the NSA, was withering too. "[Snowden] is clearly an individual who's betrayed the trust and confidence we had in him. This is an individual who is not acting, in my opinion, with noble intent."

The row overshadowed further revelations about the scope of US spying activities. Snowden left Hong Kong reeling after disclosing to the South China Morning Post that the NSA had targeted Chinese phone companies in a mass trawl of texts and phone calls.

After years of being condemned by Washington for industrial-scale stealing and spying in cyberspace, Beijing seized the opportunity to hit back, while swerving around awkward questions about Snowden himself.

The official Xinhua news agency said the revelations had "put Washington in a really awkward situation. Washington should come clean about its record first. The United States, which has long been trying to play innocent as a victim of cyber attacks, has turned out to be the biggest villain in our age."

In Moscow, meanwhile, various welcoming parties gathered at Terminal F of Sheremetyevo international airport in anticipation of Snowden's arrival. The biggest comprised reporters from the world's media, who assembled airside to greet the US fugitive and his travelling companion, Sarah Harrison, who works for WikiLeaks.

Neither of them emerged into the public lounges, provoking a new round of conspiracy theories and rumours about where they might have gone.

Russian security vehicles surrounded the plane when it landed, while plain-clothed Russian agents trawled the terminal, deflecting questions about which state agency they represented by pretending to be businessmen from Munich and journalists from state-run NTV.

Then a Venezuelan contingent was said to be there, fuelling speculation that Snowden was being whisked away to the country's embassy in Moscow, and his final destination was Caracas.

But by early evening it appeared Snowden had not left the airport at all, and Quito was a more likely final destination. The Ecuadorian foreign minister, Ricardo Patiño, on an official visit to Vietnam, tweeted that Snowden had sought political asylum in his country.

An Aeroflot source quoted by Interfax said Snowden had taken a small overnight "capsule" room at a hotel in terminal E.

"He has arrived. He cannot leave the terminal, since he doesn't have a Russian visa," the source was quoted as saying.

The appearance at the airport of Ecuador's ambassador, Patricio Chávez, added to the melee.

The envoy appeared lost as he wandered around the terminal, approaching a group of journalists to ask: "Do you know where he is? Is he coming here?" A reporter replied: "We thought you did."

Before wandering off, Chávez admitted he hoped to see Snowden because "we have an interest in knowing what is happening to him". And, perhaps, how he had got there in the first place.

As Snowden settled in for the night, the American authorities announced they had revoked his passport before he had got on the flight from Hong Kong, and they hoped Moscow might intervene on their behalf.

But Russian officials have given no indication that they have any interest in detaining Snowden or have any grounds to do so. Far from it. The foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, has said Russia would be willing to consider granting asylum if Snowden were to make such a request.

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Ladybbird · 24-06-13, 16:39

Petition To Preemptively Pardon Ed Snowden Reaches Goal Of 100k Signatures

Rick Falkvinge: 24 Jun 2013

These petitions, as defined and set up by the U.S. administration in the White House, are a way for citizens to call attention to issues they want to be taken seriously. This particular petition is unusually clear in its language, where most are rather poorly worded and ambiguous:

Edward Snowden is a national hero and should be immediately issued a a full, free, and absolute pardon for any crimes he has committed or may have committed related to blowing the whistle on secret NSA surveillance programs.

Now, regardless of success in terms of signature count, it is important to remember that this is a petition – not a legislation. This is not a binding parliamentary vote that reached its goal of majority. It is a voice of dissent against the administration’s persecuting an important whistleblower, and it is a voice of strong dissent against the administration’s ubiquitous wiretapping. They are going to ignore it completely – on its own. But the persistent drop hollows the stone. This was but one fall of the drop. Snowden’s pardon petition needs to be one of many, many initiatives that voice dissent in the coming weeks and months.

It is also reasonable to ask if one should be speaking in terms of “pardon” in the first place, as though the man was a criminal rather than a responsible citizen with higher morals than most could hope to achieve in a lifetime.
In this affair, the surveillance hawks are the criminals who should be seeking pardon, and no one else.
We think the key message to get across is the first part of the petition: “Edward Snowden is a hero”.

On its own, this petition stands as much chance of changing an ivory-tower establishment attitude as the massive protests after the raid and verdict against The Pirate Bay did. At that time, the establishment reacted with – at most – a condescending “good for them nerds to get some sunlight”. That holier-than-thou tone of voice changed radically when the Pirate Party kicked officials out of office to take their seats in the following elections. One step at a time, one voicing of dissent at a time. Every step is important. For example, don’t miss the similar Avaaz petition that is currently in excess of one million signatures.

To be honest, it is also fair to say that the
administration has little reason to take their petition seriously on its own after a petition to build a Death Star reached the same kind of goal. While obviously tongue-in-cheek, and given exactly that sort of response from the administration, that petition set the bar for the seriousness of other White House petitions.

This was one successful step of dissent against the surveillance state, and for the freedom of the press that counteracts it.

Sunlight isn’t just good for nerds, it is necessary for society overall.

Ladybbird · 24-06-13, 17:50

So where IS Edward Snowden? Russia accused of play Cold War games with U.S. and acting as 'travel agent' for NSA.
Whistleblower fails to board Cuba flight and disappears

The 30-year-old failed to travel on an Aeroflot flight out of Moscow to Cuba as expected, raising the possibility that the FSB intelligence service - which would have huge interest in his secrets - was acting as his travel agent. Snowden accompanied by Briton Sarah Harrison is seeking to reach Ecuador hoping for political asylum so defying a last ditch effort to flout his plans and have him arrested. A photo (left) showed the empty seat which the whistleblower was booked to occupy in this morning's flight.

Edward Snowden, 30, flew to Moscow with British activist Sarah Harrison
Julian Assange tells reporters both have now left Moscow and are 'safe'
Harrison is a WikiLeaks spokesman and ex girlfriend of Julian Assange
But picture has emerged of empty seat that he was meant to be booked on
Whistleblower was expected to travel to Cuba en route to South America
US warns Western nations not to help Snowden unless to send him home

DailyMail UK, 24 June 2013

Russia was accused of playing sinister Cold War games with the US today as mystery surrounded the whereabouts of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.
The 30-year-old failed to travel on an Aeroflot flight out of Moscow to Cuba as expected, raising the possibility that the FSB intelligence service - which would have huge interest in his secrets - was acting as his travel agent.
Snowden accompanied by Briton Sarah Harrison is seeking to reach Ecuador hoping for political asylum so defying a last ditch effort to flout his plans and have him arrested.

Searching for asylum: Edward Snowden is travelling to Ecuador after being charged with espionage in America. He met with Ecuador's ambassador as he landed in Moscow today

Snowden's whereabouts remained a mystery this afternoon, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, an Ecuador refugee himself, claimed he was 'safe and healthy' after fleeing to Moscow to a secret bolt hole.

Quote:

'The current status of Mr Snowden and Harrison is that both are healthy and safe and they are in contact with their legal teams,' Assange said, referring to Sarah Harrison, a WikiLeaks representative accompanying Snowden

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange

Edward Snowden left Hong Kong on June 23 bound for Ecuador via a safe pass through Russia and other states,' Assange told reporters on a conference call from inside Ecuador's embassy in London, where he has been himself hiding from arrest and extradition.Speaking at a telephone conference call with journalists, Mr Assange accused the US administration of making 'extremely bellicose' statements about Mr Snowden and of attempting to 'bully' Russia and other countries into extraditing him.

'The current status of Mr Snowden and Harrison is that both are healthy and safe and they are in contact with their legal teams,' Julian Assange said
'The US Secretary of State claimed Mr Snowden is a traitor. He is not a traitor, he is not a spy, he is a whistleblower who has told the public an important truth. The charging of Edward Snowden is not a matter of justice - it is an attempt to intimidate any country that might be considering standing up for his rights to tell the truth.'

Asked if he knew where Mr Snowden was, Mr Assange replied:

'He is in a safe place and his spirits are high. Due to the bellicose threats coming from the Obama administration we cannot go into further details.'

Asked if he knew how Mr Snowden left Hong Kong, Mr Assange said:

'That is a fascinating story which I am sure will one day be told, but today is not the day.'

Right hand woman: Sarah Harrison, who is believed to have been helping Snowden flee to South America, is pictured outside the embassy in London where her then-boyfriend Julian Assange is seeking asylum

However, Russia last night claimed to be studying a US demand for Snowden to be extradited -implying he was still hiding at a Moscow airport.

Quote:

'An official US request for detention and deportation of
E. Snowden has been received through diplomatic channels, on the basis that he is being accused of committing grave crimes,' admitted an informed source.
'Appropriate services have been instructed to take measures to study this request from the USA.'

But simultaneously a security source said Russia does not have the right to apprehend Snowden because he had not gone through passport control at Moscow's Sheremetyevo international airport.

'The Russian authorities cannot detain and deport Snowden because he has not crossed the border of the Russian Federation,' said a source.

Meanwhile, another source with knowledge of the Snowden situation strongly hinted he had left Russia on another plane.

'Snowden, most likely, has already left the Russian Federation,' according to a Moscow source 'familiar with the matter', reported Interfax news agency.

'He could have left by a different plane.'

And Vladimir Putin's spokesman teased the Americans:

'Overall, we have no information about him.'

Leading MP Alexei Pushkov, head of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee, blasted:

'Why should the United States expect restraint and understanding from Russia?'

The distinctly contradictory Russian statements had the hallmarks of a Cold War-style bid to confuse the enemy and aid Snowden in his escape.

But there was also speculation in Western enemies that the Russians could be 'extracting information ' from the American IT specialist, a former CIA employee, in return for helping him with his onward passage.

'The delay is puzzling,' said one source. 'He appeared to have a ticket for an onward flight to Cuba and then South Ameria but suddenly he was not on the flight.

'The question is: Who or what kept him in Moscow? '

Just as worrying was the location of his laptop computers containing an intelligence treasure trove which the US fear amounts to one the biggest leaks in history.

Should the Americans succeed in detaining Snowden, he could spend most of the rest of his life in jail as one of the most prolific 'traitors' ever, according to US claims.

A large group of journalists boarded flight SU 150 from Moscow to Havana but the economy class seat - for which Snowden has reportedly checked in - was empty.

'He didn't take the flight,' said an Aeroflot source after the plane left 40 minutes late.

Heavy security around the flight suggested that there was an expectation he would take it.

The Ecuadorian ambassador to Moscow arrived at the airport yesterday morning amid speculation he would accompany Snowden on any flight.

Another explanation was that he could be furnishing Snowden with an Ecuadorian travel document or passport that would enable him to cross borders legally.

There were also claims that he had applied for Icelandic asylum.

Departed: Snowden was believed to be booked on Flight CU 6150 from Moscow to Cuba

Where is he? Passengers queue to board a plane to Cuba at a terminal of Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport. But Snowden was nowhere to be seen

Meanwhile, Ecuador's Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino gave the strongest hint yet over his country's intentions as he told a press conference he is reviewing Snowden's asylum request and will make a decision based on human rights considerations above all.

Likening his case with the 'persecution' of US Army whistleblower Bradley Manning, he said: 'Human rights principles will always be placed above any other interest.

'Ecuador's government has maintained respectful contact with the Russian government and has said that it is considering the asylum request... Of course, we are considering the consequences of our decisions but we act on our principles.'

It comes as US Secretary of State John Kerry said;

'It would be 'deeply troubling' if Russia or Hong Kong had adequate notice about Edward Snowden's plans to flee to a country that will grant him asylum and still allowed him leave.

'I think reciprocity in the enforcement of the law is pretty important,' he added.

His words were echoed by a State Department official in Washington who today urged all Western nations not to harbour the fugitive in a veiled warning to any country who fails to comply.

