As the world condemns Russia’s continued support for separatists in eastern Ukraine in the wake of MH17, Edward Snowden is asking Vladimir Putin for an extended asylum. It’s an awkward circumstance for a self-proclaimed human rights and Internet freedom activist, even beyond taking refuge in a land with a terrible human rights record and no internet freedom. The deeper reality is that Snowden is both practically and politically useful to Putin. “As a consultant on how the NSA works, he is very useful,” Independent defence analyst Pevel Felgenhauer told the Russian paper Novaya Gazeta, noting that Snowden can …read more
Source: Business Insider
