Whistleblower Snowden: I'd love to be granted asylum in France

[snoop1130]

Whistleblower Snowden: I'd love to be granted asylum in France

 

FILE PHOTO: Edward Snowden speaks via video link during a conference at University of Buenos Aires Law School, Argentina, November 14, 2016. REUTERS/Marcos Brindicci

 

PARIS (Reuters) - Former U.S spy agency contractor Edward Snowden said he would love French President Emmanuel Macron to grant him political asylum after one of Macron’s ministers said if it was up to her she would offer him asylum.

 

French Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet said at the weekend she supported granting asylum to him, though she made clear she was speaking in a personal capacity and it was not an official offer.

 

Asked about the prospect of asylum in France in an interview aired on Monday on France Inter radio, Snowden said: “I applied for asylum in France in 2013 under [former French President Francois] Hollande and of course we would love to see Macron roll out an invitation.”

 

“But it’s not about France, it’s about Europe, it’s about the world and the system that we have. Protecting whistleblowers is not a hostile act. Welcoming someone like me is not an attack on the United States”.

 

Snowden, about to publish his memoirs ‘Permanent Record’, has been living in Russia since 2013 after he revealed details of secret surveillance programs by U.S. intelligence agencies.

 

Many civil rights activists see him as a hero, but at home in the United States authorities want him to stand trial for espionage.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-09-16

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[Mel Bourne]

I spent 4 years in Paris. Is Snowden serious?? He must be playing games or its misleading news.

The Americans are all over Paris and London. How long would a white guy wanted by Uncle Sam last there? How many USAF bases are in Europe ?

Take your pick.Easy.

 

[ThePioneer]

9 minutes ago, Mel Bourne said:

I spent 4 years in Paris. Is Snowden serious?? He must be playing games or its misleading news.

The Americans are all over Paris and London. How long would a white guy wanted by Uncle Sam last there? How many USAF bases are in Europe ?

Take your pick.Easy.

 

Last time I checked Paris was just 1 city in a pretty large country

[Sujo]

Whistleblowers that tell the public about their govt lying and misdeeds are not the enemy. 

 

The govt that did it are the guilty ones.

[Bluespunk]

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

Whistleblower Snowden: I'd love to be granted asylum in France

Me too.

[tgw]

27 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

Me too.

he's not talking about the same kind of asylum...

[Bluespunk]

8 minutes ago, tgw said:

he's not talking about the same kind of asylum...

And what do you mean by that?

[observer90210]

Well the americans did not get Ayatollah Khomeny (under french special police protection) during his long term asylum in France....so maybe Snowden would make it and have enough logistics and time to publish more of his juicy cases ?

[bendejo]

Better to pick a country without an extradition deal with the US.  Brazil?  Or is that about to change?

 

Well the americans did not get Ayatollah Khomeny (under french special police protection) during his long term asylum in France....so maybe Snowden would make it and have enough logistics and time to publish more of his juicy cases ?

Also Khomeini was surrounded by his own group of attendants, so even if someone were to move in on him while the French guys were on lunch break there would have been a messy body count to contend with.

 

These days, and in Snowden's case, it would be more like he'd be drugged while asleep one night and when he comes to he's in a US supermax.

 

 

Edited September 16, 2019 by bendejo

[whitemouse]

No one  ever  leaves KGB, Mr. Snowden!  

[Geoffggi]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

“But it’s not about France, it’s about Europe, it’s about the world and the system that we have. Protecting whistleblowers is not a hostile act. Welcoming someone like me is not an attack on the United States”.

Although welcoming someone like Snowdon would not be an attack on the USA it certainly would not be considered a friendly act by a so called friendly nation and would harm relations. 

[tgw]

7 minutes ago, Geoffggi said:

Although welcoming someone like Snowdon would not be an attack on the USA it certainly would not be considered a friendly act by a so called friendly nation and would harm relations. 

lol

as if listening to Merkel's phone and spying on everyone (including americans while forbidden by the US constitution) and lying to everyone is a friendly act...

 

Snowden just made public what any intelligent IT professional knew already, but was called "paranoid" when revealing it.

So I think Snowden didn't do any real damage on national security level.

 

What he did was the right thing to do when government employees routinely break the Law (their own and that of allied countries) and when reporting it through official channels would have led nowhere thanks to FISA courts and gag orders.

 

Intelligence needs Laws to strictly separate that type of surveillance from law enforcement and politics,  with very harsh penalties.

Edited September 17, 2019 by tgw

[Jack Mountain]

Ungrateful snob, I would like him to change position with Julian Assange who is imprisoned in a fascist country. 

 

 

 

[phkauf]

I guess he's tired of that awful Russian food and cold winters. Since he's no longer of use to Putin, I'm sure his stay there is much less comfortable than it was at the start.

