a regime change down the line he could be handed over.

He’s heading for Latin America. The days when Latin American countries were pawns of the United States are, like the British Empire, long gone.

And so far the answer remains no…

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/03/edward-snowden-bolivia-plane-vienna

For someone the US says they don’t really want that badly, getting other countries to mess with diplomatic flights sounds pretty desperate.

Bearing in mind that he has alerted the EU that the US are spying on us should he not be given asylum in Europe?

Yes, it’s bizarre that the EU that protests about the US spying, then connives with them to deny the whistleblower asylum.

Wonder how long till the US start Drone strikes on transit hotels in Russia…..

IF he is still there…

I suspect there will be plenty of false trails laid and alarms sounded.

None of the European states have the balls to do the decent thing and let him in, which is a shame. They’re all too scared of the consequences if they upset America.

Germany should have him, they’re the only ones who are robust enough to piss the Americans off with impunity at the moment.

Bearing in mind that he has alerted the EU that the US are spying on us should he not be given asylum in Europe?

Despite the public protests really why would we have spies if they do not spy on our friends and enemies

i doubt it was news to them that they did this and I assume we do it to them as well

There’s a difference between intellegence gathering and digital rape.

There’s a difference between intellegence gathering and digital rape.

Are you saying he’s been fingered? *ahem*

Why the surprise on spying on Europe? We do it all the time ourselves and have done for as long as intelligence existed. And they do the same.

Are you saying he’s been fingered? *ahem*

With how many digits?

There’s a difference between intellegence gathering and digital rape.

Yes one is spying and the other is spying

Did we not all realise our govts do this all the time
Its nit Like MI6 is only using legitimate and legal tactics to spy now is it as that would make them a bit rubbish at their job

Where this differs is that they are also doing it to citizens and no one knew they were doing this..perhaps we just have to get used to this as i doubt they will stop

The internet is mostly an open comms channel, so what did you expect? Only difference between now and the past is the capacity to store and analyse the data faster, but it’s not all that different from what they were doing a Bletchley Park way back.

All the western countries are at it to a greater or lesser extent, and some sharing of info does go on, hence, no way is Germany going to touch him with a barge pole.

Yes, there have always been rumours – stories about ECHELON, suggestions about GCHQ and the radomes at Fylingdales, lots of conspiracy theories.

But there’s a big difference between vaguely paranoid theories on the internet, and actually seeing the Powerpoint presntations where they detail exactly what they’ve been doing.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3kEHO128PQ[/video]

I think he’ll make it to Ecuador in the end and when he is out of the press limelight he’ll be taken care of in a quick and efficient manner by a nice American gentleman with a small calibre pistol.

They might even just pay a local merc.

I think he should allow himself to be martyred and be the modern jesus… baggsy writing the new bible (and getting the royalties)

What could he expect if he goes back to the US?
Are we talking 50 years in a Super Max?

Im amazed that he blew the whistle – he worked for them, so he ought to know what they can do. Has he not seen the Jason Bourne movies ?

He is either daft, naive or stupid or perhaps he is very clever and has a brilliant plan all along.

However, Id happily bet he will end up with a bag over his head soon.

Why the surprise on spying on Europe? We do it all the time ourselves and have done for as long as intelligence existed. And they do the same.

Ah, the Lance Armstrong defence.

However, Id happily bet he will end up with a bag over his head soon.

…or his head in a bag.

So, where are all the previous people that pissed off the Americans now ?

Wearing orange jump suits I think.

Trimix – Member

He is either daft, naive or stupid or perhaps he is very clever and has a brilliant plan all along.

Or, perhaps he’s just got a bit of the old moral fortitude- doing the right thing, even though he knows the likely outcomes.

Moral fortitued will leave him in Jail or dead.

Pick your enemys carefully, poking a stick at the biggest one is not a good idea, no matter how “right” you think you are.

He is not going to be able to stay in the airport forever (have you seen the prices of food and drink at airports) and with the Winter Olympics due in Russia soon my guess is he will be asked to leave soon to ensure no screw ups over security co-operation, a way will be found for him to leave.
I genuinely think he will be safer if he just gives himself up, once in custody not even the NSA would try to do anything stupid and he will probably get a good pick of defence lawyers and all the free publicity he wants.
Edit: For the film, I’m thinking Sean Penn, this is too much of a political hot potato for Tom Hanks.

Trimix – Member

Moral fortitued will leave him in Jail or dead.

Pick your enemys carefully, poking a stick at the biggest one is not a good idea, no matter how “right” you think you are.

Which, as you say, presumably he must have known. And saw fit to go through with it anyway. At the very minimum he was exiling himself from his home country. Brave man.

Trimix – Member

Moral fortitued will leave him in Jail or dead.

Quite likely, and he’s shown he knows that. He’ll avoid it if he can no doubt, only common sense. Doing the right thing often isn’t a very “good idea”.

He should seek asylum in Russia … other part of the world he would be dead.

He should seek asylum in Russia

He tried and they set out stipulations that he wouldn’t agree to.

somouk – Member

He should seek asylum in Russia

He tried and they set out stipulations that he wouldn’t agree to.

Well I guess that’s the end of the road for him as no one can protects him now. He can try North Korea but I guess the food might not be up to his taste.

On a side-note, has Austria put out any statements about why they stopped Bolivia’s plane? I’ve seen nothing from them yet?

Saddest thing is the people he was hoping to stir outrage and debate and revolt in are all, like: “Meh, thought so.” and more interested in the human drama of “what’s going to happen to this guy?” and “what sort of person would do this anyway?” and then “Is spying really cool or really dull? ”