Edward Snowden safely landed in Caracas, Venezuela after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro offered him asylum.
EDIT: 8/1/13 – It turns out I received bad intel on this story. I guess he was actually just granted asylum in Russia for one year. That’s where he is and will be for the while. My bad.
Washington, DC — The Al Jazeera news agency is reporting that NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden has safely landed in Caracas, Venezuela. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro had offered asylum to the former U.S. intelligence contractor on Friday who was believed to be waiting in transit at a Moscow airport.
Guillermo Thomas who is a spokesman for the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela told aljazeera.com that Snowden is currently in the country and that he is thrilled to be there. “We are very blessed to have Mr. Snowden in our country, it is a pleasure,” Thomas said. “There were no direct flights across the Atlantic from Moscow to Venezuela. The only flight for Snowden to avoid U.S. extradition was to travel through Cuba. We would like to thank our friends in Cuba for making this journey possible and such a success.” Thomas continued, “Mr. Snowden is a hero and should be treated as one. We are pleased to provide this hero a home where he can live and be safe.”
Maduro announced his decision to allow asylum to Snowden during Venezuelan independence day celebrations. “As head of state, the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela decided to offer humanitarian asylum to the young American Edward Snowden so that he can come and live here, away from the persecution of American imperialism.”
Snowden’s journey began in May of this year after he was permitted temporary leave from his position at the NSA in Hawaii, on the pretext of receiving treatment for his epilepsy. On May 20th, Snowden flew to the Chinese territory of Hong Kong. This is where he was staying when the initial articles revealing information about the NSA that he had leaked were published. Among other specifics, Snowden disclosed the existence and functions of several classified U.S. surveillance programs and their scope, including notably PRISM, NSA call database and Boundless Informant. He also revealed details of Tempora, a British black-ops surveillance program run by the NSA’s British partner, GCHQ.
Snowden explained his actions to Glenn Greenwald from the Guardian about the motives behind the biggest intelligence leak in a generation. “I don’t want to live in a society that does these sort of things (surveillance on its citizens). I do not want to live in a world where everything I do and say is recorded.” Snowden further stated, “I have no intention of hiding who I am because I know I have done nothing wrong.”
Snowden told the Guardian that by revealing his identity he hoped to protect his colleagues from being subjected to a hunt in determining who had been responsible for the leaks. He also said that Lindsay Mills, his girlfriend who was living with him in Hawaii, was being a real “bummer” and this was as good an excuse as any to get away from that situation.
Lindsay Mills’ new boyfriend Paul Horner told the BBC News earlier this month that Snowden couldn’t handle commitment. “He’s just using this whole whistleblower thing as an excuse. The truth is, Lindsay is a great girl and Snowden really blew it by leaving her,” Horner said. “But she’s with me now and I’ll make sure to take real good care of her. America is here for their women in need, especially when that woman was left by a traitor to this country.”
On June 14, 2013, U.S. federal prosecutors charged Snowden with espionage and theft of government property. Snowden is believed to have asked 27 countries for asylum, most of whom had turned down his request since he outed himself as the NSA whistleblower responsible for leaking information about U.S. Government spy programs.
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This is such great news! This man is a hero! Way to go Venezuela!
This man is a hero and not a traitor. He deserves to live his life free and not behind bars. So happy he made it
As a society, Obama needs to make these choices for us lol
Edward Snowden is a traitor to this country who needs to be put to death or given life in prison. All you liberals on this guys side make me sick!
YOU are everything that is wrong with this country
I am NOT a liberal.. I can’t stand libtards and I’m tickled pink that Snowden is in Venezuela! I can’t believe you support the invasion of every privacy ever offered to the people of this country by the Constitution..The same constitutional rights our men and women have fought and die for!!! Snowden should be given a medal for shoving big brother’s underhanded tactics into the public eye.. what is wrong with you! Calling him a traitor! it’s the bozo in the white house that is the traitor!!
FUCK THE NSA!!!!! Way to go Snowden!!!!!!!!!
SNOWDEN IS A F*CKING BADASS!
“We’re going to have to make some choices as a society.”
lol You mean, you made the decision illegally, and then are trying to unite us behind your illegal acts. Way to go Obama and America!
This man is a traitor to his country and everybody is applauding him. Makes me sick to live in America
Michael.. did you somehow forget Benghazi??? how about ragging on a REAL traitor instead of someone who had the courage to stand up and tell the American people the truth about a corrupt government.. No… I’m not a liberal.. not on your life.
Then flee Michael…
The Partriot Act is the problem that allows all these agencies to do what they do. Get rid of the Patriot Act and none of this would have happened in the first place.
Official Press Release:
http://www.prlog.org/12170070-edward-snowden-safely-lands-in-venezuela-where-he-was-granted-asylum-to-avoid-us-extradition.html
From Ask The NSA
http://www.facebook.com/AskTheNSA
Question: Who reviews all those dick pics, & how are they filed?
