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Edward Snowden: US warns Russia and China Edward Snowden: US anger at Russia and China
(about 1 hour later)
US Secretary of State John Kerry has said it would be "disappointing" if Russia and China had helped US fugitive Edward Snowden evade US attempts to extradite him from Hong Kong. The US has angrily criticised Russia and China after fugitive Edward Snowden left Hong Kong for Moscow.
Speaking during a visit to India, Mr Kerry said there would inevitably be "consequences" to such a move. President Barack Obama said the US was pursuing "all the appropriate legal channels" in pursuit of him.
Mr Snowden flew from Hong Kong to Moscow on Sunday. US Secretary of State John Kerry has said it would be "disappointing" if Russia and China had helped him evade an attempt to extradite him.
A seat was booked in his name on a flight to Cuba on Monday morning, but he is not thought to have boarded. Mr Snowden, who has applied for asylum in Ecuador, is believed to still be in Russia having flown there on Sunday.
He has applied to Ecuador for political asylum, but the country's foreign minister has implied he is still in Russia. The US has revoked his passport, and he is thought to have spent the night in an airside hotel at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport.
And speaking at a news briefing later on Monday, White House spokesman Jay Carney said: "It is our understanding that he (Snowden) is still in Russia." On Monday, a seat was booked in his name on a flight to Cuba, but he is not thought to have boarded.
He added that senior US officials were briefing President Barack Obama regularly about all the developments. The 30-year-old IT expert is wanted by the US for revealing to the media details of a secret government surveillance programme, which he obtained while working as a contractor for the National Security Agency (NSA).
'Use all options'
Mr Snowden, 30, is wanted by the US for revealing to the media details of a secret government surveillance programme, which he obtained while working as an IT contractor for the National Security Agency (NSA).
He is charged with theft of government property, unauthorised communication of national defence information and wilful communication of classified communications intelligence.He is charged with theft of government property, unauthorised communication of national defence information and wilful communication of classified communications intelligence.
Speaking during a visit to Delhi in India, Mr Kerry told reporters it would "be obviously disappointing if he was wilfully allowed to board an airplane". White House spokesman Jim Carney has said he did not believe Hong Kong's reasons for letting him leave the territory.
"As a result there would be without any question some effect and impact on the relationship and consequences." 'Deliberate choice'
Mr Snowden is believed to have spent the night in an airside hotel at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport. The US has revoked his passport and wants Russia to hand him over. Speaking during a visit to India, Mr Kerry said it would be "deeply troubling" if it became clear that China had "wilfully" allowed him to fly out of Hong Kong.
Mr Kerry urged Moscow to "live by the standards of the law because that's in the interests of everybody". "There would be without any question some effect and impact on the relationship and consequences," he said.
"In the last two years we have transferred seven prisoners to Russia that they wanted so I think reciprocity and the enforcement of the law is pretty important," he said. He also called on Russia to "live by the standards of the law because that's in the interests of everybody".
Mr Carney later reiterated this position, by saying that China's decision not to "provisionally arrest" Ms Snowden in Hong Kong "unquestionably has a negative impact on the US-China relationship". Later, Mr Carney said: "It is our understanding that he is still in Russia."
Mr Carney also called on Russia to use all options to expel the former US spy agency contractor. In strongly worded comments at a news conference, he said Washington was "just not buying" Hong Kong's assertion that the US extradition papers were not in order so they had no reason to detain Mr Snowden.
Mr Snowden was in hiding in Hong Kong when his leaks first emerged. The authorities there said he left voluntarily on Sunday, and that US extradition papers were incomplete so there was no legal reason to prevent his departure. "This was a deliberate choice by the government to release a fugitive despite a valid arrest warrant, and that decision unquestionably has a negative impact on the US-China relationship," he said.
But Albert Ho, his lawyer in Hong Kong, told the BBC that a government official urged Mr Snowden to go over the weekend. Mr Ho said he believed the official was acting on the orders of the Beijing government. China's decision not to "provisionally arrest" Mr Snowden in Hong Kong "unquestionably has a negative impact on the US-China relationship", he said.