'The United States has been in touch via diplomatic and law enforcement channels with countries in the Western Hemisphere through which Snowden might transit or that could serve as final destinations,' he said. 'The U.S. is advising these governments that Snowden is wanted on felony charges, and as such should not be allowed to proceed in any further international travel, other than is necessary to return him to the United States.'

Asylum: The pair were met by two cars, pictured, from the Ecuadorian embassy parked at Moscow's Sheremetevo airport today

The FSB was earlier said to have ignored the request with sources saying it had no reason to arrest Snowden and that he was treated as an 'ordinary' transit passenger.

'The Ecuador authorities could supply him with refugee documents or even grant him citizenship by is issuing a passport or a special note,' said a Russian security source.

The Ecuador foreign minister Ricardo Patin Aroca is expected to gave a press conference at 1pm London time in Hanoi where he is on a diplomatic visit.

He is due to address the issue of Snowden's diplomatic status, and said earlier:

'We will make a decision... we are analysing it.'

The Ecuadorian Embassy in Moscow declined to give any details.

'We make no comments and plan no official events on this issue', said a source.

continued.....

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Ladybbird · 24-06-13, 18:50

conclusion....

Last year Miss Harrison was forced to pay £3,500 to the courts after she had put up £5,000 as one of the people who provided sureties for Mr Assange’s bail conditions.

A WikiLeaks statement said yesterday:

‘Miss Harrison has courageously assisted Mr Snowden with his lawful departure from Hong Kong and is accompanying Mr Snowden on his passage to safety.’

Snowden has been charged with espionage after exposing Prism – a covert project run by US intelligence that snoops on Facebook accounts, emails and phone calls.
He has also detailed a massive electronic eavesdropping operation by Britain’s GCHQ called Operation Tempora. Snowden described it as
‘the largest programme of suspicionless surveillance in human history’.

The US had made a formal request to the Hong Kong government for a provisional arrest warrant to stop him leaving the territory.
But relations cooled after Snowden claimed the US had hacked into Chinese mobile phone companies to access millions of text messages. Beijing said it was ‘gravely concerned’ about the allegations.

In a statement yesterday, the Hong Kong government said Snowden boarded a plane at Chep Lap Kok airport ‘on his own accord for a third country through a lawful and normal channel’.
It said documentation provided by America for the arrest warrant did not ‘fully comply’ with Hong Kong law.
Clearly irritated, the Hong Kong government also demanded ‘clarification’ on hacking saying it would ‘follow up on the matter’ to protect the legal rights of its citizens.

In the US, security chiefs were bewildered at how Snowden had been allowed to leave the Chinese- run territory because his passport had been revoked on Saturday.Keith Alexander, head of the US National Security Agency said:

‘This is an individual who is not acting, in my opinion, with noble intent.
‘What Snowden has revealed has caused irreversible and significant damage to our country and to our allies.’

Democratic senator Charles Schumer believes Russian President Vladimir Putin approved Snowden’s flight to Moscow.

He said:
‘Putin always seems almost eager to stick a finger in the eye of the United States – whether it is Syria, Iran and now of course with Snowden.’

He also suggested China may have had a role to play in Snowden’s departure from Hong Kong.
He added:
‘It remains to be seen how much influence Beijing had on Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, Downing Street this morning declined to comment on whether a plane carrying Mr Snowden would be allowed through UK airspace and said that the question of whether he has breached any laws was a matter for the US legal system.
David Cameron's official spokesman said the Prime Minister believes that GCHQ is operating within 'a clear and robust framework'.

'GCHQ absolutely operates within the law,' said the spokesman. 'It is very important that it has operated and continues to operate within the law.'

Spokeswoman: Miss Harrison became close to Assange when she started working at WikiLeaks and is believed to have acted as his assistant

Sympathetic: Ecuador Ambassador to Russia Patrizio Alberto Chavez Savala, pictured left with Vladimir Putin, was waiting for Snowden in Moscow

The spokesman said that the questions surrounding proposed legislation on communications data - branded a 'snooper's charter' by critics - remained unchanged since the Queen's Speech last month.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg prevented the inclusion in the Speech of a bill to require internet companies to keep records of email and social media contacts and allow security services access to the data, but Home Secretary Theresa May has been pressing for the legislation to be revived in the wake of the murder of soldier Lee Rigby in Woolwich.

Mr Cameron's spokesman said:

'It is very important that we enable the police and other agencies to stay up to date with technological developments.
'The Government is considering how best that is done and it will set out its position in due course.'

NBC'S DAVID GREGORY ASKS GUARDIAN JOURNALIST GLENN GREENWALD WHY HE SHOULDN'T BE CHARGED FOR HELPING SNOWDEN

Quote:

NBC 'Meet the Press' host David Gregory got a rise out of Glenn Greenwald on Sunday by asking the Guardian reporter
why he shouldn't be charged with a crime for having 'aided and abetted' former National Security Agency analyst Edward Snowden.

Greenwald replied on the show Sunday that it was
'pretty extraordinary that anybody who would call themselves a journalist would publicly muse about whether or not other journalists should be charged with felonies.'

Tense: NBC host David Gregory and journalist Glenn Greenwald had a tense moment when Gregory suggested Greenwald should be charged with a crime for 'aiding' NSA whistle-blower Edward Snowden

Greenwald first reported Snowden's disclosure of U.S. government surveillance programs. On Sunday, Ecuador's foreign minister and the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks said that Snowden was headed to Ecuador to seek asylum.

During his interview with NBC's Gregory, Greenwald declined to discuss where Snowden was headed. That refusal seemed to prompt Gregory to ask:
'To the extent that you have aided and abetted Snowden, even in his current movements, why shouldn't you, Mr. Greenwald, be charged with a crime?'

Greenwald said Gregory was embracing the Obama administration's attempt to 'criminalize investigative journalism,' citing an FBI agent's characterization of Fox News journalist James Rosen as a probable co-conspirator of a State Department contractor who was suspected of leaking classified information to Rosen. Rosen was not charged.

'If you want to embrace that theory, it means that every investigative journalist in the United States who works with their sources, who receives classified information is a criminal, and it's precisely those theories and precisely that climate that has become so menacing in the United States,'

said Greenwald, a former constitutional and civil rights lawyer who has written three books contending that the government has violated personal rights in the name of protecting national security.

Gregory responded that "the question of who is a journalist may be up to a debate with regard to what you are doing." Gregory also said he was merely asking a question.

'That question has been raised by lawmakers as well,' Gregory said. 'I'm not embracing anything, but, obviously, I take your point.'

Later, Greenwald tweeted,

Quote:

"Who needs the government to try to criminalize journalism when you have David Gregory to do it?" and, 'Has David Gregory ever publicly wondered if powerful DC officials should be prosecuted for things like illegal spying & lying to Congress?'

Ladybbird · 24-06-13, 19:16

WHY ECUADOR IS SNOWDEN'S BEST CHANCE OF EVADING US JUSTICE

President Rafael Correa of Ecuador (pictured) embraces his role as a thorn in Washington's side, railing against US imperialism and giving WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange refuge in his nation's embassy in London.

But nothing Correa has done to rankle the United States is likely to infuriate as much as granting the asylum being sought by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, who faces espionage charges back home after revealing details of two highly secret surveillance programs.

Both Cuba and Venezuela previously had been rumored as possible destinations for Snowden, although they now appeared more likely to be only transit points on the way to Ecuador.

'Correa may find it hard to resist the temptation to get increased attention and seize this opportunity to provoke and defy the U.S.,'

said Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue think tank.

'Correa is confrontational and relishes fights. Should he ultimately grant Snowden asylum, one hopes that Correa has thought through the likely consequences of such a decision.'

Taking in Snowden would increase Correa's popularity among those who see him as a champion of open information, help him counter criticism of a new media law that some call an assault on freedom of speech in Ecuador and cement his name as a leading voice of opposition to U.S. foreign policy.

But it could threaten preferential access to US markets for Ecuadorean goods under the US Andean Trade Preference Act, and strain already shaky ties between two nations that only last year re-established full diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level.

However, giving Snowden asylum for leaking secret information would be 'illegal' in both the US and Ecuador, former Ecuadorean diplomat Mauricio Gandara said.

'It would be an illegal act, because what he has done is a crime in both the United States and Ecuador,' said Gandara, who was Ecuador's ambassador in London. 'It is a confrontation with the people and government of the United States and both (political) parties. It is an unnecessary conflict.'

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Ladybbird · 25-06-13, 01:46

US Reporters Not allowed off Snowden's Plane/Others Stranded in Cuba

CBS News/ June 24, 2013,

Other Reporters Chasing Edward Snowden Stranded on Cuba-Bound Plane

The Aeroflot Airbus A330 plane that was to carry National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden on a flight to Havana, Cuba, taxies out at Sheremetyevo airport, Moscow, Monday, June 24, 2013.

Snowden, who arrived in Moscow on Sunday from Hong Kong, booked a seat for the flight to Cuba, but he was not seen on the plane. / AP Photo/ Sergei Ivanov

Updated 8:28 p.m. US. ET

The continuing pursuit of elusive Edward Snowden left several journalists stranded at 30,000 feet after they boarded a plane from Moscow bound for Cuba - only to discover an empty seat booked in the NSA leaker's name.

Journalists from around the world embarked on Moscow-Havana flight to "photograph an empty seat"

Hilarious

An Aeroflot representative told The Associated Press that Snowden wasn't on flight SU150 to Havana, which was filled with journalists trying to track him down.
Reporters on the flight sent tweets confirming that Snowden was nowhere to be found

According to the Guardian, the journalists' prolonged detour was exacerbated by another notable absence:

Aeroflot no longer serves alcohol on Havana-bound flights.

CBS News' Portia Siegelbaum reports at least one reporter, from Reuters, was allowed to leave the airport before the plane took off.

It's unclear how many reporters got on the plane but a BBC reporter estimated about two dozen journalists were trying to board the flight.

Several other U.S. reporters were not allowed on the plane because they did not have the visa requirements to enter Cuba.

Siegelbaum, who is stationed in Havana, says that Cuba's policy is not to allow journalists into the country unless they previously applied for and received journalist visas.

Those on board the Aeroflot plane will probably be kept in a transit area until they can be put on an outgoing flight, she said.

Siegelbaum guessed that "if the same plane has space, they will be sent back on it." Which would potentially mean another 6,000-mile flight with no Edward Snowden - and no booze.

Summed up journalist Max Seddon:

"Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit amphetamines"

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Ladybbird · 25-06-13, 15:18

ANONYMOUS plans a response to PRISM:

ANONYMOUS

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Ladybbird · 29-06-13, 17:19

The United States Seized Confidential Mail Records Of European Parliament

Posted: 30 Jun 2013
Smári McCarthy

Privacy – Christian Engström: I can’t say I’m surprised – but we’ve got the United States and its security bureaucrats digging through our e-mail in the European Parliament. Mashable reveals that the United States has demanded information from Google about the communications of two Wikileaks activists. One of them is the Icelander Smári McCarthy (pictured).

These events catch our interest here in Brussels, here at the Pirate Party office in the European Parliament. We know Smári, and we have contacted him as a consultant to produce a report on Iceland as an “information paradise” and a conceivable centre for cloud computing (www.islandsofresilience.eu).

A quick check reveals that we have been in touch with Smári (through Erik Josefsson), via his Gmail account, regarding this report during the time period when the United States was wiretapping his mail.

Now, this is not about keeping secrets. That’s not the point. (And besides, we would never use Gmail for anything sensitive.) But there’s an important issue of principle here.

The United States is breaking into and digging through mail between the European Parliament and people who have been commissioned to produce its political reports. This is completely unacceptable.

