Opinions

Russian president should protect NSA leaker Snowden from US

An unlikely pair, it appears that former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden and Tom Hanks’ character from “The Terminal” have much in common.

Snowden, the man responsible for leaking information about the extent of government surveillance on phones and electronic devices in the U.S., is currently in legal limbo at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport.

Stuck in an area known as the transit zone, Snowden is stranded without a passport or any valid form of identification, according to The New York Times.

As Snowden waited in Moscow for countries to answer his asylum requests Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke of Snowden’s predicament.

“If he [Snowden] wants to go somewhere and they accept him, please, be my guest,” Putin said. He added that if Snowden wants asylum in Russia, he must agree to stop publishing material that harms the U.S.

Though not of his choosing, Putin seems to be in a very odd predicament.

If he grants Snowden asylum or lets him leave Russia, Putin will undoubtedly worsen his country’s strained relationship with the U.S.

If Putin helps to capture Snowden, however, he will likely be praised by U.S. officials but ostracized by other world leaders.

It seems that the Kremlin is in control of Snowden’s fate, whether it enjoys it or not.

In a letter published Monday on Wikileaks’ website, Snowden accused Obama of “deception” for using “old, bad tools of political aggression.”

Further inflaming his case against the Obama administration, Snowden accused Obama of asking Vice President Joe Biden to pressure nations that have received his asylum petitions.

It’s clear that if Snowden returns to the U.S., he will be tried for crimes of which he will surely be found guilty.

With the level of attention Snowden has received worldwide, it is clear that Putin holds the world’s most sought-after fugitive or hero, depending on one’s predilection.

A smart move on Putin’s part would be to assist the U.S. in Snowden’s capture. This decision, however unpopular, would benefit U.S.-Russian relations that have been especially strained as of late.

Though not as wise of a move as extraditing him, Putin should let Snowden decide his own fate.

If Snowden does not wish to meet Putin’s ultimatum, then he should be allowed to live in the transit zone for as long as he pleases.

In the airport’s transit zone, Snowden can continue to publish documents and shed light on previously secret American surveillance programs like PRISM.

If Snowden does decide to stop harming U.S. interests and take asylum in Russia, then Putin should protect him from any U.S. attempts on his life or freedom.

For the first time since Bradley Manning leaked hundreds of thousands classified documents to Wikileaks, a U.S. citizen has willingly stood up against the government and fostered a national debate worth having.

Rather than be antagonized, Snowden should be praised as a hero and a champion of truth.

Why were Americans kept in the dark about PRISM, an electronic surveillance program that collected massive amounts of personal data?

Without Snowden, it is likely that PRISM’s existence would have never been made public.

As of Tuesday, no country has granted Snowden’s asylum request.

According to The New York Times, only Bolivia and Venezuela have offered Snowden hope in terms of possibly granting his asylum requests.

Like Tom Hanks’ character from “The Terminal,” Snowden may soon call Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport home.

A wise choice, given the consequences.

Shane Newell is a junior journalism major and the opinions editor at the Daily 49er.

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