I still would question why he didn't then hop on a flight from Hong Kong to Iceland before he let the cat out of the bag.
Edit: Maybe he left Hong Kong after the interview but before they published it?
Edit: Maybe he left Hong Kong after the interview but before they published it?
Iceland cannot make guarantees either. Also, I suspect that booking a flight would raise a lot of suspicion. Spies spy on spies -- people like Snowden are just as likely, if not more likely, to be watched, than your typical civilian.