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Comment by bb88 | Hacker News Reader

So my view for Snowden is that this is actually worse than what you're saying.

Snowden should fear for his life at this point. It's not enough to live in Russia with the weird Bro-ness that Putin and Trump have come to have of late [1]. That means chance for extradition goes up.

Let's say Snowden goes into hiding. What does that mean for a Law and Order type to run the CIA with potentially limited government oversight [2]?

Keep in mind the CIA can kill terrorists who are US Citizens abroad and has been given that permission since Bush 43. [3]

The question then just remains is Snowden a terrorist? It's probably not harder to justify than some might think.

[1]: http://wapo.st/2fNivVk

[2]: Senate Select Intelligence Committee on CIA Tortue (point #6 on.) https://goo.gl/dS1pv7

[3]: https://goo.gl/6XxYL1

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Agree with this. Trump has more or less expressed that he wants the US to mend its relationship with Putin. Friends are great for trading favors. I can't imagine what Putin would ask for in exchange for Snowden, but Trump would love to make a deal.

My suspicion is that it would suit Trump and Putin if Snowden were deposited in a neutral country. Like 'Ecuador'.

Putin cannot give him directly to America without the Russian stance losing credibility and they would look mercurial which would deter others using it as a safe haven. They've made plenty of hay out of Snowden's presence and would be loathe to lose possible future haymaking supplies.

Trump wouldn't know what to do with him if he had him. The Dems immediately take to the high horse and he loses the libertarians altogether. That loses him the balance of power with the social conservatives and that would be a problem for him getting re-elected because Sanders could easily turn him into George III.

The alternative is for Russia to get something big like formal recognition of Crimea (flying as Putin the magnificent horsetrader putting Russia first) and Snowden gets a quick trial with relatively short sentence of five-ten years and STFU good behavior policy thereafter.

I think the first scenario is the more likely so I think Snowden may receive an invitation to a nice European country such as Switzerland.

> Trump wouldn't know what to do with him if he had him.

If I were a Law and Order type, I would make an example out of him. The Dems will cave because they don't want to support a Traitor/Terrorist.

Russia would probably like to stop the sanctions against them. [1]

1: http://www.newsweek.com/node/521580

Putin cannot give him directly to America without the Russian stance losing credibility and they would look mercurial which would deter others using it as a safe haven.

It's just a question of what he gets back in return. Snowden handed over on a silver platter in exchange for recognition of the Crimean annexation, along with a lifting of sanctions and a substantial watering-down of pledges to support the Ukraine, George, and the Baltics? You can imagine both camps might already be salivating at the prospect.

Has russia bought the gop? Starting to worry about this...

http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/underst...

> I can't imagine what Putin would ask for in exchange for Snowden, but Trump would love to make a deal.

George Soros ?

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