The United States is not supposed to spy on political parties. The United States is not supposed to spy on the Members of the European Parliament. The United States is not supposed to break into and dig through the daily routine work of the European legislative body.

For now, I’m mostly pissed off. Later, I will consider how to handle this issue. I will probably raise these events at a formal level with the European Parliament.

[UPDATED: The initial headline of this article was "The United States wiretapped mail of the European Parliament". It was changed after criticism of being misleading.]

Originally published in Swedish.

Falkvinge on Infopolicy.

UPDATE
It has just been reported on the BBC that the "Whistleblower", Edward Snowden, actually provided evidence of this in some of his "leaked documents"

RELATED:

NSA Spying

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Ladybbird · 30-06-13, 19:57

Trapped in transit: Surreal 21 hour adventure of reporter who deliberately got sequestered at Moscow airport in the hope of finding Edward Snowden

Associated Press journalist Ian Phillips spent almost at entire day in transit at Moscow Airport in the hope of meeting NSA leaker Snowden

By Daily Mail UK & AP, 29 June 2013

Phillips writes that if Edward Snowden is staying at the Novotel in the transit zone of a Moscow airport, he may already have a taste of what it's like to be in prison

With NSA leaker Edward Snowden believed to have spent the past week holed up in the wing of a Russian airport hotel reserved for travelers in transit, a journalist choose to get himself deliberately sequestered in the hope of finding the elusive fugitive.

Ian Phillips has described his experience as a ‘surreal 21 hour adventure’ which could have come straight from the pen of George Orwell.

Phillips, Eastern Europe News Director for the Associated Press, flew from his home in Prague to Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport with the goal of getting to the bottom of the mystery of fugitive NSA leaker Edward Snowden.
The main Novotel building is located outside the airport and has a plush lobby with a fountain, a trendy bar and luxury shops.

One wing, however, lies within the airport's transit zone and acts as a kind of international limbo that is not officially Russian territory - this is where Snowden is believed to be holed up.

Snowden is believed to be waiting here to hear whether Ecuador, Iceland or another country might grant him asylum. He fled Hong Kong last weekend after being charged with violating American espionage laws.

According to Phillips, the experience of staying at the Novotel for 21 hours has left him feeling that if the NSA leaker is indeed in the transit zone of the airport, he may already have a taste of what it's like to be in prison.

Welcome to Moscow: This photo shows a view of the lobby of the Novotel Hotel in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport

Ian Phillips, Eastern Europe News Director of the Associated Press, stands in a corridor of the Novotel Hotel in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, Russia

Here Phillips writes about his surreal experience:

The woman at the transit desk raises an eyebrow and stares at my flight itinerary, which includes a 21-hour layover in Moscow before a connection to Ukraine.

‘Why would ANYONE stay here in transit for so long? There are so many earlier connections you could have taken. This is strange behavior.’

After a nearly two-hour wait inside the terminal, a bus picks me up - only me - from the transit area.

We drive slowly across the tarmac, through a barrier, past electronic gates covered in barbed wire and security cameras.

The main part of the Novotel is out of bounds. My allotted wing feels like a lockup: You are obliged to stay in your room, except for brief walks along the corridor. Three cameras track your movements along the hallway and beam the images back to a multi-screen monitor.

It's comforting to see a sign instructing me that, in case of an emergency, the locks on heavily fortified doors leading to the elevators will open.

When I try to leave my room, the guard outside springs to his feet. I ask him why room service isn't responding and if there's any other way to get food. He growls: ‘Extension 70!’ I rile him by asking about the Wi-Fi, which isn't working: ‘Extension 75!’ he snarls.

Grim surroundings: This photo shows a view of a corridor inside the Novotel Hotel where people in transit must stay until their flight is ready to leave

‘Don't worry, Mr. Phillips,’ the transit desk employee had said. ‘We have all your details and information. We will come and get you from your room at 6 p.m. on Friday, one hour before your connecting flight.’

Now it's midnight, and I'm getting edgy. I feel trapped inside my airless room, whose double windows are tightly sealed. And the room is extortionate: It costs $300 a night, with a surcharge of 50 percent slapped on because I will be staying past noon.

(‘Can't I just wait in the lobby after midday?’ I asked the receptionist at check-in. ‘Of course not,’ she retorted. ‘You have no visa. You will stay until you are picked up.’)

I look out the window. If Snowden is here and has the same view, he can see the approach to the departures terminal at the airport. A large billboard shows a red 4x4 vehicle driving along an ocean road.

A parking lot below is filled with vehicles. A man in green overalls is watering a patch of parched grass. Vehicles whizz in and out of the airport.

A maid has just brought a tea bag. She puts a tick against the room number on the three-page document on her trolley. On it, there are no guest names, only numbers - and departure dates.

Journalist Ian Phillips described his experience in transit at Sheremetyevo airport as a 'surreal 21 hour adventure' which could have come straight from the pen of George Orwell

A quick look suggests there are perhaps a few dozen people staying here. A couple of rooms on my floor have tell-tale signs of occupancy - food trays lying outside from the night before.

But no sign of Snowden.

The guard allows me to stretch my legs in the corridor. The signs on the wall rub things in. Under a pretty picture of the Moscow skyline and Red Square, a message reads:

‘Should you wish to see the full range of facilities offered by our hotel during your next stay, we strongly recommend you to get a visa before flying to Moscow.’

A fleeting glimpse of a possible change of scene: a set of guidelines posted on the wall say I can go out for a smoke!

Rule No. 6:

‘It is possible to go and smoke one time per hour for 5 minutes in the beginning of each hour escorted by security service.’

I don't smoke, but this would be a way to escape this floor. But when I ask him to take me down, the security guard scoffs. ‘No!’ he says flatly.

Snowden is believed to be waiting here to hear whether Ecuador, Iceland or another country might grant him asylum

I call the front desk. ‘You need a visa to go outside and smoke, Mr. Phillips’ the receptionist says.

If he's here, Snowden has access to a few international TV stations. He also has a fair amount of options with room service - the only source of food in this wing.

But after almost a week, he might be getting bored. And he'd need a credit card or a lot of Russian cash. A selection:

Buffalo mozzarella and pesto dressing starter? 720 rubles (about $20).
Ribeye steak: 1,500 rubles (about $50).
Bottle of Brunello di Montalcino red wine: 5,280 rubles ($165).
A miniature bottle of Hennessy XO cognac: 2,420 rubles ($80).

I've called all the 37 rooms on my floor in hopes of reaching Snowden. No reply except for when I get my security guard.

The floor above? A similarly futile attempt.

I only reach a handful of tired and irritated Russians who growl ‘Da? Da? Da?’ – ‘Yes? Yes? Yes?’

A passenger walks outside Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow, where fugitive 'whistleblower' Edward Snowden is still believed to be staying in a transit Hotel near the airport

MORE:

'My son is NOT a traitor': Father of runaway spy Edward Snowden negotiating for son’s return to US as he complains of manipulation by Wikileaks

Edward Snowden's father Lonnie has not spoken to his son since April
Interview released the day after The Guardian was blocked on all Army computers
Lonnie sent a letter to the Justice Department telling them what conditions should be met if they want Edward to return to the U.S. on his own
Says he should be able to pick where his trial is held, they need to say he will not be detained prior to the trial and no gag order will be issued
President Obama already said he will not do any 'wheeling, dealing and trading' to get Snowden back from Russia
Snowden thought to be seeking asylum in Ecuador like WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange previously did

Edward Snowden's father has said that he thinks his son will return to the United States so long as the Attorney General agrees not to detain him before his inevitable trial.
A clip of an interview with Lonnie Snowden aired on The Today Show Friday morning, where the NSA leaker's father confirmed that he sent a list of demands to the Department of Justice that he feels will pave the way for his 30-year-old son to return from Russia.
The elder Snowden came up with the list with the help of his lawyer but with no consultation from Edward since the two have not spoken since April, two months before Snowden released classified intelligence documents.

Paternal support: Lonnie Snowden spoke with NBC and confirmed that he sent a letter to the Attorney General's office with a list of conditions he feels will allow Edward to return on his own accord

'At this point I don't believe he's committed treason,' Lonnie Snowden told NBC's Michael Isikoff.
'He has in fact broken U.S. law in the sense that he has released classified information and if folks want to classify him as a traitor- in fact he has betrayed his government but I don't believe he has betrayed the people of the United States.'

In his letter, Mr Snowden reportedly wrote that Edward was likely to come back to the United States on his own so long as the Justice Department agree not to subject him to a gag order, allow him to pick where his trial will take place, and make sure that he is not detained before said trial.

It seems unlikely that the federal government will meet the demands, as they have already filed a number of charges against Edward including several under the Espionage Act.

Obama will not be 'scrambling jets'

Defiant: Speaking on Thursday during his trip to Senegal, President Obama said the U.S will not be 'scrambling jets' to seize Edward Snowden, saying Russia should hand him over through proper legal channels

During a press conference on Thursday in Senegal, President Obama said that he won't engage in any 'wheeling, dealing and trading' to get Edward extradited from Russia to the United States.

'I'm not going to be scrambling jets to get to a 29-year-old hacker,' the president said of the whistleblower.

The younger Snowden, who turned 30 last week, fled to Hong Kong last month ahead of leaking details about an NSA surveillance program. He is now in the transit area of Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow.

The hacker's father has also cast some doubt on the intentions of WikiLeaks, the group who has come to the aide of Edward while he is in hiding.

'I love him. I would like to have the opportunity to communicate with him. 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- their focus isn't necessarily the Constitution of the United States. It's simply to release as much information as possible and that alone is a concern for me.'

Snowden's future remains unclear, as Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that they have no plans to extradite him since there is no existing extradition treaty between the U.S. and Russia.

The former consultant is said to be seeking asylum in Ecuador but the process will take months to complete.

'It took us two months to make a decision in the case of Assange, so do not expect us to make a decision sooner this time,' Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino told reporters.
END

***It has been reported on Al Jazeera News that Russia has offered Edward Snowden; "Let us help you".

They may well work with Edcuador to transfer Snowden from that airport transit hotel to the Ecuadorean Embassy in Moscow.

.

Ladybbird · 30-06-13, 20:56

Biden asks Ecuador to REJECT Edward Snowden's request for asylum, but President Correa says no decision will be made until the fugitive whistleblower sets foot in the country

Vice President Biden made his request during a phone conversation with President Rafael Correa on Friday
Edward Snowden remains in transit area of Moscow airport after leaving Hong Kong on Sunday

By Daily Mail UK, 29 June 2013

Vice President Joe Biden called Ecuador's President Rafael Correa, asking him to reject an asylum request made by fugitive former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, it was revealed today.

‘They did discuss Snowden, but I don't have additional details,’ Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes told reporters traveling with President Barack Obama in Africa.

It's the highest-level conversation between the U.S. and Ecuador that has been publicly disclosed since Ecuador began considering the possibility of offering Snowden a sanctuary.

High-level talks: Vice President Joe Biden called Ecuador's President Rafael Correa, asking him to reject an asylum request made by fugitive NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden

Public discourse: Ecuadorean President Correa (center) addressed the Snowden case, and his phone conversation with Biden, during his TV show 'Enlace Ciudadano

During his regular Saturday television appearance, President Correa spoke about his phone conversation with Mr Biden, stating that no decision will be made on Showden until he sets foot on Ecuadorian soil, be it in the country itself or in one of its embassies, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Mr Correa added that the NSA leaker 'will have to assume his own responsibilities' for blowing the whistle on secret programs the U.S. intelligence agencies have been using to spy on foreign and domestic targets.

Ecuador's leader also pointed out that the world's attention should be on America's clandestine data collection scheme rather than Snowden's fate.

