The forcing down of the Bolivian President’s jet was a clear breach of the Vienna Convention by Spain and Portugal, which closed their airspace to this Head of State while on a diplomatic mission. It has never been thought necessary to write down in a Treaty that Heads of State enjoy diplomatic immunity while engaged in diplomacy, as their representatives only enjoy diplomatic immunity as cyphers for their Head of State. But it is a hitherto unchallenged precept of customary international law, indeed arguably the oldest provision of international law.
To the US and its allies, international law is no longer of any consequence. I can see no evidence that anyone in an official position has even noted the illegality of repeated Israeli air and missile strikes against Syria. Snowden, Manning and Assange all exposed illegality on a massive scale, and no action whatsoever has been taken against any of the criminals they exposed. Instead they are being hounded out of all meaningful life and ability to function in society.
I have repeatedly posted, and have been saying in public speeches for ten years, that under the UK/US intelligence sharing agreements the NSA spies on UK citizens and GCHQ spies on US citizens and they swap the information. As they use a shared technological infrastructure, the division is simply a fiction to get round the law in each country restricting those agencies from spying on their own citizens.
I have also frequently remarked how extraordinary it is that the media keep this “secret”, which they have all known for years.
The Guardian published the truth on 29 June:
| This article has been taken down pending an investigation. | |
The strange script which appears there happens when I try to copy and paste from this site which preserved the article before the Guardian censored all the material about the UK/US intelligence sharing agreement from it.
As you can see from the newssniffer site linked above, for many hours there was just a notice stating that the article was “taken down pending investigation”, and then it was replaced on the same URL by the Guardian with a different story which does not mention the whistleblower Wayne Madsen or the intelligence sharing agreements!!
I can give, and I would give on oath, an eye witness guarantee that from my direct personal experience of twenty years as a British diplomat the deleted information from Wayne Madsen was true.
Not much relevant since I was last here except NR’s Daily Mail article about Anna Chapman, the pin up girl of the ‘false lag’ Manhattan 11 where Snowden’s disaffection all started, offering to marry him.
The article doesn’t mention that when Putin volunteered to take the ‘Russian’ spies back, they agreed to be under his control, so the offer has the approval of Russia’s President.
Looks like a way to solve his lack of residence, and a marriage contract may include a provision that he will get her approval for any new disclosures he wants to make.
Remember she was the one who exposed the American spies, refusing to go along with any more FBI efforts to make them look like Russian ones, what made hacker Gareth Williams and Snowden himself go off the rails.
One thing that’s interesting is that Bolivia doesn’t criticise Austria at all.
Austrian President Heinz Fischer actually went to Schwechat airport in Vienna and spoke with Evo Morales there.
So we have
a) western reports that Bolivia has accused Austria of “kidnapping” Morales, of not allowing take-off until they had searched the plane, of an Austrian “decision” to search, of an Austrian search, and of Bolivian “agreement” to a search – all with slightly different spin, with our being left unclear not just regarding whether a search took place, but as to what on earth did or didn’t happen in Vienna
b) a Bolivian statement which does not criticise Austria but which also, very interestingly, does not even mention Austria; for example, it doesn’t deny that there is any problem between the two countries, or thank Austria for allowing the unscheduled landing
c) no word from Snowden or Wikileaks regarding Snowden’s whereabouts or recent movements.
As I have said before, it’s very unlikely Snowden could have boarded a plane without the FSB (formerly known as KGB) knowing about it; and in the unlikely event that they were in any doubt, they would have searched the airport and, if he was still at the airport, found him.
Russia is involved in the propaganda here.
I doubt Snowden has been in the transit area at Sheremetevo airport in Moscow all this time. In fact, I doubt whether he has been in Russia all this time.
One possibility is that he did go to Austria, although if so, then by now he is probably somewhere else, perhaps even back in Moscow, or in captivity, or dead.
Bolivia and Austria seem to have done some kind of deal.
And here is an English translation of the press release from the Austrian President’s office. Austria doesn’t seem to have a problem with Bolivia either, at least if we discount the patronising and arrogant title, very possibly related to racism.
Everything below the asterisks is from the Austrian President’s office.
*************************
“Bolivian President Evo Morales can continue home”
Statement by President Heinz Fischer
3 July 2013
Unplanned stopover by head of state after the departure from Russia. Some EU countries refused overflight permission because of the rumour that the former US intelligence official Edward Snowden was on board.
