Russian President Vladimir Putin, 69, embroiled in a bloody U.S. proxy war in Ukraine, granted Russian citizenship to 39-year-old “whistleblower” Edward Snowden, former employee of National Security Agency [NSA] contractor Hawaii-based Booz-Allen Hamilton. Snowden, a computer programmer, copied classified government files proving that the NSA was spying on its citizens, fled from Hawaii in May 2013 to Hong Kong, eluding CIA officials who put an all-points-bulletin but failed to capture him before boarding a flight to Moscow. Putin granted Snowden permanent Russian residency in 2022, with Russia’s sizable ex-pat U.S. community, where he was granted Russian citizenship today. Whether Putin granted Snowden citizenship to spike the Biden White House is anyone’s guess. Considered a fugitive by the U.S. government, there’s nothing the State Department can do now.
Snowden released thousands of government files showing that the National Security Agency [NSA] routinely spied on its citizens. Pentagon Spokesman Ned Price said Snowden dumped of classified national security documents compromised U.S. national security and should return to the United States and face trial for violation the Espionage Act among other U.S. laws covering secret documents obtained by NSA contractor Booz Allen Hamilon. Snowden’s answer came out of James Bond film, fleeing U.S. territory and making his way to Hong Kong before boarding a flight to Moscow in June 2013. “Our position has not changed,” said State Department Spokesman Ned Price. “Mr. Snowden should return to the United States where he should face justice as any other American citizens,” Price said, knowing that Snowed was gone for good.
Given the abysmal state of U.S.-Russian relations, worse today than anytime during the Cold War, Putin has no problem granting Snowden citizenship, anything to stick it to 79-year-old President Joe Biden. Biden turned a border conflict with Ukraine and Moscow into a U.S. proxy war against the Russian Federation. Snowden asked 76-year-old President Donald Trump to pardon him under the April 10, 1989 Whistleblower Protection Act. Many people disagree with the State Department view that Snowden violated the U.S. laws related to protection of classified information. Can you imagine, Democrats want to charge Trump with violation the Espionage Act for keeping boxes of White House files in the locked basement of his Mar-a-Lago residence. Before Trump left office, Snowden was not one who received a pardon. Snowden will no doubt continue the pardon route when feasible.
Snowden’s case involved a passionate 29-year-old who had bounced around various government agencies, including Dell Computer and the CIA. When exposed at Booz Allen Hamiliton to government spying programs, Snowden decided to copy classified government files under what he thought would be protected under the whistleblower statute. Whether you see Snowden as an intel criminal violating his NSA contract with Booz Allen Hamilton or not, he claims he operated within his conscience reviewing government spying files. “After two years of waiting and nearly 10 years of exile, a little stability will make a difference for my family,” Snowden tweeted Monday. “ I pray for privacy for then—for all of us, including his American wife and two children. Snowden’s attorney tried to arrest speculation that Snowden is now eligible for Putin’s new 300,000 draft.
Snowden’s attorney Anatoly Kucherena said Snowden was exempted from the call-up because he has no combat experience. Men in Russia with combat experience can be called up until their 65th birthday. Snowden’s the most high-profile U.S. ex-pat discussed in the news since WNBA star Brittney Griner’s attempt to get out a Russian penal colony. Price said the U.S. government is doing everything possible to pull off a prisoner swap to get Griner out a Russian jail. But given the state of war between the White House and the Kremlin, Snowden has a better shot of getting a Russian passport than Griner does of getting out of Russian prison. Snowden never got any reassurance from the State Department that he would not spend a good portion of his life in U.S. prison. Russia offered Snowden a way out of his dilemma knowing he’s considered a criminal like Trump in most legal circles.
Snowden back in the news shows that the Justice Department’s case under the Espionage Act against Trump is worthless. If they wanted to go after someone like Snowden they’d have a far better case, even though many people in the U.S. think that Snowden falls under the 1989 Whistleblower Protection Act. Whether that’s debatable or not, he fled the U.S. in 2013 for a safe haven in Hong Kong and Moscow. Now that he’s a new Russian citizen, the State Department can do nothing but whine about his situation. When it comes to comparing Trump to Snowden, 70-year-old Atty. Gen. Merrick Garland, has an open-and-shut case. Trump did nothing to violate the Espionage Act worthy of criminal indictment. When it came to Snowden, he outfoxed the U.S. government, eluding the vaunted CIA in Hong Kong, before fleeing to his safe have in the Russian Federation.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