Earlier this week, Correa said that a letter of safe passage that was allegedly issued to the 29-year-old NSA hacker by an Ecuadorian diplomat stationed in London was void.

Since fleeing Hong Kong to Russia last weekend, Snowden had his U.S. passport revoked, and he is believed to be still holed up in the transit area of a Moscow airport.

Mr Correa also promised that the first ones to be consulted on Snowden’s asylum request ‘would be the U.S. as we did in the [Julian] Assange case with England.’ He was referring to the elusive WikiLeaks founder, who has been staying in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London for nearly a year.

Meanwhile, Ecuador's Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said on Friday that his government had held talks with Russian officials about when and how Snowden, who has no travel documents, could leave the terminal where he has been staying for a week in a state of legal limbo.

Hideout: He is in the transit area of Sheremetievo airport in Moscow after flying from Hong Kong on Sunday

No sign of Snowden: Passengers wait in the transit area of the airport where Snowden has been for days

Earlier this week, Ecuador revealed it could take months to decide whether to grant asylum to Snowden. He is currently in a transit area of a Moscow airport but it is believed he is hopeful Ecuador will protect him.

Foreign Minister Patino compared Snowden's case to that of Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, who has found refuge in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London.

'It took us two months to make a decision in the case of Assange, so do not expect us to make a decision sooner this time,' Patino told reporters

Asked if Ecuador would provide protection to Snowden while considering his request for asylum, Patino said through a translator that if Snowden 'goes to the embassy, then we will make a decision.'

Patino refused to say what criteria his government would use, but added that it would 'consider all these risks', including whether it could hurt trade with the U.S. and damage Ecuador's economy.

WikiLeaks gave a terse update on Snowden's condition earlier on Wednesday, saying in a statement posted to Twitter that Snowden was 'well'.

Hurdles: Ecuador's Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said it could take months to secure asylum for Snowden

WikiLeaks says that one of its staffers, Sarah Harrison, was traveling with Snowden, but the statement gave no indication if the update came from her, from Snowden, or from some other source.
In a conference with reporters on Monday, Assange said that he was limited in what he could say about Snowden due to security concerns. He denied reports that Snowden was spending his time at the airport being debriefed by Russian intelligence officers.
.

Ladybbird · 30-06-13, 22:11

NSA Spies 'Bugged European Politicians' Offices in America': Fugitive Whistleblower Ed Snowden Reveals Secret Operation

Microphones were put in building and computers compromised as spooks targeted EU in Washington and UN offices in New York

Head of European Parliament demands 'clarification' from U.S. and warns of rift if report is true

Der Spiegel says 'strictly confidential' document was leaked by runaway analyst Edward Snowden

By Daily Mail UK, 30 June 2013

Whistleblower: Edward Snowden leaked a document which allegedly showed U.S. spooks had spied on the EU in America

A document leaked by fugitive ex-CIA whistleblower Edward Snowden claims the U.S. secretly bugged EU offices in America.
Spooks at the National Security Agency (NSA) nobbled EU internal computer networks in Washington and at the 27-member bloc's UN office in New York, according to Germany's Der Spiegel magazine.

Microphones were installed in the building and and the computer network compromised, 'giving the agency access to emails and internal documents.'

The document, dated September 2010 and classified 'strictly confidential', has created a diplomatic rift between America and Europe.

Martin Schultz, head of the European Parliament, has demanded 'full clarification' from the U.S. and said that if the report was true, it would have a 'severe impact'.
He said it would be 'a huge scandal', and cause a 'big strain' on the relations between the EU and the U.S.

Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said U.S. spying was 'out of control, adding: 'The U.S. would do better to monitor its intelligence services instead of its allies.'

Targeted: The 27-bloc EU offices at the UN building in New York was spied on by the U.S. National Security Agency

The document allegedly referred to the EU as a 'target'. Details of European positions on trade and military matters would have been useful to those involved in negotiations between Washington and European governments, says the BBC's Stephen Evans.

Der Spiegel claims the document, was leaked by Snowden, a contracted analyst with the CIA who has since requested asylum in Ecuador after revealing the existence of the so-called PRISM surveillance programme.

The top-secret PRISM programme collects and analyses information from internet and phone users around the world, with access to data from Google, Yahoo! and other Internet firms.

U.S.officials say the information gathered is vital in the fight against global terrorism.

America has charged Snowden with;

Theft of government property

Unauthorised communication of national defence information

Wilful communication of classified communications intelligence.

Each charge carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence.

Vice President Joe Biden called Ecuador's President Rafael Correa, asking him to reject an asylum request made by Snowden, it was revealed yesterday.

‘They did discuss Snowden, but I don't have additional details,’ Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes told reporters traveling with President Barack Obama in Africa.

It's the highest-level conversation between the U.S. and Ecuador that has been publicly disclosed since Ecuador began considering the possibility of offering Snowden a sanctuary.

MORE from the Daily Mail UK/AP:

White House 'Doesn't Know' What Files NSA Leaker Edward Snowden has Accessed

Obama adviser admits they 'don't know' which files Snowden has copied
Further classified documents have been exposed on U.S. data collection
NSA leaker Edward Snowden remains in the transit area of Moscow airport after leaving Hong Kong on Sunday
U.S. demanded Russia extradites him immediately but Putin refused

The true extent of the security threat posed by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden is 'unknown', according to a top government aid, as it is revealed the White House is unsure what secret files he possesses.

The revelation came as a new batch of highly classified documents was made public across the internet yesterday, revealing how the U.S. government has collected online data in bulk.

Support: Snowden supporters hold posters outside Sheremetyevo, airport in Moscow that read: 'Edward! Russia is your second Motherland!' and, 'Russia is for Snowden!'

Russian and foreign journalists continued to monitor the Sheremetyevo international airport, where Snowden is believed to remain at the transit zone. This poster reads: 'We will not give Snowden to world gendarme!'

Speaking in Dakar, Senegal, Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser to President Obama, said:

'Look, I don't know with certainty what Mr Snowden has. That's something we're actively seeking to determine.'

Quoted in an ABC news article, Mr Rhodes said Snowden had already compromised 'very classified programs' by leaking secret files to three newspapers and by taking files out of the country.
Rhodes said it was still believed that Snowden was carrying the classified files on his person.
The government adviser said there were 'strict protocols' for how to handle classified information.

'It doesn't involve getting on a plane and going to Hong Kong and then getting on a plane and going to Russia,' he said.

Officials in the U.S. are actively trying to determine which documents have been accessed by the former contract worker, carrying out forensic audits of computers and systems Snowden had used.

But there are fears the computer specialist may have hidden his tracks so well at the National Security Agency that it will be impossible to identify exactly what was copied.

The intelligence community is also in the process of assessing the potential damage to national security relating to leaked information so far.

Mr Snowden was expected to fly to Cuba on Monday, having booked a ticket from Moscow, but he did not board the plane. It is believed he may be having difficulties with his documents since the U.S. revoked his passport.

Meanwhile, supporters of Snowden's campaign have gathered outside Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport, holding up posters which say: 'Russia is for Snowden!', 'We will not give Snowden to world gendarme!' and 'Snowden we are with you!'

Despite the U.S. urging Russia to extradite him immediately, President Vladimir Putin has refused, saying there is no extradition treaty with the U.S., and Snowden has not committed any crimes in his country.

Until he leaves the airport, he must remain in the transit area, which serves both connecting passengers traveling via Moscow to onward destinations and passengers departing from Moscow who have passed border and security checks.
For such a long stay, he must have secured a transit visa from a consulate operating in the zone.
Exiting the area would either require boarding a plane or passing through border control. Both require a valid passport or other identification; the U.S. has revoked Snowden's passport.

Speaking dismissively of the situation, President Obama said that he had not personally called Putin or Chinese President Xi Jinping to request they extradite Snowden, adding:
'I shouldn't have to.'

He said that the documents leaked by Snowden have had their effect but that the government has responded that the surveillance programs are conducted legally and with proper oversight.

He added that Snowden's story has the makings of a big-screen spy film or a 'made-for-TV movie'.

US Mistakes on Extradition Papers to Hong Kong =WRONG NAME

Mix up: Hong Kong officials have said they were unable to help the U.S. with NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden as extradition papers listed his middle name as 'James' rather than 'Joseph'

The comments come after it emerged that the U.S. embarrassingly failed to extradite Snowden from Hong Kong after using the wrong name on papers.

Provisional arrest warrant documents listed his middle name as James, whereas it is Joseph. In other papers, he was just called Edward J. Snowden, Hong Kong's Secretary of Justice Rimsky Yuen said.

When Hong Kong asked the U.S. for clarification last Friday, they failed to respond in time for officials to stop Snowden's flight to Russia on Sunday.

Quote:

'Until the minute of Snowden's departure, the U.S. government hadn't yet replied to our requests for clarification,' Yuen told the Wall Street Journal.

'Hong Kong's government had no legal basis to block his departure,because of errors by the US.'

Ladybbird · 30-06-13, 22:21

UPDATE:

THE US ARMY BLOCKS ACCESS TO THE GUARDIAN FROM THEIR COMPUTERS

A spokesman for the U.S. Army has said that they have blocked access to The Guardian's website following their publication of leaked NSA documents.

Gordon Van Vleet, a spokesman for the Army Network Enterprise Technology Command, toldThe Monterey Heraldon Thursday that they are filtering 'some access to press coverage and online content about the NSA leaks.'

Quote:

'We make every effort to balance the need to preserve information access with operational security, however, there are strict policies and directives in place regarding protecting and handling classified information,' he wrote via email.

For their part, editors and reporters for The Guardian are publicly revelling in the ban. Writer Glenn Greenwald, who published the initial Snowden article on June 5, called the move 'flattering'.

MORE:

Sydney Morning Herald,
29 June 2013

Ecuador to Scrap US Trade over Snowden Case

Ecuador, the South American nation considering an asylum request from fugitive US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden, renounced its US trade benefits, saying they were being used as "blackmail."

Quote:

"Ecuador doesn't accept pressure or threats from anyone and doesn't barter its principles and sovereignty or submit to mercantile interests," President Rafael Correa said on Thursday in a speech in the central province of Los Rios. What Mr Snowden revealed "is a terrible case of massive espionage, both nationally and internationally that clearly threatens the right to intimacy and the sovereignty of states".

The announcement comes a day after US Senator Robert Menendez, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he would lead the effort to block renewal of trade preferences for Ecuador if it granted Mr Snowden asylum.

The Andean nation has been lobbying the US congress to renew the preferences, known as ATPDEA, which are due to expire next month.

Quote:

"Our government will not reward countries for bad behaviour," Senator Menendez said. "Trade preferences are a privilege granted by the US to nations, not a right."

Ecuador would lose at least 40,000 jobs if the trade preferences aren't renewed, the nation's Ambassador to the US Nathalie Cely said last year. While most of the $US1.01 billion in exports to the US in April was oil, shipments also included more labour intensive products such as cut flowers, broccoli and shrimp. Exports fell from $US1.14 billion in April 2012, according to US Census data.

Never shy of taking on the West, the pugnacious Mr Correa last year granted asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to help him avoid extradition from Great Britain to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning over sexual assault accusations.
The 50-year-old US-trained economist won a landslide re-election in February on generous state spending to improve infrastructure and health services, and his Alianza Pais party holds a majority in the legislature.

Ecuadorean officials said Washington was unfairly using the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act, which provides customs benefits in exchange for efforts to fight the drug trade, as a political weapon.

The program was set to expire at the end of this month.

An OPEC nation of 15 million people, Ecuador exported $US5.4 billion worth of oil, $US166 million of cut flowers, $US122 million of fruits and vegetables and $US80 million of tuna to the United States under the Andean trade program in 2012.
Termination of the benefits could hurt the cut flower industry, which has blossomed under the program and employs more than 100,000 workers, many of them women.