'At risk of persecution' He added that senior US officials were briefing President Barack Obama regularly about all the developments, and called on Russia to use all options to expel the former US spy agency contractor.
During a visit to Vietnam on earlier Monday, Ecuador's Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino confirmed that his country was processing an asylum request from Mr Snowden. Meanwhile, Russia's Interfax state news agency quoted an informed source as saying Moscow was considering a US extradition request, but that Mr Snowden had not officially crossed the Russian border so could not be detained.
He read out a letter the fugitive had sent to Ecuador in which he said he was "at risk of being persecuted by the US and its agents". 'Use all options'
Mr Patino said Quito was in contact with Moscow who could "make the decision it feels is most convenient in accordance with its laws and politics and in accordance with the international laws and norms that could be applied to this case". Mr Snowden was in hiding in Hong Kong when his leaks were first published.
During a visit to Vietnam on earlier Monday, Ecuador's Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino read out a letter Mr Snowden had sent to request asylum, in which he said he was "at risk of being persecuted by the US and its agents".
Mr Patino confirmed that his country was processing an asylum request from Mr Snowden.
Quito was in contact with Moscow who could "make the decision it feels is most convenient in accordance with its laws and politics and in accordance with the international laws and norms that could be applied to this case", he said.
When asked whether he knew of Mr Snowden's current location he declined to answer.When asked whether he knew of Mr Snowden's current location he declined to answer.
"We will consider the position of the US government and we will take a decision in due course," he said, saying Ecuador put the protection of human rights "above any other interest"."We will consider the position of the US government and we will take a decision in due course," he said, saying Ecuador put the protection of human rights "above any other interest".
The US and Ecuador have a joint extradition treaty, but it is not applicable to "crimes or offences of a political character".The US and Ecuador have a joint extradition treaty, but it is not applicable to "crimes or offences of a political character".
Meanwhile, Russia's Interfax state news agency quoted an informed source as saying Moscow was considering a US extradition request, but that Mr Snowden had not officially crossed the Russian border so could not be detained.
Mr Snowden is being supported by the whistleblowing website Wikileaks, which said on Sunday that he was heading to Ecuador accompanied by some of its diplomats and legal advisers.Mr Snowden is being supported by the whistleblowing website Wikileaks, which said on Sunday that he was heading to Ecuador accompanied by some of its diplomats and legal advisers.
Ecuador is already giving political asylum at its London embassy to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who is wanted for questioning in Sweden over allegations of sexual assault - which he denies.Ecuador is already giving political asylum at its London embassy to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who is wanted for questioning in Sweden over allegations of sexual assault - which he denies.
On Monday, Ms Assange said Mr Snowden was "healthy and safe", and travelling to Ecuador "via a safe path through Russia and other states".On Monday, Ms Assange said Mr Snowden was "healthy and safe", and travelling to Ecuador "via a safe path through Russia and other states".
He said Mr Snowden had left Hong Kong on a refugee document of passage issued by Ecuador, and was not carrying any NSA secrets with him.He said Mr Snowden had left Hong Kong on a refugee document of passage issued by Ecuador, and was not carrying any NSA secrets with him.
Mr Snowden's leaks have led to revelations that the US is systematically seizing vast amounts of phone and web data under an NSA programme known as Prism.Mr Snowden's leaks have led to revelations that the US is systematically seizing vast amounts of phone and web data under an NSA programme known as Prism.
He earlier said he had decided to speak out after observing "a continuing litany of lies" from senior officials to Congress.He earlier said he had decided to speak out after observing "a continuing litany of lies" from senior officials to Congress.
US officials have defended the practice of gathering telephone and internet data from private users around the world.US officials have defended the practice of gathering telephone and internet data from private users around the world.
They say Prism cannot be used to intentionally target any Americans or anyone in the US, and that it is supervised by judges.They say Prism cannot be used to intentionally target any Americans or anyone in the US, and that it is supervised by judges.