Photo: President Heinz Fischer and his counterpart Evo Morales at Vienna airport: the Bolivian President expressed thanks “for the great hospitality of Austria!”
Here is the President’s statement:
“Today, at 7.45, President Evo Morales, whom I consider as a friend, contacted me by phone and informed me that he was at Schwechat airport, because the airspace of some European countries, especially Spain, had been denied to his aircraft, and he was waiting, pending further developments, in Vienna.
I promised Evo Morales that I would meet with him at Vienna’s Schwechat airport, and also to use the opportunity to exchange views with him. In the meantime, the necessary air permits were received, and the Bolivian President could continue his journey home.
He asked me in passing to express his great gratitude for the hospitality and for the excellent and proper treatment during his unplanned stay in the Republic of Austria and by the Austrian authorities,” said the President.
*********************************
Absolutely no reference to any search then, in either statement – or to any interest on the part of Austria regarding whether or not Snowden was on board.
I await the next stage in the story with interest!
Bolivia has REJECTED a formal US extradition request for Snowden:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-04/bolivia-rejects-u-s-request-for-snowden-following-flight-detour.html
Note, too, that of the list of 21 countries that have applications for asylum from Snowden, the sidebar on this BBC article today says that only 4 have so far formally said No; the majority are fence-sitting, awaiting developments:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-23174874
Of which, there’s a good possibility some will come from the 12-nation bloc of UNASUR holding an emergency summit today, who can now co-ordinate a response as a strong enough bloc to resist trade threats. This letters page from the Guardian makes clear what Ecuador’s actual position is, as well as why so very many of those applications were aimed at European nations, who all have very compliant extradition treaties with the US – so it would seem odd at first – but who now, with the brilliantly timed stories of NSA spying on EU business, can be pressured to act as a bloc (which is clearly happening and having some effect – the US-EU trade treaty negotiations been completely disrupted):
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/03/sovereignty-stake-snowden-saga
There’s a VERY clever game of geopolitic chess being played here and, of course, it’s Wikileaks who are the ones who’ve been busy plotting all the Knight and Queen moves…
God, I would give my eye-teeth to know who exactly put out that *rumour* that Snowden was on Morales’ plane to be picked up by the intelligence services and kick off this unholy fuck-up in intercontinental political relations. Oh, what’s that you say? Ecuador found a bug in their London embassy three weeks ago…?
Ahahahahhahahhahahahhahahahha!
France blames ‘conflicting information’…..
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-23174874
Arbed; Imagine the poutrage if Air Force 1 were denied flyover in the airspace of some Latin American country.
Don’t think that who put out the rumors that Snowden might be on the President’s plane, Arbed, is anything to waste important teeth on.
Just listen to the interview with Morales while in Moscow, and recall all the times America has read Russian messages on land lines, and microwaves to its detriment.
Back in Soviet times, the KGB planted in those tunnel operations in Vienna, and Berlin, just what the American wanted to hear, and when the Anglo-Americans assassinated Palme, Putin had reassuring messages put on lines CIA was monitoring in Moscow.
All Moscow had to do now was put out some rumors about what was happening with Snowden for Sweden’s FRA and Britain’s GCHQ to pick them up, and the spooks swallowed it hook, line and sinker.
Western intelligence agencies are the slowest learners on the planet because they are always using the same methods to prove that they finally got it right.
Memories of ECHELON…http://thebricspost.com/why-spy-on-a-trusted-ally/#.UdWJpODTLFJ
“The US snooping on the EU, its most trusted ally, can therefore only mean one thing – this is about economic spying and about gathering economic information.
Pretty soon negotiations for a far reaching free trade agreement between the EU and the US are about to start. Actually, preliminary negotiations – not to be underestimated – have already been going on for some years.
The US is losing ground not just because of the economic crisis. Its economic power has been shrinking steadfastly long before the crisis started.
It is a sign of its waning predominance that the US now finds itself in the embarassing situation of having to explain why it is bugging its own ‘trusted’ allies in Europe.”
“Western intelligence agencies are the slowest learners on the planet because they are always using the same methods to prove that they finally got it right.”
Yes, Trowbridge. Someone in the Agency made the system recommendations and now the purchase order has been paid for. Gotta push that square peg in the round hole, or my career ends here. Many examples of this in hdwe….The infamous Bradley comes to mind.
Right, Ben, the West’s intelligence services have always put more emphasis upon systems, gizmos, and trade craft rather than just spies – why the KGB beat them hollow in the Cold War.