Supporters of Correa say he has simply taken on media and business elites who were trying to erode what the president calls his "Citizens' Revolution."

Ecuador's Communications Secretary Fernando Alvarado, who called the trade preferences a "new instrument of blackmail," said the government is offering the US $US23 million, an amount similar to what the US provides under ATPDEA, to provide human rights training to combat torture, illegal executions and attacks on peoples' privacy.

Mr Snowden, a former worker for government contractor Booz Allen Hamilton who Russian President Vladimir Putin has said is in the transit area of a Moscow airport, disclosed top-secret US National Security Agency programs that collect phone and Internet data.

US Senator Orrin Hatch, a Utah Republican and ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, urged President Barack Obama to "act swiftly" and cancel Ecuador's preferential access to US markets. Among the reasons he cited was Ecuador's "disregard for the rule of law."

The ATPDEA trade preferences, enacted in 1991, sought to combat cocaine production in the Andes through incentives for farmers to stop producing coca.
END

***It has been reported on Al Jazeera News that it costs the US and American Taxpayers trillions of $$$ to operate the NSA/PRISM.

It is also reported by the Russian Press that Russia has made an offer to Edward Snowden; "Let us help you".

Quote:

Russia Debates Letting Snowden in "From the Cold"

Snowden's presence has not passed unnoticed in Moscow political circles, where a growing number of voices are suggesting that he should be brought in from the cold and offered asylum in Russia

One prominent theme is the jarring notion that the old cold war paradigm – the US-led "free world" versus the Soviet "evil empire" – is being been stood on its head, and the US now looks like a ponderous, bureaucratic police state, while modern Russia has morphed into a beacon of hope for Western freedom-seekers.

"Julian Assange, Bradley Manning and Snowden are not spies who sold classified information for money. They acted on their beliefs. They are new dissidents, fighters against the system," the head of the State Duma's international affairs committee, Alexei Pushkov, tweeted

A somewhat different tack was taken by the head of the Kremlin's in-house human rights commission, Mikhail Fedotov, who told journalists that Snowden "deserves protection" and should file a request for refuge in Russia.

"If Mr. Snowden files such a request, then it can be considered by the president," Fedotov told the independent Interfax agency on Thursday.

"This situation is utterly clear to me from the point of view of human rights protection: a person, disclosing secrets concealed by special services, if these secrets are a threat to the society, a threat to millions people – which refers to the total surveillance of the Internet – such a person does deserve political asylum in this or that country," Fedotov said.

Russia may well work with Edcuador to transfer Snowden from that airport transit hotel to the Ecuadorean Embassy in Moscow. Ecuador has already held talks with Russia about the situation.

pop · 01-07-13, 05:56

Thankyou LBB for this topic, as I have been waiting to get some internet access hoping to find out more of what is going on with Snowden!

We need more ppl like him

Ladybbird · 01-07-13, 18:01

Snowden Applies for Asylum in Russia

US whistleblower has applied for asylum in 15 countries, including Russia.

Al Jareeza News/Reuters: 01 Jul 2013

Edward Snowden has applied for asylum in 15 countries, according to a Russian official [Reuters]

US whistleblower Edward Snowden has applied for asylum in Russia, hours after President Vladimir Putin said Moscow had no intention of handing him to the United States.

The New York Times on Monday quoted a Russian official as saying Snowden had applied for asylum in Russia, as well as 14 other countries that he did not name.

A Russian immigration official, who didn't want to be named, told Reuters news agency that a Wikileaks activist who is traveling with Snowden handed his application to a Russian consulate in the transit area at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport late on Sunday.

It came hours after Putin said Moscow did not intend to hand him to US authorities, but said he must stop leaking information if he wished to remain in Russia.

Snowden "is not a Russian agent", Putin said on Monday, and that Russian intelligence services were not working with the fugitive American, who is believed to remain in the transit area at a Moscow airport eight days after arriving from Hong Kong.

Quote:

"Russia never hands over anybody anywhere and has no intention to do so," he said.
However, "if he wants to remain here there is one condition - he should stop his work aimed at inflicting damage on our American partners no matter how strange this may sound coming from me."

Norms of International Law

Putin said Snowden should choose his final destination and go there.
A senior Russian security official has said President Putin and US President Barack Obama had told FSB and the FBI, the security agencies of their respective countries, to seek a solution on the Snowden case, Russian RIA news agency reported.
Nikolai Patrushev, former head of the FSB and the current Secretary of the Security Council of Russia, made the statement during his appearance on Russia 24.

"Of course they do not have solutions that would suit both sides, that is why they have instructed the director of the FSB, Alexander Bortnikov and head of FBI, Robert Mueller, to be in constant contact and come up with options for solutions."

Patrushev added that "the task at hand is not a simple one, since [the FSB and the FBI] need to find a solution within the norms of international law".
"Today there is no 'ready to use' formula" he said.
END

Ecuador President: Snowden's Future is out of our hands- He Needs to Be in Ecuador to Apply for Asylum

Rafael Correa tells Al Jazeera US Security Whistleblower has to be in Ecuador or Approach an Embassy to Secure Asylum.

Al Jareeza: 01 Jul 2013

Rafael Correa, Ecuador's president, has said his country will take a "sovereign decision" to consider US intelligence whistleblower Edward Snowden's request for asylum, but added that his fate is not in the hands of Ecuadorians.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Correa said Ecuador could not take any steps because Snowden was not on Ecuadorian soil and had not approached an Ecuadorian embassy.

The former National Security Agency freelance analyst is believed to be in Moscow's international airport and is wanted by the US for leaking confidential information about a surveillance programme called PRISM.
Snowden, who travelled to Moscow from Hong Kong, has since had his passport revoked by the US government.

Correa added that the Ecuadorian Ambassador in Russia had met Snowden but there had been no further contact with him.

Asked about the treatment of asylum given to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, Correa said that the difference with Assange was that he made it to the Ecuadorian Embassy.
Correa said that any decision to be made with respect to Snowden would be based on US and international laws.
He said that Snowden had been seeking asylum in countries such as Russia, China and Ecuador, which contradicts certain US senators' views that these countries restricts and monitors freedom of expression.

"Rest assured, we don't spy on anyone, unless it is organised crime," Correa said. "We don't accept anybody doing it."
END

Snowden had no choice really, he was trapped in that transit hotel, as he had no visa to enter Russia, thus could not go to the Ecuadorian or any other countrys' Embassy in Moscow to apply for asylum, as is required.

.

Ladybbird · 06-07-13, 04:10

Rick Falkvinge, Founder of The Pirate Party (as shown in the photo above).
The Pirate Party are gaining seats in many countries!

Who Watches The Watchers? On Russia Today

In Sunday’s “Worlds Apart” shown on Russia Today, Oksana Boyko interviewed me about the NSA leaks and the state of civil liberties in the world. I got a lot of positive feedback about that interview, so I’m publishing it here for your convenience.

It’s a bit long – half an hour, but it is in English.

The first half is about Edward Snowden and the NSA leaks, and the second half abstracts to civil liberties online in general. But it is an interesting perspective from Russia's point of view

Ladybbird · 07-07-13, 20:56

Video Interview with Educador's President Rafael Correa -"US has Always Refused to Return our Asylum Seeker Criminals"- Double Standards

The President of Ecuador Discusses Julian Assange and Whistleblower Edward Snowden's Attempt to seek Political Asylum in his Country.

Al Jazeera, 7 June 2013

Ecuador, a tiny South American nation, has found itself at the centre of an international dispute.

Edward Snowden, the National Security Agency consultant-turned whistleblower, has asked President Rafael Correa for political asylum. Snowden is still in Russia evading an arrest warrant issued by the United States.
One year ago, Ecuador opened the doors of its embassy in London to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange so that he could avoid trial in Sweden and possible extradition to the US.

Ecuador’s centre-left President Rafael Correa says the same legal process will be applied before any decision on Snowden’s case. He has vowed to fight any type of international pressure, especially from Washington.

Correa has renounced to the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Erradication Act between Ecuador and the US. The agreement allowed some Ecuadoran products like flowers and vegetables to enter the US with reduced import tariffs. Ecuador says that Washington is using trade agreements to try to force Latin American nations to its will.

But many in Ecuador disagree with the government’s decisions - Ecuador’s flower industry is a vital part of the agricultural sector. Another problem is that the US dollar is Ecuador’s official currency, so Ecuador relies on exports to get the money to use at home.

Since Rafael Correa took office in 2007 his relations with Washington have been tense.

While less confrontational than Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez, Correa has a history of standing up to the US. In 2009, he threw out a US military base in Manta and high-ranking diplomats. In 2011, he declared the US ambassador persona non-grata after Wikileaks published a cable alleging corruption. And last year, he took in the founder of Wikileaks, Julian Assange.
None of the previous incidents seriously damaged relations between the US and Ecuador.

Quote:

"This is a matter of national sovereignty. Correa is doing this not only because he believes that what the US is doing is wrong but also because he believes that no one has the right to get involved in our internal affairs," says Michel Levi Coral from the Andean Center for International Studies.

In the last weeks, Correa has been accused of double-standards. His country has recently passed a communications law that many say is an attack against freedom of speech.
Christian Zurita has already been on trial twice for writing a book that linked Correa’s brother to a corruption scandal. He says what is happening to him is an example of the serious threats that journalists face in Ecuador.

"I understand that Assange and Snowden are requesting political asylum to Ecuador. The fact that Snowden could come here is a good thing because the world will find out what the government is trying to do here. They are persecuting the press and journalists ... For everything you write from now the government can come after you," Zurita says.

But Correa’s supporters disagree and some journalists say the accusations are unfair - that the new law will give journalists rights that they had never had before.

Correa remains defiant and is slowly gaining force as a regional leader that is not afraid to poke the US in the eye every once in a while. He was recently reelected with almost 57 percent of the vote.

We met Correa last week in the town of Porto Viejo. And although Snowden’s situation continues to change almost every day he explained to Talk to Al Jazeera why he believes Ecuador could grant Snowden asylum if he were to make it to his country’s territory and why he believes that people like Assange and Snowden have done society a greater good.

Watch the Video live,

Rafael Correa: 'Our Right to Grant Asylum'

Click Here:

Our Right to Grant Asylum & US Spying on Allies

Talk to Al Jazeera can be seen each week at the following times GMT: Saturday: 0430; Sunday: 0830, 1930; and Monday: 1430.

Click here for more Talk to Al Jazeera

Ladybbird · 08-07-13, 04:27

Documents: Sweden Wiretapping Russia’s International Traffic For The NSA

Earlier documents put in context with recent revelations show that Sweden has been systematically wiretapping Russia on behalf of the United States. This is clear after putting a number of previous questionable agreements and developments in context today.

The question that remains is what Sweden gets in return.

The story begins with a reporter’s feature in 2005 about the secretive Swedish intelligence agency FRA, Försvarets Radioanstalt, translated loosely to National Defense Radio Establishment. The story of Echelon had just broke, and the reporter Martin Jönsson dug far below the dirty surface. One thing that comes across in this new context is this passage:

Quote:

The NSA is the largest intelligence organization of the United States of America and of the world. The NSA is the center of the wiretapping network, where the FRA is also plays a part. The NSA is considerably larger than the CIA, and is targeted at signals intelligence. It operates planet-wide through wiretapping stations on the ground, on aircraft, on ships, and on satellites. Through an agreement from early Cold War days, there are close ties to the UK, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. One of the common computer systems, Echelon, has erroneously come to be used synonymously with the entire surveillance network.

