back to article 'Look, give us Snowden' - this Friday's top US-Russia talks revealed

America will hold high-level talks on political and military teamwork with Russia this Friday - despite the latter country's offer of temporary asylum to NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. US Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel are due to meet their Russian counterparts in Washington to discuss " …

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    1. g e
      Coat

      Re: Bah!

      Imagine how much stranger it would taste to be cheering for the USA

    2. Annihilator
      Black Helicopters

      Re: Bah!

      "Wasn't it Obama himself who said whitleblowers should be protected and not procecuted?"

      Yup, so he's taken the ingenious* step of declaring him to not be a whistleblower and blame "cold war mentality" on the Russian's part, despite it being a cold war mentality that's led to the US spying on all and sundry.

      * ingenious by a 9-year-old's standards

    3. DrXym

      Re: Bah!

      I expect the line between whistleblower and blowing state secrets moves depending on who is doing the talking.

      1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

        Re: Bah!

        Ob Yes minister quote:

        That's another of those irregular verbs, isn't it?

        I give confidential press briefings;

        you leak;

        he's being charged under section 2A of the Official Secrets Act.

  1. Arachnoid
    Trollface

    America to get Snowdon

    Well it will in a few months when it get a lot cooler

    1. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge
      Coat

      Re: America to get Snowdon

      It gets quite cold on the top of Snowdon (pun intended) in winter does it not?

      Yeah, I know.

    2. g e
      Coat

      Re: America to get Snowdon

      http://tmblr.co/ZebfAyrfjovr

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    So in the end Obama did scramble jets to catch this "30 year-old hacker"

    It seems to itch more than he'd like the world to believe. And the Gardian warns there's still lots more to come...

  3. Version 1.0 Silver badge

    Show of hands please?

    Hands up anyone who thinks that the US would return a Russian who bolted to the USA and started revealing how the FSB (KGB as was) monitors their population?

    The current situation has to be the most spectacular own goal in the history of the US - what were they thinking? Frankly I think Obama could win reelection (yea, I know he's term limited) by simply issuing a Presidential Pardon to Snowden as an American who stood up for the principals in the US Constitution.

    1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      Re: Show of hands please?

      All the US has to do is return all the soviet pilots that defected along with their aircraft and arrange for anyone who jumped the Berlin wall to be rounded up and returned to Moscow.

  4. An0n C0w4rd
    Joke

    Syria's nuclear programme?

    US Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel are due to meet their Russian counterparts in Washington to discuss "strategic stability, political-military cooperation and regional issues", including Syria and Iran's nuclear programme, the state department said.

    Syria has a nuclear programme?

    Yes, I know what the sentence means really, however the way it is structured it could also mean that they want to discuss Syria's nuclear programme.

    1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      Re: Syria's nuclear programme?

      Yes the Americans have evidence that there are atoms in Syria

      1. Adam 1

        Re: Syria's nuclear programme?

        You joke now, but by some estimates, Syria is less than three years away from 2016.

    2. FredBloggsY
      Meh

      Re: Syria's nuclear programme?

      What happened to "nucular"?

      1. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge

        Re: Syria's nuclear programme?

        Bush'ed!

    3. Scorchio!!

      Re: Syria's nuclear programme?

      "Syria has a nuclear programme?

      Yes, I know what the sentence means really, however the way it is structured it could also mean that they want to discuss Syria's nuclear programme."

      Israel bombed the project into dust, but that does not mean that Assad has not started up another site.

      1. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge

        Re: Syria's nuclear programme?

        Israel bombed the ALLEGED project (alleged by Israel, that is) into dust.

        Proof? Not so much.

    4. Suricou Raven

      Re: Syria's nuclear programme?

      Actually, yes. It's not very far along. If someone high-up in the US decides war is in order, I'm sure you'll be hearing a lot about it.

