NSA leaker set to leave for South America

MOSCOW Former CIA employee and NSA contractor Edward Snowden is still in Russia, despite reports that he would leave for South America during the day. Snowden remains in the transit zone at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, an airport security source told Itar-Tass. Snowden did not fly out on the Aeroflot flight to Havana and did not leave the transit zone, he said. NSA leaker set to leave for South America He did not fly out on the Aeroflot flight to Havana and did not leave the transit zone, he said. The BBC reported earlier in the day that Snowden will first fly to Cuba, then to Venezuela, and only then to Ecuador to try to avoid arrest and extradition to the U.S. authorities. "The possibility of granting asylum to Snowden is currently being analyzed," said Ricardo Patino, the foreign minister of Ecuador, a country that has already granted asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Meanwhile, Aleksei Pushkov, president of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Lower House of the Russian Parliament, said that his country was not considering granting political asylum Snowden. During the morning, Washington announced that it "expected" that Russia will consider all options in order to extradite Snowden. The answer arrived quickly, when the Kremlin announced that Russia had no grounds to arrest the whistleblower. "Snowden does not have an international warrant issued against him, which could be a basis for his arrest. And he has not committed any unlawful act on the territory of the Russian Federation," it was announced in Moscow. The U.S., meanwhile, called on the all countries "in the Western hemisphere" to not let Snowden into their territory, and declared his passport invalid. U.S. authorities also announced they were "very disappointed" that Snowden was not arrested in Hong Kong, where he stayed from the moment when he revealed a number of U.S. intelligence secrets related to NSA's massive internet and phone surveillance program. "We do not agree with their reasons. We believe that their decisions are worrisome," said an official at the U.S. Department of Justice. (Beta/AP) B92

NSA leaker set to leave for South America

He did not fly out on the Aeroflot flight to Havana and did not leave the transit zone, he said.

The BBC reported earlier in the day that Snowden will first fly to Cuba, then to Venezuela, and only then to Ecuador to try to avoid arrest and extradition to the U.S. authorities.

"The possibility of granting asylum to Snowden is currently being analyzed," said Ricardo Patino, the foreign minister of Ecuador, a country that has already granted asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Meanwhile, Aleksei Pushkov, president of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Lower House of the Russian Parliament, said that his country was not considering granting political asylum Snowden.

During the morning, Washington announced that it "expected" that Russia will consider all options in order to extradite Snowden.

The answer arrived quickly, when the Kremlin announced that Russia had no grounds to arrest the whistleblower.

"Snowden does not have an international warrant issued against him, which could be a basis for his arrest. And he has not committed any unlawful act on the territory of the Russian Federation," it was announced in Moscow.

The U.S., meanwhile, called on the all countries "in the Western hemisphere" to not let Snowden into their territory, and declared his passport invalid.

U.S. authorities also announced they were "very disappointed" that Snowden was not arrested in Hong Kong, where he stayed from the moment when he revealed a number of U.S. intelligence secrets related to NSA's massive internet and phone surveillance program.

"We do not agree with their reasons. We believe that their decisions are worrisome," said an official at the U.S. Department of Justice.