Chinese-Dragon
RETIRED TTA
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(Reuters) - The White House pressed Russia on Monday to exercise all options to expel Edward Snowden and slammed China for allowing the former U.S. spy agency contractor who disclosed government surveillance secrets to leave Hong Kong.
White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters it was the U.S. assumption that Snowden was still in Russia and he dismissed suggestions that the decision to allow Snowden to depart Hong Kong was a technical one.
"We are just not buying that this was a technical decision by a Hong Kong immigration official," Carney said.
"This was a deliberate choice by the government to release a fugitive despite a valid arrest warrant, and that decision unquestionably has a negative impact on the U.S.-China relationship," he said.
Carney said that U.S. officials had been in contact with Hong Kong authorities since June 10, urging them to honor Washington's request that he be arrested. Hong Kong acknowledged receipt of the U.S. request on June 17 and requested additional information about the U.S. charges and evidence on June 21, Carney said.
"The U.S. had been in communication about these inquiries and we were in the process of responding to the request when we learned that Hong Kong authorities have allowed the fugitive to leave," he said.
White House presses Russia to expel Snowden; sharp words for China | Reuters
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Interestingly, the USA revoked Snowden's American passport. So he left Hong Kong using temporary Ecuadorian travel documents, since that is his intended final destination after a stop-over in Russia.
So far, America has "warned" China, Russia and Ecuador not to refuse extradition of Snowden back to the USA. But obviously, none of them are going to extradite him back to America.
White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters it was the U.S. assumption that Snowden was still in Russia and he dismissed suggestions that the decision to allow Snowden to depart Hong Kong was a technical one.
"We are just not buying that this was a technical decision by a Hong Kong immigration official," Carney said.
"This was a deliberate choice by the government to release a fugitive despite a valid arrest warrant, and that decision unquestionably has a negative impact on the U.S.-China relationship," he said.
Carney said that U.S. officials had been in contact with Hong Kong authorities since June 10, urging them to honor Washington's request that he be arrested. Hong Kong acknowledged receipt of the U.S. request on June 17 and requested additional information about the U.S. charges and evidence on June 21, Carney said.
"The U.S. had been in communication about these inquiries and we were in the process of responding to the request when we learned that Hong Kong authorities have allowed the fugitive to leave," he said.
White House presses Russia to expel Snowden; sharp words for China | Reuters
--------------------
Interestingly, the USA revoked Snowden's American passport. So he left Hong Kong using temporary Ecuadorian travel documents, since that is his intended final destination after a stop-over in Russia.
So far, America has "warned" China, Russia and Ecuador not to refuse extradition of Snowden back to the USA. But obviously, none of them are going to extradite him back to America.