Someone hacked the Ecuadorian embassy in Moscow and found a document related to Ecuador’s 2013 efforts to bring Edward Snowden there. If you remember, Snowden was traveling from Hong Kong to somewhere when the US revoked his passport, stranding him in Russia. In the document, Ecuador asks Russia to provide Snowden with safe passage to come to Ecuador.
It’s hard to believe this all happened almost ten years ago.
Fazal Majid • June 29, 2022 8:13 AM
Considering what happened to Assange, I’d say Snowden had a lucky escape.
Ted • June 29, 2022 8:35 AM
Russia to Ecuador… What exactly do you mean “international protection”?
Steve • June 29, 2022 9:34 AM
@Ted, this was not written by Bruce so he can’t answer that question. 🙂
According to the articel Mikael Thalen is the author of it.
Denton Scratch • June 29, 2022 9:50 AM
I think Mr. Assange might have some choice remarks about Ecuador’s reliability as a protector of journalists and whistleblowers.
Clive Robinson • June 29, 2022 10:38 AM
@ ALL,
Re : Snowden, Assange and Ecuador.
All that has been proved is,
1, The US only believe Might is right.
2, There will always be politicians who will take handfulls of cash.
Realisticaly do people realy expect any better?
I know we all hope for better but realisticaly when have narcissistic sociopaths ever realy paid attention to the wishes of others or what society thinks is moral or ethical?
And please do not think I’m singling out the US almost every Nation from Australia to the United Kingdom uses the excuse of “political imperative” to perform gross human rights violations that actually sicken many of their citizens if they became aware of them.
Some say “We live in an imperfect world” sometimes I wonder just how far from perfect we have allowed ourselves to become…
Ted • June 29, 2022 10:41 AM
@Steve, re: “protección internacional”
Sorry if what I wrote was confusing. I was actually trying to paraphrase what Russia supposedly asked Ecuador. This was based on what was written in the article and was transcribed from an included letter. 🙂
John Brown • June 29, 2022 4:26 PM
@Clive Robinson: Nonsense, the American regime is uniquely evil and always has been.
American • June 29, 2022 5:52 PM
Why are we still talking about Snowden and honor him? This guy is a TRAITOR, thanks to him Russia knows all our secrets. Snowden didn’t get a safe place to stay for his nice eyes and a charm.
already known • June 29, 2022 6:29 PM
It may sound farfetched, yet I publicly offered myself to be extradited out of USA into Europe instead of J. Assange being extradited to USA.
(I know Snowden is not Assange, yet there’s some similarities.)
My offer is still valid. My explanation is that after having been abducted several times and had my personal items pilfered several times, I must be some kind of “item” of interest to hostile groups.
To make it worth my while, I’d rather be out of this country for good.
Within the treacherous territory that I used to live, a few nice people sustained gossip that Assange is/was innocent. I trust those people and they had their difficulties too; I was a witness.
Seriously, after having been shipped around so many times against my will in so many extravagant hostile ways, yet still allowed to eat and sleep, I figure that I might be worth something to some sophisticated groups elsewhere.
I could handle living in Europe or Scandanavia. America has been consistently kicking my arse for too long.
My offer still stands.
Winter • June 30, 2022 12:47 AM
@s/American/troll/g
This guy is a TRAITOR, thanks to him Russia knows all our secrets.
Corrected:
“This guy is a SAVIOR, thanks to him Russia knows all our crimes.”
Winter • June 30, 2022 9:01 AM
@Moderator
comment-406990
Inappropriate content. Most likely from a troll-tool.
Clive Robinson • June 30, 2022 10:34 AM
@ Winter,
Re : Most likely from a troll-tool
Probably not, by the looks of it “American” does not have the brains to be even a low end troll-tool.
I guess to old to be a Trumpian 400lb teen bashing away at it in his mom’s bed/back room…
But also not exactly bright enough to hold down a sensible “day job”.