It’s also important to note just how deep the rabbit hole goes in the cooperation between the Swedish FRA and the U.S. NSA, and how questionable the real allegiance of the FRA is. A former Navy captain recalls when he had had FRA troops on board (part of the story):

Quote:

“They had important information they didn’t share with the Swedish Defense. We were developing countermeasures against Soviet missiles to protect our ships. At that point, the FRA had detailed information about the missiles in question; information they had received from the Americans. They didn’t give it to the Navy, and that was to protect their source, the NSA. It was more important to protect the cooperation with the NSA than it was to protect Swedish lives and interests.”

We know since the Echelon debate that the key players in the NSA wiretapping network are known to be five countries – the U.S., UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Early 2007, reports surfaced in media that Sweden would get access to U.S. information and security research through an “exclusive agreement”, where Sweden would be “the sixth country”. This was a very conspicuous wording, but makes sense in context. According to the media reports, the agreement between Sweden and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security would be signed “late March”.

At the same time, a horrible piece of legislation had appeared in Sweden. Known as the FRA law, it allowed and mandated wiretapping of everything if it happened to cross Sweden’s borders at some point – web surfing, phone calls, mail, video conferences, the works. It was a violation of constitutionally and conventionally guaranteed privacy rights on every conceivable level. It changed the standard from “you have a right to expectation of privacy” to “for all intents and purposes, you are always wiretapped”.

There were huge protests against the wiretapping law at the time, in no small amount coordinated by myself and other pirate activists. With the administration having a very narrow parliamentary majority, the media drama logic was perfect. Unfortunately, the administration won, and the law passed – but I’ve learned since that the protests outside Parliament on that day really shook the administration to the core. To no avail, unfortunately.

Quote:

If we’re coordinating, it’s a rally, and we would need a permit, which we won’t get since it’s on the steps of Parliament. I’m going there as a private individual, completely unorganized. And then, perhaps a couple thousand other people are doing the same thing, how would I know?

Back to the Sweden-U.S. security agreement:

April 13, 2007. Swedish Minister of Defense, Odenberg (right), signs an agreement with the head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Chertoff (left).

Put in context, the effect of the agreement is to wiretap all of Russia's international traffic and share it with the NSA. What did Sweden get in return?

As the Minister of Defense Odenberg signed the security cooperation agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the debate intensified in Sweden, to the point where the U.S. Embassy took an interest in the FRA law (according to the WikiLeaks cables).

Media reacted to this, and asked pertinent and important questions at the time, none of which got a response. In a piece titled “A deal with Washington is not a tea party“, one of Sweden’s largest dailies were sharply critical. Other newspapers, and the entire cadre of bloggers, echoed that sentiment.

Some time later, the actual agreement leaked through an unknown mechanism. It states that the U.S. and Sweden are basically to share surveillance and wiretapping data for security purposes, and much more. (Do note that the metadata of the document says it’s an agreement between Australia and the U.S., suggesting that there is a similar agreement in place between those countries, and that the metadata remained after the U.S. re-edited the agreement for Sweden.)

Quote:

“The objective of this Agreement is to establish a framework to encourage, develop and facilitate bilateral Cooperative Activity in science and technology that contributes to the homeland security capabilities of both Parties in: a) the prevention and detection of, response to, and forensics and attribution applied to, terrorist or other homeland security threats and/or indicators The Parties shall seek to achieve the objectives [...] by means which may include, but are not limited to:

a) facilitating a systematic exchange of technologies, personnel, and information derived from or applied to similar and complementary operational Research, Development, Testing and Evaluation;

b) collaborating to develop technologies and prototype systems that assist in countering present and anticipated terrorist actions in their respective territories and other homeland threats that satisfy their common strategic interests and requirements” [etc]

Back to the FRA law.

The concept of wiretapping everybody warrantlessly all the time was hugely controversial (rightly so), and the administration tried to justify it with every trick in the book. Among the less credible attempts was the statement that the wiretapping was necessary to protect our troops in Afghanistan against insurgents there. The obvious counterquestion – why on this green Earth insurgents in Afghanistan would use e-mail and phonecalls over Swedish servers – was met with a telling silence.

Then, Swedish media broke the story of what the FRA law was for ; Wiretapping Russia.

80% of all international Russian internet traffic passes through Sweden, making it an ideal wiretapping point if you want to keep tabs on an adversary. It made perfect sense. It was still a violation of fundamental privacy rights, but at least it made sense, especially in combination with the high-profile data-sharing agreement.

Quote:

“TeliaSonera has one of the world’s biggest global fiberoptic cable networks. The company maps show that the cabling is routed so all traffic to and from Russia goes through Sweden. All Russian mail and phonecalls abroad go through Stockholm, regardless of where the recipients are located.”

The administration protested loudly against those media breaks at the time, stating that the reports “hurt Swedish security”. That language is familiar by now.

Putting it all together, Sweden is wiretapping Russia for the NSA, and has been doing so since the FRA law took effect in Sweden. The FRA agency is continuously wiretapping Russia based on the agreement signed in April, 2007, and sharing the data with the NSA.

In this context, it is no coincidence that Sweden and the UK, as the only two European countries, recently chose to block EU investigations into U.S. wiretapping of European officials and industries.

Source:

Rick Falkvinge

Rick is the founder of the first Pirate Party and is a political evangelist, traveling around Europe and the world to talk and write about ideas of a sensible information policy. He has a tech entrepreneur background and loves whisky.

23-06-13, 20:20	#1
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,643 Thanks: 27,645 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	PEGASUS Project -US ALLIES' Officials Among Targets of NSO Malware SITES THAT THE NSA (PRISM) ARE SPYING ON YOUR MOVEMENTS/ACTIONS/INFO The Evidence... (Note on the Top Left Hand Side and Bottom Right Hand Side, it is marked.... TOP SECRET: ..Big Brother is Watching You.. : ...... ............ RELATED: *America Broke Copyright Laws First* . __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

24-06-13, 00:48	#3
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,643 Thanks: 27,645 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: US Warns Russia & WhistleBlower Disappears +NSA Spying Updates Whistleblower Snowden Escapes Arrest in Hong Kong - Thanks to US Errors Edward Snowden heads for Ecuador after flight to Russia leaves authorities in US amazed and infuriated Tania Branigan in Hong Kong, Miriam Elder in Moscow and Nick Hopkins, The Guardian, Sunday 23 June 2013 Journalists show a picture of Edward Snowden, to passengers arriving in Moscow from Aeroflot flight SU213. Photograph: Igor Kharitonov/EPA Edward Snowden was five hours into his flight from Hong Kong, having already been served one of two hot meals, when news of his departure to Moscow began to electrify media organisations all over the world. The Hong Kong authorities waited until Snowden was safely out of Chinese airspace before sending out a short press release that confirmed the intelligence whistle-blower had been allowed to leave on Aeroflot flight SU213, bound for Russia. The 30-year-old had not been stopped on his way to Chek Lap Kok airport, and was allowed to slip away on a hot and humid morning, despite American demands that he be arrested and extradited to face trial for espionage offences. The reason? The Americans had mucked up the legal paperwork, the authorities claimed in a statement released at 4.05pm local time. Hong Kong had no choice but to let the 30-year-old leave for "a third country through a lawful and normal channel". If the sudden "discovery" of a flaw in legal proceedings prompted sighs of relief around the island and across the rest of China, there would have been sharp intakes of breath in Washington and London, where diplomats and intelligence officials had been hoping the net around Snowden was finally tightening. A fortnight into a series of revelations that have embarrassed and infuriated the National Security Agency and Britain's GCHQ, their target was on the move again, heading, it seems, to central or south America, and potentially beyond the reach of authorities that could try to shut him up. The escape from Hong Kong was another audacious move from Snowden, who went to ground a week ago and has not been seen since. It was choreographed with the help of WikiLeaks, whose legal director is Baltasar Garzón, the former Spanish judge who enraged the British government by issuing an international warrant for the arrest in the UK of former Chilean president General Augusto Pinochet. "The WikiLeaks legal team and I are interested in preserving Mr Snowden's rights and protecting him as a person," Garzón said. Once on board the Airbus A330-300, and for perhaps the first time in two weeks, Snowden would have been unaware of the diplomatic rows raging 40,000ft below him, as American officials woke up to find that the former NSA contractor had eluded them again and China reacted with indignation to his latest revelations. The White House appears to have been caught flat-footed by the latest manoeuvres. On Saturday, President Obama's national security adviser, Tom Donilon, told CBS news he expected Hong Kong to arrest Snowden because it "has been a historically good partner of the United States in law enforcement matters and we expect them to comply with the treaty in this case". Lawyers in Hong Kong thought so too, and reacted with amazement to the statement from the Hong Kong Special Autonomous Region (HKSAR). Simon Young, a public law specialist at the University of Hong Kong, said the decision was "a shocker". "The US government will be irate with their Hong Kong counterparts [and] may even question whether the Hong Kong government was acting in good faith pursuant to their treaty obligations. I'm surprised." Ronny Tong Ka-wah, a barrister and legislator for the pro-democracy Civic party, said letting Snowden leave with a minimum of fuss must have been China's preferred option. "If Beijing was to refuse to surrender Snowden, that might harm Sino-US relations. On the other hand, if Beijing was to allow Snowden to surrender, it might well be subject to criticism both here in Hong Kong and in European countries making noises about the conduct of the US." The formal response from the US department of justice was measured. "We will continue to discuss this matter with Hong Kong and pursue relevant law enforcement co-operation with other countries where Mr Snowden may be attempting to travel," a statement said. But on Capitol Hill there was undisguised fury, particularly when it emerged that Snowden appeared to be intending to leave Moscow for Cuba, and then possibly Venezuela or Ecuador. "Every one of those nations is hostile to the United States," fumed Mike Rogers, chair of the House intelligence committee. "The US government must exhaust all legal options to get him back. When you think about what he says he wants and what his actions are, it defies logic." Democrat senator Charles Schumer said Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, "always seems almost eager to stick a finger in the eye of the United States, whether it is Syria, Iran and now, of course, with Snowden". General Keith Alexander, director of the NSA, was withering too. "[Snowden] is clearly an individual who's betrayed the trust and confidence we had in him. This is an individual who is not acting, in my opinion, with noble intent." The row overshadowed further revelations about the scope of US spying activities. Snowden left Hong Kong reeling after disclosing to the South China Morning Post that the NSA had targeted Chinese phone companies in a mass trawl of texts and phone calls. After years of being condemned by Washington for industrial-scale stealing and spying in cyberspace, Beijing seized the opportunity to hit back, while swerving around awkward questions about Snowden himself. The official Xinhua news agency said the revelations had "put Washington in a really awkward situation. Washington should come clean about its record first. The United States, which has long been trying to play innocent as a victim of cyber attacks, has turned out to be the biggest villain in our age." In Moscow, meanwhile, various welcoming parties gathered at Terminal F of Sheremetyevo international airport in anticipation of Snowden's arrival. The biggest comprised reporters from the world's media, who assembled airside to greet the US fugitive and his travelling companion, Sarah Harrison, who works for WikiLeaks. Neither of them emerged into the public lounges, provoking a new round of conspiracy theories and rumours about where they might have gone. Russian security vehicles surrounded the plane when it landed, while plain-clothed Russian agents trawled the terminal, deflecting questions about which state agency they represented by pretending to be businessmen from Munich and journalists from state-run NTV. Then a Venezuelan contingent was said to be there, fuelling speculation that Snowden was being whisked away to the country's embassy in Moscow, and his final destination was Caracas. But by early evening it appeared Snowden had not left the airport at all, and Quito was a more likely final destination. The Ecuadorian foreign minister, Ricardo Patiño, on an official visit to Vietnam, tweeted that Snowden had sought political asylum in his country. An Aeroflot source quoted by Interfax said Snowden had taken a small overnight "capsule" room at a hotel in terminal E. "He has arrived. He cannot leave the terminal, since he doesn't have a Russian visa," the source was quoted as saying. The appearance at the airport of Ecuador's ambassador, Patricio Chávez, added to the melee. The envoy appeared lost as he wandered around the terminal, approaching a group of journalists to ask: "Do you know where he is? Is he coming here?" A reporter replied: "We thought you did." Before wandering off, Chávez admitted he hoped to see Snowden because "we have an interest in knowing what is happening to him". And, perhaps, how he had got there in the first place. As Snowden settled in for the night, the American authorities announced they had revoked his passport before he had got on the flight from Hong Kong, and they hoped Moscow might intervene on their behalf. But Russian officials have given no indication that they have any interest in detaining Snowden or have any grounds to do so. Far from it. The foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, has said Russia would be willing to consider granting asylum if Snowden were to make such a request. . __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

