Posted on 06/10/2013 12:45:15 PM PDT by drewh
BEIJING -- Edward Snowden, the 29-year-old contractor identified as the source of leaks about the U.S. electronic surveillance program, apparently checked out of his Hong Kong hotel at midday Monday, his destination and whereabouts unknown.
"We know he was here until today," said Cosmo Beatson, a Hong Kong-based refugee activist who heads an organization called Vision First.
Beatson said Monday night it is possible that Snowden boarded a plane from Hong Kong -- since there is no warrant for his arrest -- or was smuggled onto one of the many illegal speedboats smuggling people and goods between mainland Chinese and Hong Kong. “He’s very mobile.”
Britain's Guardian newspaper videotaped an interview with Snowden at the Hong Kong hotel, and posted it on Sunday. Since then, Snowden may have discovered that Hong Kong’s unique geopolitics made it a poor choice for seeking asylum.
Unlike China, the semiautonomous territory of Hong Kong has an extradition treaty with the United States that has been in place since January 1998. Although the treaty gives Beijing the right to veto an extradition on national security grounds, experts do not expect the Chinese government will want to confront Washington on Snowden’s behalf.
U.S. citizens can enter Hong Kong without a visa, but are usually given stays of only 90 days. After that, Snowden would face deportation or extradition.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Yet they adore PFC Bradley Manning and his Australian mentor.
He was making $200 large in his contractor gig.
Does not matter, college does not make someone smart. Watch the 12 minute interview he gave and you will see a highly articulate and extremely intelligent person. The government knows this and I expect him to end up in Gitmo soon; right or wrong.
I am betting he was a drug addict who wasn’t in his right mind. They will find him two weeks from now in a hotel room with a needle still in his arm.
So is this the last we hear from him? He gone?
That was I predict. He will not be heard from or seen again. Most will think he is hiding and living in fear. Reality he ends up in secret prison debriefed and discarded.
Thirty years ago Russia was seen as evil doers and spies would defect to America. What have we become.
Maybe he was in Iceland all along
Go figure.
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