AP’s Moscow correspondent Max Seddon tweeted from the plane: “Standing next to Edward Snowden’s seat on flight to Cuba. He ain’t here.” (@maxseddon via Twitter)
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NSA leak Edward Snowden (REUTERS)
Admitted leaker Edward Snowden went off the grid in Russia today, as US authorities bitterly complained about Hong Kong officials allowing him to flee their jurisdiction.
A Cuba-bound plane – with a seat booked by National Security Agency snitch Snowden – departed from Moscow today without the American on board.
It’d been widely reported that Snowden, who arrived in Russia yesterday after leaving Hong Kong, would travel to Cuba before ending up in Ecuador.
President Obama said today that the United States is looking to follow all legal channels to bring Snowden to justice.
“What we know is that we are following all the appropriate legal channels and working with various other countries to make sure that the rule of law is observed,” Obama told reporters at the White House.
A reporter asked Obama if he had discussed Snowden with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the president did not respond directly.
For now, it appears Snowden is still in Moscow, and receiving help from Julian Assange’s anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks.
The fugitive American is alive and well, despite skipping today’s flight, according to Assange. Snowden is traveling with WikiLeaks representative Sarah Harrison.
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“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 told reporters in a conference call rom inside Ecuador’s embassy in London, where he too has been hiding from arrest and extradition.
Snowden had been under wraps for weeks in Hong Kong before he suddenly bolted for Moscow yesterday, drawing the ire of US authorities.
“We knew the fugitive was in Hong Kong and directly sought his provisional arrest, pending extradition,” White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said.
“It is unfortunate that Hong Kong inappropriately failed to take action on our request and permitted a fugitive to simply leave their country in an obvious attempt to escape justice.”
Snowden was allowed to leave Hong Kong for Russia with his US passport — even though it had been revoked yesterday.
Hong Kong’s immigration department said today it hadn’t received formal notice from Washington about Snowden’s passport, and thus had no reason to prevent his travel.
Snowden’s final destination could still be Ecuador, which has expressed sympathy to the former spy contract’s plight.
He had been expected to take off from Moscow today aboard Aeroflot’s Flight 150, but Snowden was not aboard.
Up to a dozen journalists are on their way to Cuba, on that flight, without the man they were trying to find. Travel restrictions mean the reporters will have to wait three days before they can fly out again.
Ecuador’s Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said a decision would be made “in due time” based on human rights considerations.
The South American nation’s leftist government is in “respectful” contact with Russia but also taking into account the US government’s position on the case, Patino told reporters during a visit to Vietnam.
“We will consider the position of the US government and we will take a decision in due time in line with the (Ecuadorean) constitution, the laws, international politics and sovereignty,” Patino said.
He told reporters during a visit to Vietnam that it “has to do with freedom of expression and with the security of citizens around the world,” a strong hint President Rafael Correa would accept the petition.
“Correa may find it hard to resist the temptation to get increased attention and seize this opportunity to provoke and defy the US,” 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.”
Patino said his government had received an asylum request, adding that the decision “has to do with freedom of expression and with the security of citizens around the world.”
Ecuador has rejected the United States’ previous efforts at cooperation, and has been helping Assange avoid prosecution by allowing him to stay at its embassy in London.
Snowden gave documents to The Guardian and The Washington Post newspapers disclosing US surveillance programs that collect vast amounts of phone records and online data in the name of foreign intelligence, often sweeping up information on American citizens.
Officials have the ability to collect phone and Internet information broadly but need a warrant to examine specific cases where they believe terrorism is involved.
US authorities, at least in public statements, hold hope that Russia could still help apprehend Snowden.
“Given our intensified cooperation after the Boston marathon bombings and our history of working with Russia on law enforcement matters — including returning numerous high-level criminals back to Russia at the request of the Russian government — we expect the Russian government to look at all options available to expel Mr. Snowden back to the US to face justice for the crimes with which he is charged,” said Caitlin Hayden, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council.
The United States does not have an extradition treaty with Russia, but does with Cuba, Venezuela and Ecuador. Even with an extradition agreement though, any country could give Snowden a political exemption.
The likelihood that any of these countries would stop Snowden from traveling on to Ecuador seemed remote.
While diplomatic tensions have thawed in recent years, Cuba and the United States are hardly allies after a half-century of distrust.
Another country that could see Snowden pass through, Venezuela, could prove difficult, as well.
Former President Hugo Chavez was a sworn enemy of the United States and his successor, Nicolas Maduro, earlier this year called President Obama “grand chief of devils.” The two countries do not exchange ambassadors.
Snowden’s options aren’t numerous, said Assange’s lawyer, Michael Ratner.
“You have to have a country that’s going to stand up to the United States,” Ratner said. “You’re not talking about a huge range of countries here.”
It also wasn’t clear Snowden was finished disclosing highly classified information.
Snowden has perhaps more than 200 sensitive documents, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”