Schumer: Putin 'Aiding, Abetting' Snowden

NSA director says whistleblower wasn't acting 'with noble intent'
By Polly Davis Doig,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 23, 2013 10:27 AM CDT
Schumer: Putin 'Aiding, Abetting' Snowden
Sen. Chuck Schumer accused Vladimir Putin of sticking a finger in the US' eye over allowing Edward Snowden to land in Moscow today.   (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Edward Snowden is reportedly on the ground in Moscow, and American lawmakers wasted no time in lobbing threats at Russia for allowing the stopover, reports Politico. Chuck Schumer led off, blasting Vladimir Putin for sticking "a finger in the eye of the United States," an action which is "not how allies should treat each other" and which "will have serious consequences for the United States-Russia relationship." Rand Paul, who has supported Snowden's whistleblowing, was equally skeptical about the choice, saying, "if he cozies up to the Russian government, it will be nothing but bad for his name in history."

  • More Paul: "If (Snowden) goes to an independent third country like Iceland and if he refuses to talk to any sort of formal government about this, I think there's a chance he'll be seen as an advocate of privacy."
  • Dianne Feinstein: "I don't think this man is a whistleblower. Whatever his motives are, and I take him at face value, he could have stayed and faced the music. I don't think running is a noble thought."
  • NSA Director Keith Alexander: Snowden is "clearly an individual who's betrayed the trust and confidence we had in him. This is an individual who is not acting, in my opinion, with noble intent. When they betray that trust, well, then we have to push it over to the Department of Justice and others for the appropriate action."
(More Sunday morning talk shows stories.)

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