Thread: Russia Considers Returning Snowden to U.S. to ‘Curry Favor’ With Trump: Official

Russia Considers Returning Snowden to U.S. to ‘Curry Favor’ With Trump: Official

Feb 10 2017, 6:01 pm ET
by Cynthia McFadden and William Arkin

U.S. intelligence has collected information that Russia is considering turning over Edward Snowden as a "gift" to President Donald Trump — who has called the NSA leaker a "spy" and a "traitor" who deserves to be executed.

That's according to a senior U.S. official who has analyzed a series of highly sensitive intelligence reports detailing Russian deliberations and who says a Snowden handover is one of various ploys to "curry favor" with Trump. A second source in the intelligence community confirms the intelligence about the Russian conversations and notes it has been gathered since the inauguration.

Snowden's ACLU lawyer, Ben Wizner, told NBC News they are unaware of any plans that would send him back to the United States.

"Team Snowden has received no such signals and has no new reason for concern," Wizner said.

Snowden responded to NBC's report on Twitter and said it shows that he did not work with the Russian government.

"Finally: irrefutable evidence that I never cooperated with Russian intel," Snowden said. "No country trades away spies, as the rest would fear they're next."

Former deputy national security adviser Juan Zarate urged the Trump administration to be cautious in accepting any Snowden offer from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"For Russia, this would be a win-win. They've already extracted what they needed from Edward Snowden in terms of information and they've certainly used him to beat the United States over the head in terms of its surveillance and cyber activity," Zarate said.

"It would signal warmer relations and some desire for greater cooperation with the new administration, but it would also no doubt stoke controversies and cases in the U.S. around the role of surveillance, the role of the U.S. intelligence community, and the future of privacy and civil liberties in an American context.

"All of that would perhaps be music to the ears of Putin."

The White House had no comment, but the Justice Department told NBC News it would welcome the return of Snowden, who currently faces federal charges that carry a minimum of 30 years in prison. Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said talk about returning Snowden is "nonsense."

If he were returned to American soil, Snowden — a divisive figure in America who is seen by some as a hero and others as treasonous — would face an administration that has condemned him in the strongest terms.

"I think he's a total traitor and I would deal with him harshly," Trump said in July. "And if I were president, Putin would give him over." In October 2013, Trump tweeted: "Snowden is a spy who should be executed."

CIA Director Mike Pompeo has also called for Snowden to face American justice. "I think the proper outcome would be that he would be given a death sentence," Pompeo said last February.

Snowden was working as a contractor at a National Security Agency facility in Hawaii when he began stealing top-secret documents that he gave to journalists in 2013, exposing details of U.S. domestic surveillance programs.

After Snowden fled to Hong Kong and was charged with violating the U.S. Espionage Act, he ended up in Russia. Moscow granted him refuge and officials say his residency permit was recently extended until 2020.

In an interview streamed on Twitter in December, Snowden said being forced to return to the U.S. would be a human-rights violation but would also put to rest to accusations that he is a Russian spy.

"A lot of people have asked me: Is there going to be some kind of deal where Trump says, 'Hey look, give this guy to me as some kind of present'? Will I be sent back to the U.S., where I'll be facing a show trial?" Snowden said.

"Is this going to happen? I don't know. Could it happen? Sure. Am I worried about it? Not really, because here's the thing: I am very comfortable with the decisions that I've made. I know I did the right thing."

More than 1 million people signed a White House petition calling for then-President Obama to pardon Snowden. Snowden himself did not file an application and tweeted that Army leaker Chelsea Manning should get clemency ahead of him. Obama commuted Manning's sentence but took no action on Snowden.

Snowden's Russian lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena, told the state-run news agency last month that his client would like to return to the United States — with no criminal charges hanging over his head.

"We hope very much that the new U.S. president would show some weighted approach to the issue and make the one and only correct decision — to stop prosecution against Edward Snowden," Kucherena said.

Zarate said there is no way to predict if Putin will deliver Snowden — or when.

"I think this is one of those rare cases where the stakes are so high, the diplomatic implications so deep, that anything can happen," he said.

"So this could be a secret diplomatic deal made in the dead of night, or it could be a weeks-in-formation deal with lawyers on all sides," he said.

"I think at the end of the day, Moscow holds the cards here."

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/...ficial-n718921

Snowden is not a spy, he is not a traitor. He is a whistle-blower on an out of control government that was spying on citizens of the United States.

For his own safety, he must stay in Russia for now. I love Trump as our President, and I think Pompeo is going to do a great job as Director of the CIA, but they neither one should have ever commented on Phil Snowden in the ways that they did. No one who exposes lies by our government that disclose where the government is spying on US or plotting against US or doing other dishonest things that represent a betrayal of our trust in our government is never a spy, is never a traitor, they are and will always be a Patriot.

Phil Snowden is a friend of the American people, he is one of US, not the Russians. The Russians simply took him in because he was on the run for his life and had nowhere else to go, and I thank God Russia did what they did to save the life of this young man.

If they want to "hang" someone for treason, then hang the bastards in the NSA who ordered the spying on US citizens without a warrant.

Putin isn't enemy for Russians..
He is a very strong leader. We almost like to call him the dictator.....but for too many Russians , he is their king. Well,can we criticize him...? Of course not. He doing his best for the Russia, like our president Trump want to "Make America Great Again."
Yes,Putin don't have any respect for his opposition, because he want to put Russia on the top. Is he the enemy? Sure, for his and Russians enemies.

Let's trade Snowden and give Russia SOROS!

Let Russia give Soros what he so rightly deserves and we can wash our hands of him.

Throw in Soros son's as a cherry on top!

Russian spy ship off East Coast of US, officials say

Snowden is a traitor to America and should be dealt with as such.

Tue Feb 14, 2017 | 1:42pm EST

Trump expects Russia to return Crimea to Ukraine: White House

U.S. President Donald Trump listens during a meeting with teachers and parents on education at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 14, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque



U.S. President Donald Trump made it clear he expects Russia to return Crimea to Ukraine and reduce violence in Ukraine, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Tuesday.

"President Trump has made it very clear that he expects the Russian government to de-escalate violence in the Ukraine and return Crimea," Spicer said at a daily news briefing. "At the same time, he fully expects to and wants to get along with Russia."

Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea in 2014.


http://www.reuters.com/article/us-us...KBN15T2IY?il=0

Well,our ships are everywhere...even our troops are everywhere, because Russia is enemy...)

Its complicated.....Putin not going to return Crimea,because of the people voice...Crimea is part of RF, even the World ignore this fact....Crimea was only a gift...to Ukraine...and donor bring the gift to him.
Crimea is part of RF,then her status was Republica of Crimea.

Exactly, Marci!! You are exactly right!! And I hope Trump in his discussions with Russia acknowledges that and tells the world to support the people of Crimea and their wishes. I realize politically and perhaps from a negotiating standpoint, Haley has to pound the table at the UN and the official statement from the White House for now needs to hold the line on US policy, but that policy can change from good meetings, improved relations, a new deal that benefits US and also benefits Russia, and a better course for the people of all involved, including the Ukrainians and Crimeans.

Trump won't give it up BEFORE we get something in return. And I'm sure Russia understands that.

Right...but here's the wall..with the builders like Eagles McCaine, Lindsay, stupid Kasich or incompetent from DEMS.
Sure is important to work with Russia, just put away the Old World.