Snowden Begs Putin for Asylum

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright July 12, 2013
All Rights Reserved.                                      

             Unable to get a workable asylum deal, 30-year-old trapped fugitive Edward Snowden begged Russian President Vladimir Putin for temporary asylum before he can arrange safe passage to South America, most likely Venezuela.  Putin finds himself caught between a rock-and-a-hard place, wanting, on the one hand, to not look subservient to the U.S. yet, on the other hand, letting Snowden hurt a host of economic and cultural ties to the U.S.  When Snowden fled Hong Kong for Moscow June 23, Putin wanted nothing to do with the U.S. fugitive, especially, of all things, a self-described whistleblower, leaking embarrassing things about U.S. spy operations.  Since the Cold War days, Putin knows all-to-well the dirty ins-and-outs of U.S.-Soviet spying operations.  Vladimir no more trusts Snowden’s integrity or motives more than the Moscow CIA bureau chief.

             Rejecting U.S. extradition requests June 26, Putin responded more to President Barack Obama’s June 13 announcement—against Putin’s advice—that he planned to arm Syrian rebels seeking to topple Bashar al-Assad.  Had Obama honored Putin’s request to refrain from arming Syrian rebels, he would have received Snowden’s head on a silver platter.  Since June 23, Snowden’s been making headlines in the transit area of Moscow’s Sheremetyvo Airport.  Putin’s decision to not intervene may change soon as Snowden heaps more pressure to make an asylum decision.  Savvy about foreign relations, Putin won’t let Snowden manipulate him into anything, let alone setting back U.S.-Russian relations.  Asking for temporary Russian asylum could backfire on the former CIA employee and Booz Allen Hamilton contractor.  Putin could get fed up and hand Snowden over to the U.S. embassy.

             Whatever Snowden did to violate his confidentiality agreements with Booz Allen Hamilton or U.S. espionage laws has been deliberately obscured by the dog-and-pony-show staged by WikiLeaks and Human Rights Watch.  Flanked by handlers, Snowden says nothing to the press other than carefully prepared talking points.  “That moral decision to tell the public about spying that affects all of us has been costly, but I think it was the right thing to do and I have no regrets,” Snowden told a group of human rights activists at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport.  How many years Snowden worked for the CIA and Booz Allen Hamilton, got paid for hacking into the private lives of U.S. citizens is anyone’s guess.  His phony statements now reveal that he’s under the gun.  Exploiting—or being exploited by—WikiLeaks, Human Rights Watch or any other humanitarian group can’t hide Snowden’s duplicity.

             Whether you agree with the U.S. or foreign governments’ spying operations doesn’t invalidate Snowden’s culpability, playing off all sides to save his hide.  While he insists he has no regrets, he talks about what he’s lost:  His passport, residence, lifestyle, etc.  Snowden’s lost his freedom precisely because he’s a criminal and fugitive.  “I did not seek to enrich myself.  I did not sell U.S. secrets,” said Snowden, soliciting the sympathy of groups looking to stick it to the U.S.  “I did not partner with an foreign government to guarantee my safety.  Instead, I took what I knew to the public, so what affects all of us can be discussed by all of us in the light to day, and I asked the world for justice,” said Snowden, threatening more leaks to blackmail the U.S. and foreign governments.  Putin admonished Snowden that there’d be no asylum without stopping his pernicious acts.

             Playing on sympathies of those U.S.-bashing countries harms the United States.  When Snowden says he didn’t “partner” with any foreign government or “sell” U.S. secrets, he’s stating for the record that he’s not a traitor.  When Ecuador wised up, they realized that granting asylum to a loose cannon, like Snowden, would jeopardize its own national security.  Only the most rabid U.S.-haters would consider granting this publicity-seeking con artist asylum.  If Putin grants temporary asylum to Snowden, he’ll be supremely manipulated by the politically correct crowd of human rights screamers.  “I will be submitting my request to Russia today, and hope it will be accepted favorably,” said Snowden, not yet agreeing to Putin’s conditions.  Putin expects Snowden to muzzle himself about any future disclosures that might harm U.S. credibility—something Snowden has refused.

             Faced with a big decision, Putin must resist the temptation to slap the U.S. by granting Snowden temporary asylum.  No matter what Snowden’s excuse, Putin knows he violated U.S. espionage laws, spilling the beans about U.S. spying activities.  Working as a spy for years, Snowden’s change-of-heart has more to do with trying to extort concessions from countries currently involved in human rights’ abuses.  “He does not want to harm U.S. interests because he is a law-abiding citizen and patriot,” said Russian lawmaker Vyacheslav Nikonov, head of the Russian Duma, urging Putin to grant asylum.  “A little over one month ago, I had family, a home in paradise, and I lived in great comfort,” said Snowden, not acknowledging he violated U.S. espionage laws and fled the country.  Snowden doesn’t admit that he’s an untrustworthy spy, caught playing all sides against each other.

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.  He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com.and author of Dodging the Bullet and Operation Charisma.