24-06-13, 16:39	#4
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,643 Thanks: 27,645 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: PhOtOs-Snowden Granted Asylum/Offered Job in Russia+NSA Updates Petition To Preemptively Pardon Ed Snowden Reaches Goal Of 100k Signatures Rick Falkvinge: 24 Jun 2013 These petitions, as defined and set up by the U.S. administration in the White House, are a way for citizens to call attention to issues they want to be taken seriously. This particular petition is unusually clear in its language, where most are rather poorly worded and ambiguous: Edward Snowden is a national hero and should be immediately issued a a full, free, and absolute pardon for any crimes he has committed or may have committed related to blowing the whistle on secret NSA surveillance programs. Now, regardless of success in terms of signature count, it is important to remember that this is a petition – not a legislation. This is not a binding parliamentary vote that reached its goal of majority. It is a voice of dissent against the administration’s persecuting an important whistleblower, and it is a voice of strong dissent against the administration’s ubiquitous wiretapping. They are going to ignore it completely – on its own. But the persistent drop hollows the stone. This was but one fall of the drop. Snowden’s pardon petition needs to be one of many, many initiatives that voice dissent in the coming weeks and months. It is also reasonable to ask if one should be speaking in terms of “pardon” in the first place, as though the man was a criminal rather than a responsible citizen with higher morals than most could hope to achieve in a lifetime. In this affair, the surveillance hawks are the criminals who should be seeking pardon, and no one else. We think the key message to get across is the first part of the petition: “Edward Snowden is a hero”. On its own, this petition stands as much chance of changing an ivory-tower establishment attitude as the massive protests after the raid and verdict against The Pirate Bay did. At that time, the establishment reacted with – at most – a condescending “good for them nerds to get some sunlight”. That holier-than-thou tone of voice changed radically when the Pirate Party kicked officials out of office to take their seats in the following elections. One step at a time, one voicing of dissent at a time. Every step is important. For example, don’t miss the similar Avaaz petition that is currently in excess of one million signatures. To be honest, it is also fair to say that the administration has little reason to take their petition seriously on its own after a petition to build a Death Star reached the same kind of goal. While obviously tongue-in-cheek, and given exactly that sort of response from the administration, that petition set the bar for the seriousness of other White House petitions. This was one successful step of dissent against the surveillance state, and for the freedom of the press that counteracts it. Sunlight isn’t just good for nerds, it is necessary for society overall. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

24-06-13, 19:16	#7
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,643 Thanks: 27,645 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: PhOtOs-Snowden Granted Asylum/Offered Job in Russia+NSA Updates WHY ECUADOR IS SNOWDEN'S BEST CHANCE OF EVADING US JUSTICE President Rafael Correa of Ecuador (pictured) embraces his role as a thorn in Washington's side, railing against US imperialism and giving WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange refuge in his nation's embassy in London. But nothing Correa has done to rankle the United States is likely to infuriate as much as granting the asylum being sought by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, who faces espionage charges back home after revealing details of two highly secret surveillance programs. Both Cuba and Venezuela previously had been rumored as possible destinations for Snowden, although they now appeared more likely to be only transit points on the way to Ecuador. *'Correa may find it hard to resist the temptation to get increased attention and seize this opportunity to provoke and defy the U.S.,'* said Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue think tank. 'Correa is confrontational and relishes fights. Should he ultimately grant Snowden asylum, one hopes that Correa has thought through the likely consequences of such a decision.' Taking in Snowden would increase Correa's popularity among those who see him as a champion of open information, help him counter criticism of a new media law that some call an assault on freedom of speech in Ecuador and cement his name as a leading voice of opposition to U.S. foreign policy. But it could threaten preferential access to US markets for Ecuadorean goods under the US Andean Trade Preference Act, and strain already shaky ties between two nations that only last year re-established full diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level. However, giving Snowden asylum for leaking secret information would be 'illegal' in both the US and Ecuador, former Ecuadorean diplomat Mauricio Gandara said. 'It would be an illegal act, because what he has done is a crime in both the United States and Ecuador,' said Gandara, who was Ecuador's ambassador in London. 'It is a confrontation with the people and government of the United States and both (political) parties. It is an unnecessary conflict.' . __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

25-06-13, 01:46	#8
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,643 Thanks: 27,645 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: PhOtOs-Snowden Granted Asylum/Offered Job in Russia+NSA Updates US Reporters Not allowed off Snowden's Plane/Others Stranded in Cuba CBS News/ June 24, 2013, Other Reporters Chasing Edward Snowden Stranded on Cuba-Bound Plane The Aeroflot Airbus A330 plane that was to carry National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden on a flight to Havana, Cuba, taxies out at Sheremetyevo airport, Moscow, Monday, June 24, 2013. Snowden, who arrived in Moscow on Sunday from Hong Kong, booked a seat for the flight to Cuba, but he was not seen on the plane. / AP Photo/ Sergei Ivanov *Updated 8:28 p.m. US. ET* The continuing pursuit of elusive Edward Snowden left several journalists stranded at 30,000 feet after they boarded a plane from Moscow bound for Cuba - only to discover an empty seat booked in the NSA leaker's name. Journalists from around the world embarked on Moscow-Havana flight to "photograph an empty seat" Hilarious An Aeroflot representative told The Associated Press that Snowden wasn't on flight SU150 to Havana, which was filled with journalists trying to track him down. Reporters on the flight sent tweets confirming that Snowden was nowhere to be found According to the Guardian, the journalists' prolonged detour was exacerbated by another notable absence: Aeroflot no longer serves alcohol on Havana-bound flights. CBS News' Portia Siegelbaum reports at least one reporter, from Reuters, was allowed to leave the airport before the plane took off. It's unclear how many reporters got on the plane but a BBC reporter estimated about two dozen journalists were trying to board the flight. Several other U.S. reporters were not allowed on the plane because they did not have the visa requirements to enter Cuba. Siegelbaum, who is stationed in Havana, says that Cuba's policy is not to allow journalists into the country unless they previously applied for and received journalist visas. Those on board the Aeroflot plane will probably be kept in a transit area until they can be put on an outgoing flight, she said. Siegelbaum guessed that "if the same plane has space, they will be sent back on it." Which would potentially mean another 6,000-mile flight with no Edward Snowden - and no booze. Summed up journalist Max Seddon: "Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit amphetamines" . __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

25-06-13, 15:18	#9
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,643 Thanks: 27,645 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: PhOtOs-Snowden Granted Asylum/Offered Job in Russia+NSA Updates ANONYMOUS plans a response to PRISM: ANONYMOUS . __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

29-06-13, 17:19	#10
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,643 Thanks: 27,645 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	US Warns Russia as WhistleBlower Disappears +NSA Spying Updates The United States Seized Confidential Mail Records Of European Parliament Posted: 30 Jun 2013 Smári McCarthy Privacy – Christian Engström: I can’t say I’m surprised – but we’ve got the United States and its security bureaucrats digging through our e-mail in the European Parliament. Mashable reveals that the United States has demanded information from Google about the communications of two Wikileaks activists. One of them is the Icelander Smári McCarthy (pictured). These events catch our interest here in Brussels, here at the Pirate Party office in the European Parliament. We know Smári, and we have contacted him as a consultant to produce a report on Iceland as an “information paradise” and a conceivable centre for cloud computing (www.islandsofresilience.eu). A quick check reveals that we have been in touch with Smári (through Erik Josefsson), via his Gmail account, regarding this report during the time period when the United States was wiretapping his mail. Now, this is not about keeping secrets. That’s not the point. (And besides, we would never use Gmail for anything sensitive.) But there’s an important issue of principle here. The United States is breaking into and digging through mail between the European Parliament and people who have been commissioned to produce its political reports. This is completely unacceptable. The United States is not supposed to spy on political parties. The United States is not supposed to spy on the Members of the European Parliament. The United States is not supposed to break into and dig through the daily routine work of the European legislative body. For now, I’m mostly pissed off. Later, I will consider how to handle this issue. I will probably raise these events at a formal level with the European Parliament. [UPDATED: The initial headline of this article was "The United States wiretapped mail of the European Parliament". It was changed after criticism of being misleading.] Originally published in Swedish. Falkvinge on Infopolicy. UPDATE It has just been reported on the BBC that the "Whistleblower", Edward Snowden, actually provided evidence of this in some of his "leaked documents" RELATED: NSA Spying . __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