It is highly unlikely that any country that seeks a favorable relationship with the US will take him in, especially with Trump in office. Remember his crimes happened under Obama and the US Gov't was very <deleted> off then, I can't imagine things would be any better now.

 

[Chomper Higgot]

14 hours ago, Mel Bourne said:

I spent 4 years in Paris. Is Snowden serious?? He must be playing games or its misleading news.

The Americans are all over Paris and London. How long would a white guy wanted by Uncle Sam last there? How many USAF bases are in Europe ?

Take your pick.Easy.

 

Ask Polanski.

[Chomper Higgot]

He’s a genuine whistle blower and revealed illegal government actions.

 

He should not under any circumstances be in fear of prosecution.

[atyclb]

11 minutes ago, Jack Mountain said:

Ungrateful snob, I would like him to change position with Julian Assange who is imprisoned in a fascist country. 

 

 

 

 

the US founding fathers could have been called "ungrateful snobs" also, not grateful to the british 

[Caldera]

Careful there, President Putin might not like that one bit. It does give the impression that Mr Snowden doesn't like Russia too much. I wonder why?

[blazes]

Does France in fact have an extradition treaty with Uncle Sam?

 

I thought Polanski's many-decade residence in La France was precisely cos there was no extradition treaty.  Or has the statute of limitations run out?  Or did the alleged victim change her tune (as I seem to recall was the case a few years ago)???

[phkauf]

36 minutes ago, blazes said:

Does France in fact have an extradition treaty with Uncle Sam?

 

I thought Polanski's many-decade residence in La France was precisely cos there was no extradition treaty.  Or has the statute of limitations run out?  Or did the alleged victim change her tune (as I seem to recall was the case a few years ago)???

I think Polanski was not extradited because he holds French citizenship. He actually pled guilty and fled just before being sentenced. It's astonishing that the Hollywood elite will excuse all sorts of deviant behavior amongst their own (Polanski, Woody Allen, Michael Jackson, and so on).

[wisperone]

What...Russia isn't to your liking...how could that be? Just about anywhere else would be an improvement.

[Skeptic7]

A real hero. Should be granted asylum (and the keys) to Planet Earth. The USA should be ashamed. 

[Skeptic7]

A real hero. Should be granted asylum (and the keys) to Planet Earth. The USA should be ashamed. 

[from the home of CC]

3 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Ask Polanski.

ask Epstein..

[riclag]

35 minutes ago, rhyddid said:

He is a hero as Assange is a great Journalist who is detained by the slave of US deep state, no better definitions or adjective goes to who arrested him and keep Assange in jail for no motive, rather to have have exposed the true to the world !

 Snowden who has exposed how people in high positions in my government (Intel and gov. agencies) have tried to undermine people's freedom's for decades ,He is a American hero ! 

[blazes]

40 minutes ago, rhyddid said:

He is a hero as Assange is a great Journalist who is detained by the slave of US deep state, no better definitions or adjective goes to who arrested him and keep Assange in jail for no motive, rather to have have exposed the true to the world !

 

Nicely done, Rhyddid.  I like your pseudonym (Freedom for those wot don't spika da Welsh)...I think we could argue that Assange (though in personality a bit weird) has done his bit for world peace.

[blazes]

24 minutes ago, phkauf said:

I think Polanski was not extradited because he holds French citizenship. He actually pled guilty and fled just before being sentenced. It's astonishing that the Hollywood elite will excuse all sorts of deviant behavior amongst their own (Polanski, Woody Allen, Michael Jackson, and so on).

 

But not Kevin Spacey apparently.....

[Sujo]

37 minutes ago, phkauf said:

I think Polanski was not extradited because he holds French citizenship. He actually pled guilty and fled just before being sentenced. It's astonishing that the Hollywood elite will excuse all sorts of deviant behavior amongst their own (Polanski, Woody Allen, Michael Jackson, and so on).

Polanskis victim herself said do not prosecute. She is against the govt getting their hands on him.

 

What did woody allen do that was illegal. I havent heard he was a kiddy fiddler.

Edited September 17, 2019 by Sujo

[Cereal]

5 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

Although welcoming someone like Snowdon would not be an attack on the USA it certainly would not be considered a friendly act by a so called friendly nation and would harm relations. 

Harm relations??? I can't remember the last time I heard any American say anything positive about France. I'm guessing that the huge percentage (95%+) don't even realize the Statue of Liberty was a gift from France.

[Nyezhov]

9 minutes ago, Cereal said:

Harm relations??? I can't remember the last time I heard any American say anything positive about France. I'm guessing that the huge percentage (95%+) don't even realize the Statue of Liberty was a gift from France.

What? Give it back. I know know why she has one arm up, shes trying to surrender!