Snowden

ONGOING timeline at RT here

LIST of revelations (June, July only) here

Sat 10th Aug: Obama announces reforms of NSA, incl FISA court. Julian Assange statement on this as vindication of Snowden.

Thurs 1st Aug: Snowden has been granted 1 year’s temporary asylum in RUSSIA (because US have threatened to bring down any plane in ANY NATO airspace – the nerve of it – should they believe him to be aboard..). WikiLeaks’ statement. What the WH said. Amnesty statement.

15th July: Snowden has formally applied for temporary asylum in Russia

12th July: Snowden addresses Human Rights Groups at airport – Timeline at live guardian blog. The statement he read them; short video of this; full audio of statement. Various Human Rights groups statements to date. New AI statement after today’s meeting. Edward Snowden requested temp. asylum in Russia because of the current threat of being grounded when flying and taken into custody via US manipulation of other states (cf Bolivia incident below). Meanwhile some S. American countries are still pressing for a formal explanation and apology of this and looking to recall their ambassadors from Spain Portugal Italy and France pending any adequate response. Obama has ‘spoken’ to Putin, White House says Snowden ‘not a dissident’…etc.

5th July:Asylum offer from Venezuela and Nicaragua, Bolivia suggest they would also offer asylum  There are some suggestions from Russian politicians that Russia might facilitate this.

4th July: Latin America seething. UNASUR meeting of Heads of State demands apology and transparent explanation of below incident.

3rd July: It’s *that* time of year again! *Another* Diplomatic Incident alert. First France and Portugal, then Spain and Italy (presumably at the behest of US) refuse to allow the plane carrying the Bolivian President (returning home from Moscow) to enter their airspace/refuel, amid concern that Edward Snowden may be aboard…plane forced to divert and land in Austria, where they want to ‘search it’ (permission refused). Updates/timeline here on Guardian blog.

2nd July: Amnesty International latest statement: “The US attempts to pressure governments to block Snowden’s attempts to seek asylum are deplorable.”  Edward Snowden has requested asylum and asylum assistance from a total of 21 countries –statement on this. 1st July: new Snowden statement: Thanks all who have helped him, calls out deception and aggression of USG, remains ‘unbowed in my convictions’ and tells us it’s our call.  27th June: Ecuador’s response to US threats (reuters). 24th June: WikiLeaks: ‘Snowden safe & well’. WikiLeaks press conference (audio) and transcript. Ecuador’s Foreign Minister press conf. on asylum request. Amnesty Intl statement. 23rd June: WIKILEAKS assisted EDWARD SNOWDEN to leave Hong Kong and seek asylum elsewhere. A W/L staff member is with him for support. He landed in Moscow en route and was met by Ecuadorian diplomats. Wikileaks statement. WikiLeaks statement updated. Hong Kong Govt Statement. Read Julian’s speech, 22nd June, again.