With a high-profile interview of whistleblower Edward Snowden about to be released, Secretary of State John Kerry was in full diplomatic mode today, lambasting him as a “coward” and a “traitor” who betrayed the terms of his employment.
Kerry went on to insist that a real man would trust the American system of justice and just come back unilaterally to “make his case,” and that any true patriot could be expected to do at least as much.
With officials openly calling for his execution and/or assassination, Snowden’s legal adviser says a unilateral return to face whatever the administration decides to do with him almost certainly isn’t being considered, and that American law, as presently interpreted by the Justice Department, wouldn’t allow him to “make his case” publicly even if he did return to the US.
Rather Snowden, who is trapped in Russia as a political refugee, is likely staying put in the absence of a negotiated settlement, and his aides point to the abuse of Chelsea Manning as justifying Snowden’s reluctance to put his faith in the administration to do right by him.
What does Kerry know about being a (real) man? Here's a guy who lacked the
chutzpah to challenge GW Bush who swiped the 2004 election right out from
under his nose. Tough talk from mr. swiftboat.
Yes US government officials always man up and face the justice systems seeking to prosecute them… See Dick Cheney for a great example of that.
Snowden – do NOT come back! Even if a deal was in place for him with the Justice Dept, I still wouldn't trust this criminal government.
I wouldn't worry too much about what Kerry thinks. He's likely to change his mind a few times over the next decade or so.
I have never fully bought in to the idea that Snowden is who he is purported to be. And the fact that he now showing up as an interviewee on the MSM causes me to further assume that the guy is a fake.