November 1, 2013
BERLIN — Germany (click here) may open a discussion with accused spy Edward Snowden to find out what he can tell them about U.S. espionage on German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich told Germany's Die Zeit newspaper Friday that "we will find a way, if Mr. Snowden is willing to talk." His spokesman Jens Teschke confirmed the comments, saying, "We want clarification, and we want further information," adding that he assumed such a meeting would be in Russia.
The minister's statement comes a day after leftist parliament member Hans-Christian Stroebele of the opposition Green Party met with Snowden in Moscow, where Snowden has been granted temporary asylum from a U.S international extradition warrant....
Taking Germany hostage to demands for the USA to end it's extradiction and charges isn't going to work. The USA is not the aggrieved party, the German Chancellor is and the USA won't drop charges to allow Mr. Snowden to reinforce and/or expand on what Germany knows.
Mr. Snowden needs to build a concensus among countries in decent of USA policy to expand his acceptance and those that can advocate for him. He needs to think this through, the charges by the USA are wrong. They will state Mr. Snowden was an enemy to Germany and other nations because he leaked information regarding them. In other words they should be demanding justice, too. But, they never allowed the NSA to gather the information in the first place and they are as victimized as Mr. Snowden. Supposedly, Carlyle is above using information against other governments as leverage. So, why gather it in the first place, these are allies.
So, if Mr. Snowden wants to reverse the USA's ambition to try him for treason or whatever they want now, he has to build a consensus among these nations to bring them together in an understanding Mr. Snowden acted to stop policies that hinder alliances and provide overreach to the USA it should never take without the knowledge or treaty of the other countries. Basically, he has to testify to them the USA invaded their sovereignty.
The USA has been enjoying overreach for nearly a decade now since the Bush White House declared The Global War on Terror. This is a stance created by Bush through very loose interpretation of USA laws and international treaties. This is a chance to close those doors again and even stop rendition and drone attacks. It rattles the imagination to realize the USA is still carrying out drone attacks over foreign soil without the consent of Congress nearly a decade later.
Mr. Snowden has to realize he is alone on a very big planet full of countries disgruntled with the NSA spying. He has to find a way to join with them so they can come to terms with the past and current practices of the USA. In other words, Edward Snowden needs to be valuable and innocent and worthy of a nation's advocacy, as Germany. There is a lot at stake in this and Germany knows it has a responsibility in asking a wanted treasonist of the USA for the very information he is wanted for.
Edward Snowden needs to be magnanimous and not obstructive. No sovereign nation will abandon the honesty he can bring them and disregard the importance of his actions. It is a matter of honor and national sovereignty for them. This is bigger than just demanding leverage over the USA. It is a matter of diplomacy with sensitive information that can free him. He can't disregard the integrity of other nations when dealing with their representatives. He has a chance to be a hero and not a traitor. He should be looking for amnesty in the relationship with Germany and any other nation while asking the same for those he advocates.
