UPDATES below the post.
Multiple outlets are reporting that NSA leaker Edward Snowden has accepted asylum in Venezuela, and the news is spreading like wildfire. But there doesn’t seem to be reliable confirmation of this news, as most reports appear to be based on a single source – a Russian lawmaker who deleted his relevant tweet.
I’ve been monitoring this for the last two hours and was waiting for actual confirmation, but the news cycle doesn’t appear to want to wait. Here’s how it’s all gone down on Twitter so far. Make sure you read to the end.
Several news outlets tweeted earlier today that Snowden had accepted asylum in Venezuela, based on a tweet from Alexey Pushkov, a Russian lawmaker close to the Kremlin.
BREAKING: Lawmaker close to Kremlin tweets that Edward Snowden has accepted Venezuela's asylum offer.
— The Associated Press (@AP) July 9, 2013
#BREAKING: Edward Snowden agrees to asylum in Venezuela: top lawmaker
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) July 9, 2013
Edward Snowden has accepted Venezuela's offer of asylum, says senior Russian lawmaker Alexei Pushkov in Twitter post #breaking
— Reuters World (@ReutersWorld) July 9, 2013
Shortly thereafter however, that lawmaker’s tweet was memory holed.
https://twitter.com/b_fung/status/354610393261412352
https://twitter.com/AlexJamesFitz/status/354611331300720640
Update: tweet in which Russian lawmaker said Edward Snowden accepted Venezuela's offer of asylum no longer visible on Twitter.
— Reuters World (@ReutersWorld) July 9, 2013
Influential Russian lawmaker tweets that Snowden accepted asylum offer in Venezuela, then the tweet is deleted: http://t.co/KDcNsQky0C
— The Associated Press (@AP) July 9, 2013
Pushkov had since posted two new tweets.
Информация, что Сноуден принял предложение об убежище от Мадуро пришла из 18-часового выпуска "Вести 24". По всем вопросам обращаться к ним
— Алексей Пушков (@Alexey_Pushkov) July 9, 2013
Google Translation: “Information that Snowden accepted an offer of asylum from Maduro came from 18-hour release of “Vesti 24”.”
Как сообщили Вести 24 со ссылкой на Мадуро, Сноуден принял его предложение об убежище. Если это так, то он счел этот вариант самым надежным.
— Алексей Пушков (@Alexey_Pushkov) July 9, 2013
Google Translation: “According to News 24, with reference to Maduro, Snowden accepted his offer of asylum. If so, it is found that the safest option.”
Politico reporter Reid Epstein followed with a tweet that a Venezuelan state media outlet had confirmed Snowden’s acceptance of asylum there.
Venezuelan state media says it is confirmed that Snowden has accepted asylum offer there. http://t.co/B8AGSTgyCX
— Reid J. Epstein (@reidepstein) July 9, 2013
But as Brian Fung, tech policy reporter for the National Journal pointed out, that media report and the News 24 report both cite Pushkov as the source.
https://twitter.com/b_fung/status/354620979487584259
https://twitter.com/b_fung/status/354621721296379906
So…numerous news reports have since snowballed, citing information that is based on a Russian lawmaker’s tweet who cited news sources that cited the Russian lawmaker.
This is how the sausage is made in the age of Twitter. And it ain’t always pretty.
Stay tuned. We will update this post with actual confirmation (or denial) when it’s definitive.
********
UPDATE 7/9 – 2:15pm ET: Wikileaks says Snowden has not yet formally accepted asylum in Venezuela.
https://twitter.com/wikileaks/status/354657478803329024
https://twitter.com/wikileaks/status/354658687358468098
UPDATE 7/9 – 3:01pm ET: Wikileaks confirms that an extradition request for Snowden has been served on Iceland.
We can confirm that a US extradition request for Mr. Snowden has been served on Iceland. #snowden
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) July 9, 2013
DONATE
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
The LSM is as reliable as ever, both American and Russian brands.
Better bring his own toilet paper.
Yawn….
If he had been the first “leaker” of this information, I might be more supportive of him and his position. But, he isn’t (there were some others last year and the year before but were ignored by the LSM, quelle surprise) AND he chose to run to some of the most repressive countries in the world. At the end of the day he’s a traitor.
Actually, more credible leakers have been extant since 2002, notably one in 2006 who was tried for his activity. I can scounge up the names and issues if I must. Snowden is not new, just the most simple minded. Google “Thinthread” for a start…
LOL, Snowden loves humiliating the Media
Anyone can do it. Just pick out something the lib media will love or hate – either works – and post a fake tweet on it. They’ll retweet themselves into a knot before actually investigating it. Twitter helps in the juvenile journalism desire to be First! on a story. They jump on it First! just in case it’s true, correct at leisure.
Go ahead, tweet this: “DoJ considering indictment of Geo. Bush over Iraq war” and watch the fun.
He’s somewhere in the Himalayas drinking DOS EQUIS
Venezuela is probably the best location if the CIA has the testicular fortitude to extract him and let the courts have their day.
But with this administration, probably not a chance..
If you could decipher whose friend the CIA actually is – the rest of the world would be gratefull.
Pretty sure it is not yours.
The Bermuda Triangle looking good.