What's causing the Snowden's trip delay and what might be happening?

[flamingdem]

This is what the media / curious public wants to know.

My theories:

Russia has decided not to damage its relationship with the US. They're negotiating for some things they want out of the US.

Putin is "draining" the four laptops and it takes time since Putin has to remember his KGB techniques

Ecuador is negotiating with the USA to create conditions for Snowden that will allow them to save face in Latin America.
Ecuador has billions on the line with upcoming trade agreement renewals, this is also a part of their negotiations.

Cuba is not willing to allow Aeroflot to land at Jose Marti Airport because this will hurt their ongoing negotiations with the USA

Venezuela is having similar doubts, they don't get enough out of Snowden to make it worth the black mark with the USA

Conclusion: Snowden might be living at the Moscow airport for a while but will end up in the motherland for trial

[Recursion]

1. There's also a *huge* upcoming drug trafficking convention plenary in Quito

Which has very big implications for Ecuador's agricultural sector.

[flamingdem]

2. Very interesting. I assume the USA is going to attend

Drug war related monies are a big chunk of what Ecuador gets from the USA

[Recursion]

3. It's UN-wide

Renewing the Single Convention, I think.

[Myrina]

4. You're kidding, right?

IF Snowden ever really was in Moscow, he's likely long gone by now.
IF he's in Ecuador or Venezuela, the public 'delay tactic' just gives him more time to get settled further underground.

Shit, he could be sitting in a safe house in New York City, for all we know.

I can't believe how naive people are sometimes.

[flamingdem]

7. Well that could be true as well

The Wikileaks representative seemed to imply that Snowden is in a hidden place.

So yes I didn't really think they'd pull that off but it's possible.

It might be Iceland considering how much support they have there.

[NoPasaran]

5. He's haggling at the foreign exchange counter

Over the rate between rubles and bitcoins

[sibelian]

6. You beat me to it...

[Scurrilous]

8. I blame Vodka. n/t

[flamingdem]

11. Da

Absolut -ly!

[sibelian]

9. He forgot his sunglasses. nt.

[cali]

10. gee, how about this:

They're being careful and trying to stymie the U.S. government's attempts to get their filthy hands on him.

He's not in Moscow anymore.

And all the evidence, virtually everything that's been written points to Russia having no intention of cooperating with the U.S. That's even truer when it comes to Ecuador and Venezuela.

fantasize on about him being returned and prosecuted. Doesn't look like that will happen by extradition.

[flamingdem]

12. Well I was going by Carney's vibe

He seemed pretty sure that there was a negotiation going on. Maybe it was all bs.

[treestar]

17. Incredible!

Yeah and the Russian government has clean hands!

[cali]

21. Nope, they have filthy hands too. That doesn't make our governments any fucking cleaner.

[dipsydoodle]

20. He's not in Moscow anymore......

That's assuming he ever was there. Reports over today and yesterday so simply indicate the media and US administration have been led a merry chase.

Veiled threats from Carney and Kerry are not really helping the situation - just making the US look even more stupid in the eyes of a world which is distinctly unappreciative of the US's spying methods.

[railsback]

13. All valid scenarios

I agree that Snowden will most likely end up back here in chains.

[flamingdem]

14. He's not Assange

Now he's admitting he took the NSA job in order to access documents.

Any government who aids his flight will have trouble with the USA going forward. When they run into a problem their lack of cooperation will be in the way forever.

[railsback]

24. Yeah, that was a seriously ill-advised admission

That, and the fact that he fled the country. Drake, Binney and Wiebe laid the groundwork for someone like Snowden to join that fraternity. They survived, and so could have Snowden if he didn't do all this stupid shit. Mistake to get involved with an activist (you don't need a dipshit like Greenwald fanning the flames which makes people lose sight of the story), mistake to steal classified material, mistake to run like a criminal, mistake to engage in dialogue with a foreign nation about the contents of what you stole...

[Cali_Democrat]

15. Th information on those laptops is certainly being drained

make no mistake about it.

[flamingdem]

18. I vill drain your laptop!

[Cali_Democrat]

19. hahaha

stop that!

[treestar]

16. Russians won't let him leave

They want to drain the laptops or get information from him. They think the US is embarrassed and want to milk that some more.

Moscow Eddie is stuck at the airport, much like Julian is stuck at the embassy.

[cali]

22. and you know this how? do provide a link

The U.S. is embarrassed. It does look bad. It's our own doing.

[treestar]

27. We are speculating.

Eddie embarrasses only himself.

[snooper2]

23. The pilot was scared he would steal the log book

He dropped a dongle with 6 billion files on it in Chelyabinsk and 78 russian meth heads are trying to help find it

The interpreter misunderstood "Ecuador" with "I need a whore"

He's making a detour to Spain to buy the only pair of Google Glass available in the World

He is still in China helping their security services with a Windows 2000 update

[marions ghost]

25. LOL

[flamingdem]

26. Good ones! You need to get this going on Twitter

#wheresSnowden

I checked but didn't find jokes - found this:

Reuters: "Their first disappointment was that Snowden didn't show up. The second was that it was a booze-free flight" http://nkte.ch/18bcSJA

[treestar]

28. Lol

[Cali_Democrat]

29. bwhahahahaha

[longship]

30. Lots of speculations in this thread.

Not that such a thing is bad, but we must understand that it is speculation. We'll find out what's what soon maybe. In the meantime, this thing is getting weirder by the moment.

I plan on staying tuned to DU for the latest facts and speculations, informative and entertaining. Both have value somehow.

[flamingdem]

31. Thanks for your indulgence

I simply can't resist, this is the best story in a long time! It's better than those Matt Damon movies, and Snowden is perfect as "the nerd" and we have Putin in the mix.