Putin grants Russian citizenship to US whistleblower Edward Snowden

[Scott]

Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Monday granting Russian citizenship to the US whistleblower Edward Snowden.

Snowden, 39, a former US intelligence contractor, has been living in Russia since 2013 to escape prosecution in the US after leaking secret files, published by the Guardian, that revealed vast domestic and international surveillance operations carried out by the US National Security Agency.

In 2020, Snowden said that he and his then-pregnant wife were applying for Russian citizenship in order not to be separated from their future son in an era of pandemics and closed borders.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/sep/26/putin-grants-russian-citizenship-to-us-whistleblower-edward-snowden

[mackayae]

That should make him eligible for the mobilization.

[ukrules]

Good.

[Scott]

Troll post removed.

 

[Skeptic7]

The only decent thing Putin has done. Now get yo dumdass out of Ukraine, turn on the gas and release Brittney Griner. 

[vandeventer]

  On 9/26/2022 at 9:44 PM, mackayae said:

That should make him eligible for the mobilization.

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Snowden might learn something, that Putin is not his friend?

[Tracyb]

Most excellent!  Now he’ll be off to the front line as fodder.  Good place for him!

[Berkshire]

Congratulations Edward, on your citizenship.  Now go to Ukraine and die for your country like a good Russian!

[micmichd]

  On 9/27/2022 at 12:29 AM, vandeventer said:

Snowden might learn something, that Putin is not his friend?

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Russia (not Putin) was the only one that granted Edward Snowden asylum when he was chased. I would call this friendship. 

[Stargeezr]

Well I guess Edward will be learning to speak Russian. 

Have a good future living there and visiting locally.

[thaibeachlovers]

  On 9/27/2022 at 1:57 AM, micmichd said:

Russia (not Putin) was the only one that granted Edward Snowden asylum when he was chased. I would call this friendship. 

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Indeed. He did us a great service and the aftermath is shameful for the US government, IMO.

It doesn't pay to embarrass the US government, as another unfortunate has found out to his cost.

[SunnyinBangrak]

Interesting how there is near 100% agreement among posters here that Snowden, a whistleblower, is bad. Yet for the last few years every whistleblower to come out of the woodwork - such as Vindman and Ciaramella, have been called heros and protected by the state with peculiar vigor.

 Is it really because Snowden blew the whistle on Obama(so bad) while recent whistleblowers blew the whistle on Trump(so good)?? Would it not be more honest to call ALL whistleblowers good, or all bad, not depending on whether they blew a whistle on your side or not?

 I wish Snowden a peaceful and happy life in Russia with his family.

[thaibeachlovers]

  On 9/27/2022 at 2:06 AM, SunnyinBangrak said:

Interesting how there is near 100% agreement among posters here that Snowden, a whistleblower, is bad. Yet for the last few years every whistleblower to come out of the woodwork - such as Vindman and Ciaramella, have been called heros and protected by the state with peculiar vigor.

 Is it really because Snowden blew the whistle on Obama(so bad) while recent whistleblowers blew the whistle on Trump(so good)?? Would it not be more honest to call ALL whistleblowers good, or all bad, not depending on whether they blew a whistle on your side or not?

 I wish Snowden a peaceful and happy life in Russia with his family.

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As always, whether they are good or bad depends on which side has the loudest voice.

[Tug]

Well ya made your bed now lay in it hope you enjoy Russia and hope you get called up in their draft 

[sead]

  On 9/27/2022 at 12:09 AM, Skeptic7 said:

The only decent thing Putin has done. Now get yo dumdass out of Ukraine, turn on the gas and release Brittney Griner. 

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Or the USA and NATO could say we won't expand more. Or Zelenskiy could say we are not interested in a NATO membership as they could have said before even 1 person got killed. It's all about how you look at it isn't it?

[mikeymike100]

  On 9/27/2022 at 12:29 AM, vandeventer said:

Snowden might learn something, that Putin is not his friend?

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Putin doesn't have any friends?

[mikeymike100]

  On 9/27/2022 at 2:06 AM, SunnyinBangrak said:

Interesting how there is near 100% agreement among posters here that Snowden, a whistleblower, is bad. Yet for the last few years every whistleblower to come out of the woodwork - such as Vindman and Ciaramella, have been called heros and protected by the state with peculiar vigor.

 Is it really because Snowden blew the whistle on Obama(so bad) while recent whistleblowers blew the whistle on Trump(so good)?? Would it not be more honest to call ALL whistleblowers good, or all bad, not depending on whether they blew a whistle on your side or not?

 I wish Snowden a peaceful and happy life in Russia with his family.

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Agree with your sentiment, but I think many posters like Myself thing Snowden was a modern day hero and showed everyone that the "deep state" is watching everybody  and Clapper was liar, but they let him off?

