Latest Updates on Snowden’s Asylum Pursuit

[okaawhatever]

Source: New York Times

Our colleague Scott Shane interviewed Julian Assange on Sunday about the role that he and other members of the WikiLeaks organization have been playing in Mr. Snowden’s departure from Hong Kong.

Mr. Assange, said his group had arranged for Mr. Snowden to travel via a “special refugee travel document” issued by Ecuador last Monday — days before the United States announced the criminal charges against him and revoked his passport. Mr. Assange said he believed that Ecuador was still considering Mr. Snowden’s asylum application.

“He left Hong Kong with that document,” Mr. Assange said.

Mr. Assange told Mr. Shane that he had raised Mr. Snowden’s case with Ecuador’s foreign minister in a meeting at the embassy last Monday.

Mr. Assange said it was unclear whether Mr. Snowden’s passport was revoked before he left Hong Kong. But, he said, Mr. Snowden was informed of the revocation when he landed in Moscow. He said it was uncertain whether and where Mr. Snowden might be able to travel from Moscow using the Ecuadorean document, which he described as a “safe pass.”

“Different airlines have different rules, so it’s a technical matter whether they will accept the document,” he said.

He added that the rights of refugees to travel were guaranteed by various international treaties


Read more: http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/23/tracking-snowden/

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The article has a paywall. If you can't access, you may google it and link for free from there.

Towards the end of the article, there is mention of the Ecuadoran staff not being able to locate Snowden in the airport. There is also a picture of a black car pulling up along side Snowden's airplane and his entering. It is thought to be from Venezuela, not Ecuador. Ecuador, Venezuela and Cuba are all besties so it will be interesting to see what they come up with.

[dipsydoodle]

1. Ecuadoran staff not being able to locate Snowden in the airport ?

As far as I'm aware he was tucked away in a "cabin hotel" on the airport - rooms are paid for hourly to cover stopovers and are about the size of a ship's cabin. There was mention somewhere or other in the media yesterday of an Ecuadorian car moving him there but I never did find that link again - maybe that was the Venezuelan car mentioned in the link.

Doubtless there's a lot of smoke and mirrors at present. I guess later today we'll find out where he's gone for the time being.

Looks to be in a couple of hours time - Moscow is about 3 hours ahead of London :

Fugitive former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden is due to fly out of Russia in the next few hours in a bid to seek asylum in Ecuador, BBC reported.

Reports suggest he will be on an early afternoon flight out of Moscow, heading first to the Cuban capital Havana.

http://www.panorama.am/en/world/2013/06/24/snowden/

[okaawhatever]

2. Yes, he is supposedly in the capsule hotel but no one has seen him. Updates from airport:

Update: It seems that some officials from the Ecuadorean Embassy have had trouble locating Mr. Snowden



Miriam Elder @MiriamElder

Ecuadorian ambassador inside Sheremtyevo airport rather confused: "Do you know where he is?" "We thought you did?"
10:55 AM - 23 Jun 2013

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[Ichingcarpenter]

3. smoke and mirrors is right

I keep wondering about that so called wikileaks plane I read about earlier and if it will come into play?

[dipsydoodle]

4. Looks as though Elvis may have left the building

Guardian updates from minutes ago :

A man has moved from the "VIP" van at Sheremetyevo airport on to the plane – but it is not clear if this is Snowden.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/24/edward-snowden-booked-on-plane-from-moscow-to-havana-live-coverage

Wouldn't mind betting the media have tickets for that flight too.

Subsequent doubt is being cast as to whether or not he will leave on that flight.

The plot, like the gravy , thickens.

[Hissyspit]

5. @nycjim: Judging from tweets by @MiriamElder & other reporters in #Moscow, dozens of journos are on

@nycjim: Judging from tweets by @MiriamElder & other reporters in #Moscow, dozens of journos are on Aeroflot flight to Cuba. But #Snowden isn't.

[Myrina]

11. For real, haven't any of these "journalists" seen a spy movie?

Of course he's not going to be on the flight that's he's publicized to be on.
Shit, he either went in a different direction, was never in Moscow to begin with, or has been "safely" in S. America for a bit.

Jeez.

[bemildred]

6. Russian airline says Snowden has booked Monday flight to Cuba

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/russian-airline-says-snowden-has-booked-monday-flight-to-cuba/2013/06/24/8937fce2-dca3-11e2-a484-7b7f79cd66a1_story.html

[MADem]

9. Pootie Poot wants more tribute...? nt

[bemildred]

10. Pooty Poot is lying. Who could have predicted that? nt

[Bosonic]

7. Aeroflot says flight for which Snowden registered has departed, but he is not seen on plane.

BREAKING: Aeroflot says flight for which Snowden registered has departed, but he is not seen on plane.

https://twitter.com/AP/status/349116536939769856

[MADem]

8. He is not in "his" assigned seat. He might be in disguise behind the reporters, though.

:large

[dipsydoodle]

12. Or cabin crew up front in the cockpit.

.

[MADem]

13. That would be misery for a half day, but it could be done. I wonder if cargo is heated?

That's a long flight--if there was a mattress in the cargo bay, it would be a good place to sleep. Hell, no booze on that flight...

I have no idea what kind of plane it is...some planes have crew rest bunks, maybe he's in one of those...?

He's probably still in Moscow, but it's amusing to speculate.

[bemildred]

14. (WaPo) Snowden apparently did not board Havana flight, but may leave Moscow Tuesday

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/russia-says-it-has-no-authority-to-expel-snowden/2013/06/24/325281f2-dcaf-11e2-bd83-e99e43c336ed_story.html

Some intersting bits further down.

[FarCenter]

15. Putin quote "I've got this thing and it's fucking golden"