Furious US lawmakers lashed out at Vladimir Putin yesterday for granting safe passage to fugitive Edward Snowden on his desperate journey to evade extradition on espionage charges.
Snowden, 30, the whistleblower who spilled American spying secrets, fled his Hong Kong hideout yesterday, despite his passport being revoked by the United States the day before. And he flew into Russia's open arms on the first leg of a circuitous search for asylum that officials said could end in Ecuador.
"I hope we'll chase him to the ends of the earth, bring him to justice and let the Russians know there will be consequences if they harbor this guy," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said on "Fox News Sunday."
EPA
WELCOME TO MOSCOW! Passengers arriving at Moscow's airport from Hong Kong are greeted yesterday by a crush of journalists seeking NSA leaker Edward Snowden, believed to have been on their flight.
Graham vowed there would "absolutely" be consequences if Putin facilitates Snowden's escape.
"They want to be part of the world community, the [World Trade Organization]. They want a good relationship with the United States. They should hold this felon and send him back home for justice," he said.
Snowden planned to spend the night in Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport — likely because, without a passport, he's not allowed to go past customs — before hopping an Aeroflot flight to Cuba today. From there, he might go o Caracas, Venezuela, according to Russia's state ITAR-Tass news agency, and then to Ecuador.
Authorities in Hong Kong claimed Snowden was free to leave because a US extradition request did not fully comply with Chinese law.
An official from Ecuador said this morning that the country was considering the request from Snowden to seek asylum there.
"We are analyzing it with a lot of responsibility," said Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino.
He added that the asylum request "has to do with freedom of expression and with the security of citizens around the world."
Snowden was also aided by the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, which is helping the former National Security Agency contractor secure political asylum in a "democratic country," a spokesman said.
But it was Russia's involvement — and Russian President Putin's likely meddling — that rankled the United States.
"What's infuriating here is [President] Putin of Russia aiding and abetting Snowden's escape," fumed Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) on CNN's "State of the Union." "Putin always seems almost eager to put a finger in the eye of the United States."
Schumer said Russia's involvement will have "serious consequences" in US-Russian relations.
Rep. Pete King (R-LI) agreed.
"This is a direct slap at President Obama and the United States by Putin. The president must make it clear to Putin that the US will take the appropriate diplomatic and economic action," said King, chairman of the House Homeland Security subcommittee on counterterrorism and intelligence.
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