Report: Edward Snowden Breaks Silence (updated)

[ProSense]

Report: Edward Snowden Breaks Silence

Edward Snowden, the source of recently leaked top secret National Security Agency documents, has written a letter to the government of Ecuador, Reuters reported on Monday.

Reuters reported it had seen the letter, but did not quote directly from it in its report. According to the news agency, Snowden wrote that "he remains free to make new disclosures about U.S. spying activity" and also thanked Ecuador for helping him get to Russia and for looking over his asylum request. Snowden has not been heard from publicly since he arrived in Russia eight days ago.

In a separate statement, Wikileaks wrote the following on its Twitter feed on Monday afternoon: "Standby for a statement from Edward Snowden in Moscow."

Update 5:52 p.m.: Reuters has now added quotes from Snowden's letter to President Rafael Correa of Ecuador.

"No matter how many more days my life contains, I remain dedicated to the fight for justice in this unequal world. If any of those days ahead realize a contribution to the common good, the world will have the principles of Ecuador to thank," the letter reads, according to Reuters' translation from the original Spanish.

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/report-edward-snowden-breaks-silence

Does Snowden realize that the travel document was unauthorized?

Updated to add full statement:

WikiLeaks on Monday evening published a new statement purporting to be from Edward Snowden in Moscow:

One week ago I left Hong Kong after it became clear that my freedom and safety were under threat for revealing the truth. My continued liberty has been owed to the efforts of friends new and old, family, and others who I have never met and probably never will. I trusted them with my life and they returned that trust with a faith in me for which I will always be thankful.

On Thursday, President Obama declared before the world that he would not permit any diplomatic "wheeling and dealing" over my case. Yet now it is being reported that after promising not to do so, the President ordered his Vice President to pressure the leaders of nations from which I have requested protection to deny my asylum petitions.

This kind of deception from a world leader is not justice, and neither is the extralegal penalty of exile. These are the old, bad tools of political aggression. Their purpose is to frighten, not me, but those who would come after me.

For decades the United States of America have been one of the strongest defenders of the human right to seek asylum. Sadly, this right, laid out and voted for by the U.S. in Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is now being rejected by the current government of my country. The Obama administration has now adopted the strategy of using citizenship as a weapon. Although I am convicted of nothing, it has unilaterally revoked my passport, leaving me a stateless person. Without any judicial order, the administration now seeks to stop me exercising a basic right. A right that belongs to everybody. The right to seek asylum.

In the end the Obama administration is not afraid of whistleblowers like me, Bradley Manning or Thomas Drake. We are stateless, imprisoned, or powerless. No, the Obama administration is afraid of you. It is afraid of an informed, angry public demanding the constitutional government it was promised — and it should be.

I am unbowed in my convictions and impressed at the efforts taken by so many.

Edward Joseph Snowden

Monday 1st July 2013

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/wikileaks-publishes-statement-from-snowden

He's whining about his passport being revoked? LOL!

Ecuador cools on Edward Snowden asylum as Assange frustration grows
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023119831

Assange stands by Edward Snowden as Ecuador's Correa reprimands consul
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023134665

Ecuadoran President Correa Gives VP Biden An Earful
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023130093

[flamingdem]

1. When the letter arrived to Correa's office in Quito he opened it and said

Quien es Eduardo Snowden?

Tossed the letter and returned to his call with his pal Joe Biden

[bunnies]

2. I asked this in LBN... maybe someone here can answer...

Has Snowden published something and I missed it?

Not being snarky but.. "I remain free and able to publish information that serves the public interest,". Isnt Greenwald the one doing all the publishing? And I learned on DU earlier that he wanted the media to decide what to leak. Does Snowden have something Greenwald doesnt?

Also, does this pretty much guarantee he wont be staying in Russia? Didnt Putin tell him he'd have to STFU if he wanted to stay there?

Now Im confused again. dammit!

[randome]

3. It's not just you!

[hr]
[font color="blue"][center]I'm always right. When I'm wrong I admit it.
So then I'm right about being wrong.[/center][/font]
[hr]

[Whisp]

4. Sounds like GG wrote that claptrap stupidity. n/t

[ProSense]

5. Sounds more like something Assange wrote. n/t