If it had just been a spy war, Moscow would have won.
In fact, Soviet spying helped loose it because it so overloaded the USSR with new technology that the system became increasingly unmanageable.
Good example of the law of unintended consequences.
“(Reuters) – France’s external intelligence agency spies on the French public’s phone calls, emails and social media activity in France and abroad, the daily Le Monde said on Thursday.”
“It said the DGSE intercepted signals from computers and telephones in France, and between France and other countries, although not the content of phone calls, to create a map of “who is talking to whom”. It said the activity was illegal.”
“All of our communications are spied on,” wrote Le Monde, which based its report on unnamed intelligence sources as well as remarks made publicly by intelligence officials.”
“Emails, text messages, telephone records, access to Facebook and Twitter are then stored for years,” it said.”
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/04/us-france-security-idUSBRE9630FS20130704
Just a pathetic way for French intelligence to explain away why it, along with other countries’ agencies, was fooled about what was going on in and around Moscow.
Here’s an English translation of the Bolivian Foreign Ministry’s press release about the US extradition request. Comments to follow.
Can someone please improve the translation of the second paragraph?
************************
THE SNOWDEN CASE
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Plurinational State of Bolivia expressed outrage and condemnation at the request for the arrest of US citizen Edward Snowden, preliminary to extradition, submitted by the Government of the United States of America on the same day that our President was illegally detained in Europe on unfounded suspicions that the said person was in the presidential aircraft.
In this regard, it is clarified and emphatically reiterated that Mr Snowden never met the President in Russia and less, up in the aircraft; has at the present time not been present on Bolivian territory and, if he decides to enter or transit through the country, Bolivia would exercise the principles of sovereignty, independence and equality of states.
It is reported that the requirement for the purposes of extradition detention violates the Framework Agreement signed with the United States in 2011 and the Extradition Treaty of 1995, in a clear violation of the principles governing international relations enshrined in the Constitution of the Plurinational State of Bolivia.
So, the strange, illegal, unfounded and suggestive Request for Extradition of a person who is not in the territory of the requested State, shall be returned to the Government of the United States immediately and categorically.
La Paz, 3 July 2013
***************************
Trowbridge; Not sure it was unintended to break them with costs.
I remember Reagan rolling out his posters showing the superiority of Soviet ICBM’s
Of course, the ancient liquid-fueled Russkies were twice as big as the more efficient and techno-superior solid fuel rocketry.
It illustrated his contempt for the truth, but he got his ‘Peacekeeper’ Loved that Orwellian name.
@Doug – that Le Monde story makes me wonder whether there hasn’t been an agreement among the major western powers to bring it into the public consciousness that all activity on phone lines and the internet is monitored, and Snowden is just the means. (Those of us with a ‘critical’ bent have known for decades that the NSA listens to everything.)
As for Snowden, it wouldn’t surprise me if he recently took a trip to a city renowned for its chocolate cake and Spanish riding school.
I was talking about stealing technology across the economic spectrum, Ben, what spies like Gordon Lonsdale accomplished in spades, but created a complete mess when the command economy increasingly decentralized, creating a maze of problems throughout the system – what Gorby’s reforms only compounded.
N_; 2nd graf. Just sounds like diplo-gobblygook to me. With all the cryptic back-and-forth on Ecuador, and the split-vote amongst the electorate, Bolivia’s population might be angry enough during the 24-hr news cycle to agree to asylum, but these things can’t happen that fast.
“How NSA access was built into Windows”
http://www.heise.de/tp/artikel/5/5263/1.html
@Ben – did you look at the Spanish? Sorry, I should have posted a link: http://www.rree.gob.bo/. It’s the press release entitled “COMUNICADO DEL MINISTERIO DE RELACIONES EXTERIORES DE BOLIVIA SOBRE EL CASO SNOWDEN”. Second paragraph:
*******************
Al respecto, se aclara y reitera enfáticamente que el Sr. Snowden nunca se entrevistó con el Presidente en Rusia y menos subió a la aeronave; no encontrándose al presente, en territorio boliviano y, si decidiera ingresar o transitar por este país, en ejercicio de los principios de soberanía, independencia e igualdad entre Estados.
*******************
Here’s a big question: where is Edward Snowden?
The French Foreign Ministry has apologised. This is an official translation, this time.
http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/country-files/bolivia/events-2586/article/bolivia
***********************
The minister of foreign affairs telephoned his Bolivian counterpart to extend to him France’s apologies following the setback experienced by President Morales as a result of the delay in granting the president’s plane permission to fly over French territory. He provided him with the necessary clarifications regarding this incident.