  5. Ole Juul

    Time for some new meds

    The Americans are starting to get really tiresome. This is like some kind of disorder.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    It's all good

    Assange and Snowden can "languish" until they die as will Manning in the brig.

    1. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge

      Re: It's all good

      Your Sieg Hailing is duly noted.

      1. Scorchio!!

        Re: It's all good

        "Your Sieg Hailing is duly noted."

        Your first use of the argumentum ad hominem is noted, as is the extremely stupid political suggesting contained therein. Even 6th form debating societies produce better material than that.

        1. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
          Thumb Down

          Re: It's all good

          You better learn first what "ad hominem" is. I doesn't mean what you think it means.

          And the "suggestion" is far from stupid. Indeed it is extremely trivial.

  7. MonsieurInconnu
    Unhappy

    Deeply disappointed

    I was hoping for a Playmobil enactment of the meeting. Bah.

  8. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
    Facepalm

    Russia Nyet. But Sweden is "a close friend and partner". COUGH COUGH REUGGHH

    http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/07/obama-putin-talks-canceled-snowden

    In a separate announcement, the White House said Obama will visit Sweden instead, travelling to Stockholm the day before the St Petersburg summit. "Sweden is a close friend and partner to the United States," it said in a statement. "[It] plays a key leadership role on the international stage including in opening new trade and investment opportunities."

    Speaking on Monday night, Obama said he was disappointed that Russia had allowed Swowden to stay instead of sending the former government contractor back to the US to face espionage charges.

    In his first direct comments about Snowden since Russia's decision last week, the president said the situation reflected "underlying challenges" in dealing with Moscow. "There have been times where they slip back into cold war thinking and a cold war mentality," Obama said on NBC's Tonight Show.

    1. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge
      Childcatcher

      Re: Russia Nyet. But Sweden is "a close friend and partner". COUGH COUGH REUGGHH

      Obama is probably going to Sweden to sew up the deal to get Assange extradited the moment the Swedes get their hands on him.

      Can't waste an opportnity to tidy up a few loose ends can he?

      1. Scorchio!!

        Re: Russia Nyet. But Sweden is "a close friend and partner". COUGH COUGH REUGGHH

        "Obama is probably going to Sweden to sew up the deal to get Assange extradited the moment the Swedes get their hands on him.

        Can't waste an opportnity to tidy up a few loose ends can he?"

        As has been pointed out so many times, under the terms of the EAW Sweden cannot allow the US to extradite Assange from their jurisdiction without first gaining our permission. Since we are in any case more likely to bend over at Obama's request - ToniBliar signed a treaty that makes it very easy for the US to extradite people - it makes more sense for the US to address their requests to us; indeed, the Swedish government has already made it clear that they will stand aside and let the US have first fuck with Assange if they want to.

        As you wait for your comet to fly by, why don't you peruse this link which will help you avoid those dodgy NSA beams: http://zapatopi.net/afdb/

    2. Lutter
      Thumb Down

      Re: Russia Nyet. But Sweden is "a close friend and partner". COUGH COUGH REUGGHH

      I am originally from Sweden. There was a time, but it's long gone now, when Sweden granted asylum to US army defectors from the Vietnam war.

  9. Maty

    " he should be returned to the United States as soon as possible where he will be accorded full due process and protections," press secretary Jay Carney said."

    In other news Private Bradley Manning's prison sentence has been reduced to 90 years.

    Is Carney stupid, or does he think the rest of the world is?

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I miss the good old days of the Cold War

    Back then when someone in the USSR did something like Snowden did and he managed to escape the country, we were happy to protect him as a "dissident" despite the Soviet Premier angrily demanding his return. I was proud of my country for standing on the side of right.

    Now the dissident has to escape the US and take refuge in Russia, while our President angrily demands he be returned. What the hell happened to my country?

    1. startstuff

      Re: I miss the good old days of the Cold War

      "What the hell happened to my country?"

      We are in a steep decline and there is no light at the end of the tunnel.

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