NYT: Snowden's flight from Hong Kong was spurred by fears of life without computer access

[BeyondGeography]

For Edward J. Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who has acknowledged leaking numerous documents about American surveillance operations around the world, the path to a sudden departure from Hong Kong late Sunday morning began over a dinner last Tuesday of a large pizza, fried chicken and sausages, washed down with Pepsi.

Albert Ho, one of Mr. Snowden’s lawyers, said that before the dinner began, Mr. Snowden insisted that everyone hide their cellphones in the refrigerator of the home where he was staying, to block any eavesdropping. Then began a two-hour conversation during which Mr. Snowden was deeply dismayed to learn that he could spend years in prison without access to a computer during litigation over whether he would be granted asylum here or surrendered to the United States, Mr. Ho said.

Staying cooped up in the cramped Hong Kong home of a local supporter was not bothersome to Mr. Snowden, but the prospect of losing his computer scared him.

...The outcome of that meeting, Mr. Ho said, was a decision by Mr. Snowden by Friday morning to have Mr. Ho pose two questions to the Hong Kong government: would he be released on bail if he were detained in Hong Kong at the request of the United States, and would the Hong Kong government interfere if Mr. Snowden tried to go to the airport and leave Hong Kong instead.

A person with a detailed knowledge of the Hong Kong government’s deliberations said that the government had been delighted to receive the questions...

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/25/world/asia/snowden-departure-from-hong-kong.html?hp

[Romulus Quirinus]

1. HAHA, WHAT A NERD

is clearly what readers are supposed to take away from this post. The original title is: "For Snowden, a Hasty Exit Started With Pizza Inside a Hong Kong Hideout." Good job taking things out of context OP.

[BeyondGeography]

3. So it was the PIZZA

[Romulus Quirinus]

5. I bet you're hell on children.

such wit!

OP: "How many girl friends do you have, little man?"

Nephew (age 6): "EW! NONE!"

OP: "NINE? OMG WHAT A PLAYER! HEY EVERYONE, LOOK AT THIS GUY WITH NINE GIRLFRIENDS LOL!"

[BeyondGeography]

9. Ad hominem away. mon vieux

The story is what it is.

[Romulus Quirinus]

10. OK, he's a nerd and you're an annoying uncle.

How am I doing?

[snooper2]

2. He should be able to build one from some Chinese made RC cars

14 paperclips and a dongle

I mean, we have come to the conclusion he is a genius right! LOL

[onehandle]

4. He's starting to sound like a serial killer. Or a basement dwelling rightist gun nut.

Thinking of himself as some sort of hero or soldier. But unwilling to face the consequences.

[Dreamer Tatum]

7. You have 36,000 posts to this site alone.

Just saying.

[Romulus Quirinus]

8. +1

though half of those are probably paid advertisements, to be fair. :3

[Dreamer Tatum]

12. Oh, iSNAP! nt

[UTUSN]

13. Most people visiting try to be polite, just sayin' n/t

[muriel_volestrangler]

14. That has to be the most screwed-up post I've seen yet on Snowden

He didn't fancy spending 2 years in jail while his extradition was decided - so "he's starting to sound like a serial killer"?

I have never seen DUers spend so much time on baseless, illogical character assassination as you guys have with Snowden. You're making the 'granite counter tops' attacks the wingnuts made on Obamacare supporters look positively sane.

[UTUSN]

6. R#2 & K for, bwah-hah, even the meal bespeaks the internet-entitled gamer-geek:

"pizza, fried chicken and sausages, washed down with Pepsi."

[BeyondGeography]

15. Sounds like he's having second thoughts

Mr. Snowden, who has just turned 30, comes across as intelligent, analytical and quick-witted, Mr. Ho said. But he also came to Hong Kong from Honolulu without a well thought-out plan, while overestimating how free he would be to move around Hong Kong after his disclosures and underestimating the public attention he would receive, Mr. Ho added.

“He’s a kid, I really think he’s a kid, I think he never anticipated this would be such a big matter in Hong Kong,” Mr. Ho said.

[randome]

11. Did he ask everyone to wear a red hood like his?

[hr]
[font color="blue"][center]You should never stop having childhood dreams.[/center][/font]
[hr]

[Awknid]

16. You all must be working for Washington. It's too obvious!

[NoPasaran]

17. Our latter-day Patrick Henry

"Give me wifi or give me death!"

[BeyondGeography]

18. At least someone else sees the humor

I thought this comment from The Guardian last night was pretty apt along those lines:

Snowden is on the run because of his revelations about electronic abuses, and it is that very mechanism that will ensure he has no freedom from surveillance. He's caught in a Catch-22, a situation even more bizarre and apt when you consider that that novel features a Snowden...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jun/25/edward-snowden-great-train-robbers