He underscored that the authorization to fly over French territory was granted as soon as the French authorities had been informed that the aircraft in question was that of President Morales. He also indicated to him that there had, of course, never been any intention of refusing President Morales’s plane access to our airspace; President Morales is always welcome in our country.
Our relations with Bolivia are marked by trust and friendship. President Morales’s visit to France in March, marked by a very friendly meeting with President Hollande, provided an opportunity to underscore our shared political determination to give new impetus to the partnership between our two countries. In that spirit, the two ministers expressed their determination to continue strengthening French-Bolivian relations.
***********************
It has been reported that Bolivian officials underlined that it was a French-manufactured plane, namely a Dassault Falcon 900 EX.
“In this regard, it is clarified and reiterated emphatically that Mr. Snowden never met the President in Russia and less up to the aircraft, not meeting the present, in Bolivia and, if it decides to enter or transit through the country, exercising the principles of sovereignty, independence and equality of states.”
Google trans.
“Where is Snowden’. That’s the hundred-dollar question. Clearly this response is part of their complaint to UN. I think it was Arbed (?) who suggested there are plenty of hiding spaces in passenger aircraft. Are you suggesting he was on the plane, and this is the reason for the carefully phrased 2nd graf? It does sound parsed somewhat, I agree.
The French said there was ‘conflicting information’. I bet there was a lot of shuffling. The question is; who started the dance?
When in Rome…. Make that ‘Paris’.
France ‘has vast data surveillance’ – Le Monde report
Telecom network cables in France
The DGSE data is said to be accessed by other French intelligence agencies
Continue reading the main story
US spy leaks
Revelations of US spy scandal
Where will Snowden end up?
Is it OK to spy on your allies?
Wikileaks back in spotlight
France’s foreign intelligence service intercepts computer and telephone data on a vast scale, like the controversial US Prism programme, according to the French daily Le Monde.
The data is stored on a supercomputer at the headquarters of the DGSE intelligence service, the paper says.
The operation is “outside the law, and beyond any proper supervision”, Le Monde says.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23178284
Quel surprise!
Ben Franklin, 5.09pm
Nope, not me. The people who are currently protecting Snowden from the awesome power of the US gangsters have experience in such matters and are, in any case, far cleverer than that. This is a legal and political game, not a Boy’s Own adventure game – they are not going to pull any stunts that could be challenged legally.
Ahh, that’s more like it! 🙂
Arbed; Do you think NEVER having confirmation of his whereabouts is in the plan?
I think your last comment answered my last question. Legal it is. I know Putin has been briefed so as not to lose his UN refugee/HR status.
Arbed, that thought (bug as source of “rumour”) also crossed my mind. After discovering the bug, the Ecuadorean embassy probably acted out a scripted conversation to see where the false information flowed.
Those responsible for planting the bug and listening in on private embassy conversations are hardly in a position to express outrage for having been sent on a wild goose chase.
The US and UK are being set up to embarrass themselves and estrange existing and potential diplomatic partners. Hah!
Uppsy! A few puppies have rolled over to have their bellies rubbed (France and Italy to the dog-box immediately for soiling yourselves), but – oops! – Grumpy Cat has just weighed in, claws flashing…
Russia criticises European states for ‘unfriendly’ diversion of Bolivian president Morales’ plane:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/10160170/Russia-criticises-European-states-for-unfriendly-diversion-of-Bolivian-president-Morales-plane.html
Oo-er!
Thanks for letting us know Arbed, to the air plane, the Falcon 900ex long range version uses every available space for tanks, so I doubt Edward would find much space to hide in, although he is fairly thin.
I’m surprised that Snowden has turned into a red hot poker and nobody wants to give him asylum, wonder what information he really has. I think that whatever it is, the silence over it has become deafening, keeping further info secret does not seem to work for him.
As for Julian in his enforced excile, he will have to use pen and paper when communicating with people, if the place was bugged, and if there is one likehoods is that there are others.
It needs a daily sweep. Can you get ‘sleepers’? i.e. bugs that give of no signal until activated and/or shut down at will?
There might also be a camera, a pinprick somewhere in the room, gently drilled and prepared, not unlike those cameras set by wild life photographers, mere millimetres across, embossed and fancy ceilings and lamps are preferred for such escapades, as it enables to see most of the room.
keep looking, plenty and often.