Suggesting to some it might be a “burger flipper”, which when you think about it is actuall insulting to “short order grill chefs” you actually need not just brains but organisational as well as manual skills to hold that sort of job down.
Likewise being a “broom jocky” needs ability to think these days…
I guess, being lower on the smarts ladder than a cockroach, is not something you want on your C.V., especially if you have to scrawl it out in crayon…
So “I’m just not feeling it” if you know what I mean… Which begs the question who pays for it’s beer and chips?
Gert-Jan • July 1, 2022 6:44 AM
Ten years later, and since I haven’t heard anything about it, I have to assume:
1. no one that illegally spied on US citizens was ever punished
2. the people that lied about it in Congress got away with it
3. the US government is still intercepting communications of millions of US citizens without legal basis
4. there is still no whistleblower legislation, so the next whistleblower will have to give up their life and flee to another country, just like Snowden
I don’t expect a next Snowden. The price for the whistleblower is simply too high. Especially considering that all whistleblower’s actions, up to and including Snowden’s, haven’t led to any accountability or improved legislation.
JonKnowsNothing • July 1, 2022 12:23 PM
@Gert-Jan
re: price for the whistleblower is simply too high
It maybe more or less nuanced than this.
A) You have to near, adjacent to, have access, or over hear information that would cause someone to take the whistle out of the case
B) Whatever the information is, you have to find a broker for it.
If you have any tech savvy, you will already know you cannot find a Safe Broker and may stop.
If you are not tech savvy, you will not realize there are no Safe Brokers and continue.
C) Provided you have found a Safe Broker and you have the whistle out of the case and you are that motivated to make a noise with it, you might not be too worried about the aftermath.
ES was worried about the aftermath, and did the best he could but even so it wasn’t enough foresight. Some critics claim that the search for a safe haven tainted the information released and tarnished his efforts in future legal proceedings.
JS did a minimal amount of safe haven searching and resides atm in an uncomfortable abode. There are some that intend to make that abode permanent but JS has a different plan in mind and it remains to be discovered how that plan will work out.
The concept of the “idealist whistleblower” isn’t wrong but it’s not quite right either. People do this all the time but rarely does anyone pay attention.
Consider: How many times have people “complained” at work to supervisors, HR, bosses, colleagues, family friends about some aspect of work that “is not correct”?
This is whistle blowing but not on a grand scale.
How many of us have been in that situation only to find that nothing changed?
In my case, I picked up my huaraches and decamped to a job where things were less in need of whistle blowing.
Quantry • July 4, 2022 11:53 AM
@ Gert-Jan
“The price … too high”
You can still embarrass them til they are dead for their perversions and immorality.
And don’t under-estimate those motivated when continuously insulted by a pack of monstrous lying vultching law-breaking freaks one century after another.
Warn them vigorously, because like everyone, their body’s last breath to beg mercy approaches like a thief in the night.
“… their conscience seared with a hot iron …”
h–ps://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=you+have+overcome
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Sidebar photo of Bruce Schneier by Joe MacInnis.
JonKnowsNothing • June 29, 2022 7:16 AM
It’s hard to believe that GITMO is still a functioning prison and death camp 20 years on.(1)
It’s hard to believe that “no enhanced interrogator working for or on behalf of the USA” has been held accountable in a court.
It’s hard to believe that those activities continue unabated, by the same organizations with the same mindsets.
It’s hard to believe that the Senate Report on the CIA Torture program hasn’t been released in full and unredacted form.(2)
There are lots of things that are hard to believe… maybe that’s why people don’t believe them.
===
1) GITMO currently houses “forever detainees” aka prisoners. These are people who have done nothing, were never charged so never had a trial, but who’s status is “forever”. Forever means until they die. GITMO is a USA “natural death” prison camp.
2) Senate Intelligence Committee Study of the Central Intelligence Agency’s Detention and Interrogation Program. December 13, 2012,