[Bkk Brian]

  On 9/27/2022 at 2:06 AM, SunnyinBangrak said:

Interesting how there is near 100% agreement among posters here that Snowden, a whistleblower, is bad. Yet for the last few years every whistleblower to come out of the woodwork - such as Vindman and Ciaramella, have been called heros and protected by the state with peculiar vigor.

 Is it really because Snowden blew the whistle on Obama(so bad) while recent whistleblowers blew the whistle on Trump(so good)?? Would it not be more honest to call ALL whistleblowers good, or all bad, not depending on whether they blew a whistle on your side or not?

 I wish Snowden a peaceful and happy life in Russia with his family.

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Why didn't Trump pardon him then?

Edward Snowden Takes Aim at Donald Trump for Not Pardoning Him

[Bkk Brian]

  On 9/27/2022 at 2:47 AM, sead said:

Or the USA and NATO could say we won't expand more. Or Zelenskiy could say we are not interested in a NATO membership as they could have said before even 1 person got killed. It's all about how you look at it isn't it?

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Zelenskiy already said Ukraine's not joining NATO 3 weeks after the invasion and it would have been an offering for peace talks which were ignored by Putin. 

[arithai12]

  On 9/27/2022 at 2:08 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

As always, whether they are good or bad depends on which side has the loudest voice.

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They used to say that history is written by the victors. Now, the news are those dictated by who controls the media.

[thaibeachlovers]

  On 9/27/2022 at 3:03 AM, Bkk Brian said:

Why didn't Trump pardon him then?

Edward Snowden Takes Aim at Donald Trump for Not Pardoning Him

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I never understood why he didn't. That would have been a poke in the eye to the Washington establishment.

[Eric Loh]

  On 9/27/2022 at 2:06 AM, SunnyinBangrak said:

Interesting how there is near 100% agreement among posters here that Snowden, a whistleblower, is bad. Yet for the last few years every whistleblower to come out of the woodwork - such as Vindman and Ciaramella, have been called heros and protected by the state with peculiar vigor.

 Is it really because Snowden blew the whistle on Obama(so bad) while recent whistleblowers blew the whistle on Trump(so good)?? Would it not be more honest to call ALL whistleblowers good, or all bad, not depending on whether they blew a whistle on your side or not?

 I wish Snowden a peaceful and happy life in Russia with his family.

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Snowden stole classified information from the NSA and was charged by DOJ for 2 counts of violating the Espionage Act. Vindman and Ciaramella were witnesses to the former President's attempt to pressure Ukraine into investigating his political rivals and committed no crime. False equivalence and bad faith on your part to make that comparison

[placeholder]

  On 9/27/2022 at 2:06 AM, SunnyinBangrak said:

Interesting how there is near 100% agreement among posters here that Snowden, a whistleblower, is bad. Yet for the last few years every whistleblower to come out of the woodwork - such as Vindman and Ciaramella, have been called heros and protected by the state with peculiar vigor.

 Is it really because Snowden blew the whistle on Obama(so bad) while recent whistleblowers blew the whistle on Trump(so good)?? Would it not be more honest to call ALL whistleblowers good, or all bad, not depending on whether they blew a whistle on your side or not?

 I wish Snowden a peaceful and happy life in Russia with his family.

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Well, Snowden did a great public service by releasing info on NSA illegal wiretapping of U.S. Citizens. He also released data on a lot of stuff that wasn't illegal. 

It was open for Obama's successor to pardon Snowden. I haven't seen any criticism of him on that account. Instead he used that power to pardon criminal lowlifes who could have implicated him in illegal activities.

[arithai12]

  On 9/27/2022 at 3:08 AM, Bkk Brian said:

Zelenskiy already said Ukraine's not joining NATO 3 weeks after the invasion and it would have been an offering for peace talks which were ignored by Putin. 

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See my previous post.

[Bkk Brian]

  On 9/27/2022 at 3:19 AM, arithai12 said:

See my previous post.

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I see it and read it changes nothing.

[Photoguy21]

We need more Edward Snowdon's it would help keep the lying politicians in line. 

[ThailandRyan]

  On 9/27/2022 at 1:57 AM, micmichd said:

Russia (not Putin) was the only one that granted Edward Snowden asylum when he was chased. I would call this friendship. 

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Chased?

[ThailandRyan]

  On 9/27/2022 at 3:25 AM, Photoguy21 said:

We need more Edward Snowdon's it would help keep the lying politicians in line. 

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The world over?

[Photoguy21]

  On 9/27/2022 at 3:31 AM, ThailandRyan said:

The world over?

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Definitely

[ThailandRyan]

  On 9/27/2022 at 3:11 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

I never understood why he didn't. That would have been a poke in the eye to the Washington establishment.

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It would have shown how deep in Putins pocket the Orange one was/is.