30-06-13, 19:57	#11
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,643 Thanks: 27,645 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: PhOtOs-Snowden Granted Asylum/Offered Job in Russia+NSA Updates Trapped in transit: Surreal 21 hour adventure of reporter who deliberately got sequestered at Moscow airport in the hope of finding Edward Snowden Associated Press journalist Ian Phillips spent almost at entire day in transit at Moscow Airport in the hope of meeting NSA leaker Snowden By Daily Mail UK & AP, 29 June 2013 Phillips writes that if Edward Snowden is staying at the Novotel in the transit zone of a Moscow airport, he may already have a taste of what it's like to be in prison With NSA leaker Edward Snowden believed to have spent the past week holed up in the wing of a Russian airport hotel reserved for travelers in transit, a journalist choose to get himself deliberately sequestered in the hope of finding the elusive fugitive. Ian Phillips has described his experience as a ‘surreal 21 hour adventure’ which could have come straight from the pen of George Orwell. Phillips, Eastern Europe News Director for the Associated Press, flew from his home in Prague to Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport with the goal of getting to the bottom of the mystery of fugitive NSA leaker Edward Snowden. The main Novotel building is located outside the airport and has a plush lobby with a fountain, a trendy bar and luxury shops. One wing, however, lies within the airport's transit zone and acts as a kind of international limbo that is not officially Russian territory - this is where Snowden is believed to be holed up. Snowden is believed to be waiting here to hear whether Ecuador, Iceland or another country might grant him asylum. He fled Hong Kong last weekend after being charged with violating American espionage laws. According to Phillips, the experience of staying at the Novotel for 21 hours has left him feeling that if the NSA leaker is indeed in the transit zone of the airport, he may already have a taste of what it's like to be in prison. Welcome to Moscow: This photo shows a view of the lobby of the Novotel Hotel in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport Ian Phillips, Eastern Europe News Director of the Associated Press, stands in a corridor of the Novotel Hotel in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, Russia Here Phillips writes about his surreal experience: The woman at the transit desk raises an eyebrow and stares at my flight itinerary, which includes a 21-hour layover in Moscow before a connection to Ukraine. ‘Why would ANYONE stay here in transit for so long? There are so many earlier connections you could have taken. This is strange behavior.’ After a nearly two-hour wait inside the terminal, a bus picks me up - only me - from the transit area. We drive slowly across the tarmac, through a barrier, past electronic gates covered in barbed wire and security cameras. The main part of the Novotel is out of bounds. My allotted wing feels like a lockup: You are obliged to stay in your room, except for brief walks along the corridor. Three cameras track your movements along the hallway and beam the images back to a multi-screen monitor. It's comforting to see a sign instructing me that, in case of an emergency, the locks on heavily fortified doors leading to the elevators will open. When I try to leave my room, the guard outside springs to his feet. I ask him why room service isn't responding and if there's any other way to get food. He growls: ‘Extension 70!’ I rile him by asking about the Wi-Fi, which isn't working: ‘Extension 75!’ he snarls. Grim surroundings: This photo shows a view of a corridor inside the Novotel Hotel where people in transit must stay until their flight is ready to leave ‘Don't worry, Mr. Phillips,’ the transit desk employee had said. ‘We have all your details and information. We will come and get you from your room at 6 p.m. on Friday, one hour before your connecting flight.’ Now it's midnight, and I'm getting edgy. I feel trapped inside my airless room, whose double windows are tightly sealed. And the room is extortionate: It costs $300 a night, with a surcharge of 50 percent slapped on because I will be staying past noon. (‘Can't I just wait in the lobby after midday?’ I asked the receptionist at check-in. ‘Of course not,’ she retorted. ‘You have no visa. You will stay until you are picked up.’) I look out the window. If Snowden is here and has the same view, he can see the approach to the departures terminal at the airport. A large billboard shows a red 4x4 vehicle driving along an ocean road. A parking lot below is filled with vehicles. A man in green overalls is watering a patch of parched grass. Vehicles whizz in and out of the airport. A maid has just brought a tea bag. She puts a tick against the room number on the three-page document on her trolley. On it, there are no guest names, only numbers - and departure dates. Journalist Ian Phillips described his experience in transit at Sheremetyevo airport as a 'surreal 21 hour adventure' which could have come straight from the pen of George Orwell A quick look suggests there are perhaps a few dozen people staying here. A couple of rooms on my floor have tell-tale signs of occupancy - food trays lying outside from the night before. But no sign of Snowden. The guard allows me to stretch my legs in the corridor. The signs on the wall rub things in. Under a pretty picture of the Moscow skyline and Red Square, a message reads: ‘Should you wish to see the full range of facilities offered by our hotel during your next stay, we strongly recommend you to get a visa before flying to Moscow.’ A fleeting glimpse of a possible change of scene: a set of guidelines posted on the wall say I can go out for a smoke! Rule No. 6: ‘It is possible to go and smoke one time per hour for 5 minutes in the beginning of each hour escorted by security service.’ I don't smoke, but this would be a way to escape this floor. But when I ask him to take me down, the security guard scoffs. ‘No!’ he says flatly. Snowden is believed to be waiting here to hear whether Ecuador, Iceland or another country might grant him asylum I call the front desk. ‘You need a visa to go outside and smoke, Mr. Phillips’ the receptionist says. If he's here, Snowden has access to a few international TV stations. He also has a fair amount of options with room service - the only source of food in this wing. But after almost a week, he might be getting bored. And he'd need a credit card or a lot of Russian cash. A selection: Buffalo mozzarella and pesto dressing starter? 720 rubles (about $20). Ribeye steak: 1,500 rubles (about $50). Bottle of Brunello di Montalcino red wine: 5,280 rubles ($165). A miniature bottle of Hennessy XO cognac: 2,420 rubles ($80). I've called all the 37 rooms on my floor in hopes of reaching Snowden. No reply except for when I get my security guard. The floor above? A similarly futile attempt. I only reach a handful of tired and irritated Russians who growl ‘Da? Da? Da?’ – ‘Yes? Yes? Yes?’ A passenger walks outside Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow, where fugitive 'whistleblower' Edward Snowden is still believed to be staying in a transit Hotel near the airport MORE: 'My son is NOT a traitor': Father of runaway spy Edward Snowden negotiating for son’s return to US as he complains of manipulation by Wikileaks Edward Snowden's father Lonnie has not spoken to his son since April Interview released the day after The Guardian was blocked on all Army computers Lonnie sent a letter to the Justice Department telling them what conditions should be met if they want Edward to return to the U.S. on his own Says he should be able to pick where his trial is held, they need to say he will not be detained prior to the trial and no gag order will be issued President Obama already said he will not do any 'wheeling, dealing and trading' to get Snowden back from Russia Snowden thought to be seeking asylum in Ecuador like WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange previously did Edward Snowden's father has said that he thinks his son will return to the United States so long as the Attorney General agrees not to detain him before his inevitable trial. A clip of an interview with Lonnie Snowden aired on The Today Show Friday morning, where the NSA leaker's father confirmed that he sent a list of demands to the Department of Justice that he feels will pave the way for his 30-year-old son to return from Russia. The elder Snowden came up with the list with the help of his lawyer but with no consultation from Edward since the two have not spoken since April, two months before Snowden released classified intelligence documents. Paternal support: Lonnie Snowden spoke with NBC and confirmed that he sent a letter to the Attorney General's office with a list of conditions he feels will allow Edward to return on his own accord 'At this point I don't believe he's committed treason,' Lonnie Snowden told NBC's Michael Isikoff. 'He has in fact broken U.S. law in the sense that he has released classified information and if folks want to classify him as a traitor- in fact he has betrayed his government but I don't believe he has betrayed the people of the United States.' In his letter, Mr Snowden reportedly wrote that Edward was likely to come back to the United States on his own so long as the Justice Department agree not to subject him to a gag order, allow him to pick where his trial will take place, and make sure that he is not detained before said trial. It seems unlikely that the federal government will meet the demands, as they have already filed a number of charges against Edward including several under the Espionage Act. Obama will not be 'scrambling jets' Defiant: Speaking on Thursday during his trip to Senegal, President Obama said the U.S will not be 'scrambling jets' to seize Edward Snowden, saying Russia should hand him over through proper legal channels During a press conference on Thursday in Senegal, President Obama said that he won't engage in any 'wheeling, dealing and trading' to get Edward extradited from Russia to the United States. 'I'm not going to be scrambling jets to get to a 29-year-old hacker,' the president said of the whistleblower. The younger Snowden, who turned 30 last week, fled to Hong Kong last month ahead of leaking details about an NSA surveillance program. He is now in the transit area of Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow. The hacker's father has also cast some doubt on the intentions of WikiLeaks, the group who has come to the aide of Edward while he is in hiding. 'I love him. I would like to have the opportunity to communicate with him. 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- their focus isn't necessarily the Constitution of the United States. It's simply to release as much information as possible and that alone is a concern for me.' Snowden's future remains unclear, as Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that they have no plans to extradite him since there is no existing extradition treaty between the U.S. and Russia. The former consultant is said to be seeking asylum in Ecuador but the process will take months to complete. 'It took us two months to make a decision in the case of Assange, so do not expect us to make a decision sooner this time,' Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino told reporters. END *It has been reported on Al Jazeera News that Russia has offered Edward Snowden; "Let us help you". They may well work with Edcuador to transfer Snowden from that airport transit hotel to the Ecuadorean Embassy in Moscow. . __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL** ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

30-06-13, 20:56	#12
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,643 Thanks: 27,645 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: PhOtOs-Snowden Granted Asylum/Offered Job in Russia+NSA Updates Biden asks Ecuador to REJECT Edward Snowden's request for asylum, but President Correa says no decision will be made until the fugitive whistleblower sets foot in the country Vice President Biden made his request during a phone conversation with President Rafael Correa on Friday Edward Snowden remains in transit area of Moscow airport after leaving Hong Kong on Sunday By Daily Mail UK, 29 June 2013 Vice President Joe Biden called Ecuador's President Rafael Correa, asking him to reject an asylum request made by fugitive former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, it was revealed today. ‘They did discuss Snowden, but I don't have additional details,’ Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes told reporters traveling with President Barack Obama in Africa. It's the highest-level conversation between the U.S. and Ecuador that has been publicly disclosed since Ecuador began considering the possibility of offering Snowden a sanctuary. High-level talks: Vice President Joe Biden called Ecuador's President Rafael Correa, asking him to reject an asylum request made by fugitive NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden Public discourse: Ecuadorean President Correa (center) addressed the Snowden case, and his phone conversation with Biden, during his TV show 'Enlace Ciudadano During his regular Saturday television appearance, President Correa spoke about his phone conversation with Mr Biden, stating that no decision will be made on Showden until he sets foot on Ecuadorian soil, be it in the country itself or in one of its embassies, the Wall Street Journal reported. Mr Correa added that the NSA leaker 'will have to assume his own responsibilities' for blowing the whistle on secret programs the U.S. intelligence agencies have been using to spy on foreign and domestic targets. Ecuador's leader also pointed out that the world's attention should be on America's clandestine data collection scheme rather than Snowden's fate. Earlier this week, Correa said that a letter of safe passage that was allegedly issued to the 29-year-old NSA hacker by an Ecuadorian diplomat stationed in London was void. Since fleeing Hong Kong to Russia last weekend, Snowden had his U.S. passport revoked, and he is believed to be still holed up in the transit area of a Moscow airport. Mr Correa also promised that the first ones to be consulted on Snowden’s asylum request ‘would be the U.S. as we did in the [Julian] Assange case with England.’ He was referring to the elusive WikiLeaks founder, who has been staying in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London for nearly a year. Meanwhile, Ecuador's Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said on Friday that his government had held talks with Russian officials about when and how Snowden, who has no travel documents, could leave the terminal where he has been staying for a week in a state of legal limbo. Hideout: He is in the transit area of Sheremetievo airport in Moscow after flying from Hong Kong on Sunday No sign of Snowden: Passengers wait in the transit area of the airport where Snowden has been for days Earlier this week, Ecuador revealed it could take months to decide whether to grant asylum to Snowden. He is currently in a transit area of a Moscow airport but it is believed he is hopeful Ecuador will protect him. Foreign Minister Patino compared Snowden's case to that of Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, who has found refuge in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London. 'It took us two months to make a decision in the case of Assange, so do not expect us to make a decision sooner this time,' Patino told reporters Asked if Ecuador would provide protection to Snowden while considering his request for asylum, Patino said through a translator that if Snowden 'goes to the embassy, then we will make a decision.' Patino refused to say what criteria his government would use, but added that it would 'consider all these risks', including whether it could hurt trade with the U.S. and damage Ecuador's economy. WikiLeaks gave a terse update on Snowden's condition earlier on Wednesday, saying in a statement posted to Twitter that Snowden was 'well'. Hurdles: Ecuador's Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said it could take months to secure asylum for Snowden WikiLeaks says that one of its staffers, Sarah Harrison, was traveling with Snowden, but the statement gave no indication if the update came from her, from Snowden, or from some other source. In a conference with reporters on Monday, Assange said that he was limited in what he could say about Snowden due to security concerns. He denied reports that Snowden was spending his time at the airport being debriefed by Russian intelligence officers. . __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

01-07-13, 05:56	#15
pop Official Site Mascot/Moderator Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 1,176 Thanks: 2,013 Thanked 1,002 Times in 636 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 1	re: PhOtOs-Snowden Granted Asylum/Offered Job in Russia+NSA Updates Thankyou LBB for this topic, as I have been waiting to get some internet access hoping to find out more of what is going on with Snowden! We need more ppl like him

06-07-13, 04:10	#17
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,643 Thanks: 27,645 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	Who Else is Watching us Now Rick Falkvinge, Founder of The Pirate Party (as shown in the photo above). The Pirate Party are gaining seats in many countries! Who Watches The Watchers? On Russia Today In Sunday’s “Worlds Apart” shown on Russia Today, Oksana Boyko interviewed me about the NSA leaks and the state of civil liberties in the world. I got a lot of positive feedback about that interview, so I’m publishing it here for your convenience. It’s a bit long – half an hour, but it is in English. The first half is about Edward Snowden and the NSA leaks, and the second half abstracts to civil liberties online in general. But it is an interesting perspective from Russia's point of view __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

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