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Glenn Greenwald: U.S. should be ‘on its knees begging’ that nothing happens to Snowden

"'Snowden has enough information to cause harm to the U.S. government in a single minute than any other person has ever had,' said Greenwald. “The U.S. government should be on its knees every day begging that nothing happen to Snowden, because if something does happen to him, all the information will be revealed and it could be its worst nightmare.' Snowden is currently working with Russian authorities to secure temporary asylum in that country. He said Friday that U.S. officials are blocking every effort he makes to seek safe passage to any place that will not extradite him into U.S. custody." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGlenn Greenwald: U.S. should be ‘on its knees begging’ that nothing happens to Snowden

Breakfast with Pussy Riot

"This morning I had the opportunity to meet, along with several other journalists, with two members of Russian punk collective Pussy Riot at the Washington offices of Human Rights First. They are in Washington meeting with members of congress, State Department staffers, and NGO officials. It's an odd sort of publicity tour. For security reasons, 'Fara' and 'Shaiba,' who appeared to be in their 20s, did not provide their real names, did not allow themselves to be photographed without their trademark balaclavas, and refused to discuss details about their backgrounds or travel itinerary." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBreakfast with Pussy Riot

Snowden’s full statement from Moscow: ‘I did what I believed right’

"A little over one month ago, I had family, a home in paradise, and I lived in great comfort. I also had the capability without any warrant to search for, seize, and read your communications. Anyone’s communications at any time. That is the power to change people’s fates. It is also a serious violation of the law. The 4th and 5th Amendments to the Constitution of my country, Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and numerous statutes and treaties forbid such systems of massive, pervasive surveillance. My government argues that secret court rulings, which the world is not permitted to see, somehow legitimize an illegal affair." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSnowden’s full statement from Moscow: ‘I did what I believed right’

Cat caught smuggling banned cell phones into Russian prison

"The Russian prison service said Monday it had caught a cat being used as a courier to smuggle banned cell phones and chargers into a prison camp in the country’s remote far north. The prison service in the Komi region said on its website that the cat was detained Friday evening as it climbed the fence of the region’s Number One corrective labour camp with two cell phones, batteries and chargers strapped to its back using tape. It posted a photograph of the black-and-white cat held up by the scruff of its neck by a guard with the bulky package still stuck to its fur." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCat caught smuggling banned cell phones into Russian prison

Kremlin turns back to typewriters to avoid security leaks

"The throwback to the paper-strewn days of Soviet bureaucracy has reportedly been prompted by the publication of secret documents by anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks and the revelations leaked by former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden. The Federal Guard Service, which is also in charge of protecting President Vladimir Putin, is looking to spend just over 486,000 rubles ($14,800) to buy a number of electric typewriters. Pro-Kremlin newspaper Izvestia said the state service was looking to purchase 20 typerwriters because using computers to prepare top-secret documents may no longer be safe." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingKremlin turns back to typewriters to avoid security leaks

Pepe Escobar: Towards a Snowden endgame

"The US Ambassador in Austria, William Eacho, was responsible for spreading the (false) information about Snowden being on board Bolivia President Evo Morales' Falcon - leading to the denial of overflying rights in France, Spain, Portugal an Italy. Eacho - a former CEO of a food distribution company with no diplomatic experience whatsoever - was appointed by Obama in June 2009. Why? Because he was a top Obama fundraiser. Eacho did little to disprove those who sustain that the NSA really needs to 'analyze' every phone call, email and tweet on the planet - otherwise they could never obtain such pearls of intelligence as pinpointing Snowden on Evo's plane." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPepe Escobar: Towards a Snowden endgame

Mad Latvia defies its own people to join the euro

"EU finance ministers have just given the go-ahead for Latvia to join the euro in January 2014. No matter that the latest SKDS poll shows that only 22pc of Latvians support this foolish step, and 53pc are opposed. This is a very odd situation. The elites are pushing ahead with a decision of profound implications, knowing that the nation is not behind them. No country has ever done this before. The concerns of the Latvian people are entirely understandable. Neighbouring Estonia found itself having to bail out Club Med states with a per capita income two and a half times as high after it joined EMU. Latvia may find itself embroiled in an even bigger debacle." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMad Latvia defies its own people to join the euro

300 Year Old Russian Watch Factory Raketa Accepts Bitcoins

"Just this week, Russia’s historical watch factory Raketa, began accepting Bitcoins. Raketa was founded in 1721 by Peter the Great and is the oldest factory in Russia. For almost 300 years, Raketa, formerly known as Petrodvorets Watch Factory, has produced and sold wristwatches to individuals in Russian and those around the world. Petrodvorets Watch Factory was renamed Raketa in 1961 to honor the World’s first cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. Yuri was the first human to travel to outer space." Continue reading →

Continue Reading300 Year Old Russian Watch Factory Raketa Accepts Bitcoins

Russian lawmaker: Snowden agrees to Venezuela offer of asylum

"NSA leaker Edward Snowden has accepted Venezuela's offer of asylum, a key Russian lawmaker tweeted Tuesday. Alexei Pushkov, the chairman of Russian Duma's international affairs panel, tweeted that Snowden had accepted the offer from Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. 'Predictably, Snowden has agreed to Maduro’s offer of political asylum,' Pushkov tweeted in Russian, according to Russia Today. 'Apparently, this option appeared most reliable to Snowden.' Pushkov later tweeted that his information came from a Russian newcast. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki warned Monday of consequences after Maduro made his offer." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRussian lawmaker: Snowden agrees to Venezuela offer of asylum

Snowden fate in balance as Cuba backs asylum bid

"US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden won support from Cuba for his bid to seek asylum in Latin America as he began his third week in limbo at a Moscow airport on Monday. Cuba, a key transit point from Russia on the way to Latin America, supported the leaders of Bolivia, Venezuela and Nicaragua, who have offered the 30-year-old fugitive a possible lifeline as he remains marooned without documents in the transit area of a Moscow airport. Even if Snowden receives a new passport or travel document and manages to board a flight to Latin America, there are no guarantees that his plane would not be grounded once it reaches European airspace, analysts say." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSnowden fate in balance as Cuba backs asylum bid