Answer: That’s a great question! It’s some guy named Dennis Peterson. He does a good job, but the we give him sh*t sometimes. We’ll say things like, “Hey Dennis, you stupid moron! That one dick is way bigger than that other one, and it’s from a black dude. What the f*ck is wrong with you this morning Dennis?!! If you want that raise you’ve been asking for, you better start doing a better job with those dick pictures or we’ll demote you to horse dicks!”
We won’t ever demote Dennis to horse dicks. At the NSA we just like to keep people on their toes.
So stoked!
i cant get over this retarded part about her new boyfriend lol wtf? dumb slut needs to f*ck outta the story
Why does this Paul Horner guy have to be in the story? Who gives a sh*t about Snowden’s Ex and her new boyfriend?
Repeal the Patriot Act and none of this type of stuff can happen, or at least it has to be more transparent; so we don’t need people like Edward Snowden risking their lives doing what they did. ALL of this branches off from The Patriot Act. – Drones, TSA, NDAA, PRISM etc
Inside the NSA’s secret Utah data center
http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/06/11/inside-nsas-secret-utah-data-center/
Obama made a statement just after Snowden released files saying “the government was not listening in on phone calls or reading emails”. 1 week later more secret documents gave irrefutable evidence that Obama lied through his teeth.
Putin also offered Snowden asylum in Russia, on the condition he did not release anymore files. He declined
Snowden must have a government secret that is so big that:
1# It has kept him alive.
2# It will have implications that will affect Russia as well.
Snowden leaked PROOF that your country is in breach of the United Nations charter that protects the rights of sovereign countries. It is also in breach of the Murican constitution, this is something that should concern you greatly. America is also now at risk of losing exports and trade agreements with these countries AND….DRUM ROLL PLEASE…..
Those countries could end there allegiances with America. If this happens America is bankrupt, loses its sovereignty, is open to invasion and occupation from many of its enemies. And lets face it there is no shortage of those.
And that is why Edward Snowden is a big deal.
The Moscow Airport where Snowden was believed to be hiding is a very weird place.
Note: Sorry for linking to Fox News
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/07/01/out-sight-snowden-thought-to-be-in-moscow-airport-but-few-have-seen-him/
Alright internet!!!!!! High-fives all around!!!
I love you Edward Snowden!!!!!!!!
Snowden is a tough on eto guage. I dont suspect his intentions were entirely charitable, though I think venezuela and other leftist countries are being disingenuous. Obama was the leftist dream come true and what he is doing is consistent with what bolivarians engage in with their own citizenry, particularly maduro and his predecessor. As much as I hate Obama and the vil and illegal things he has done, revealing anymore secrets that could put the lives of americans at risk, make snowden either extremely naive or evil himself! you exposed our government corruption and that is good, now destroy the rest of the stuff you have or you will be hunted down the rest of your life.
Oh please, TJ, grow a clue. What Snowden did is charitable alright, if ever there was anyone doing charity for the world it’d be him! For crying out loud;
The man left his whole life, family, girlfriend and wealth behind just to try and kick this surveillance obsessed world in the butt. He SAVED us from the sick lying empire that the US seems to have become. Stop trying to talk the US out of it, I’m sorry for you all being inhabitants of that inane prick Obama, but we, the rest of the world’s population, will not hold it against you, the people. We understand, most governments are the suck anyway. We won’t hate you for what the NSA/FBI/CIA have done to our privacy and the internet. We’ll work around it though, using 4096 bit ptp encrypted streams and such, but still, those of you who work in favor of all this PRISM crap should be ashamed! Time will tell, but my guess is the entire planet will view back on you as being disgustingly stupid.
Snowden is a effin coward! if he were any kind of man, he would face the charges against him if he thinks he is so righteous instead of cowering in some third world country under the guise of “political asylum.” and if anybody thinks the government spying on citizens and the US allies started with the Patriot Act or the Obama administration, you are all effin retarded
You and your kind make me wanna puke all over your faces. Universal Declaration of Human Rights signers where are you? Political asylum for Snowden is as appropriate as it can get. Governments of the so-called free world: You’re an embarrassment to us all.
WAY TO GO VENEZUELA! THANK YOU FOR STEPPING UP.. He’s not a traitor.. just a man who had the courage to tell it like it is.. and all you numbnuts calling everyone who supports Snowed a ‘liberal’.. you’d better think again.. I’m an AMERICAN and tired of a corrupt government.. Every American soldier knows the depths of deceit and corruption in our government today and I have not seen a single one of them that did not support the outting of that corruption by someone with balls.. SUPPORT THE MAN FOR HAVING COURAGE.. He’s not a traitor!
this site is awesome… well done on getting the news out about Snowden before anyone else
this is REAL NEWS!!
http://www.aljazeera.com/Services/Search/?q=Guillermo%20Thomas
http://www.aljazeera.com/Services/Search/?q=Snowden