NEWSLINK: Snowden’s father gets visa, to leave for Russia soon

[“Snowden’s father gets visa, to leave for Russia soon” – Reuters – August 11, 2013 – reuters.com/article/2013/08/11/us-usa-security-snowden-idUSBRE97A08Y20130811]

Reuters reports that Russia has granted a visa to the father of Edward Snowden, former NSA Booz Allen IT support contract employee-turned-fugitive activist.  Lon Snowden is said to be planning to travel to Russia soon.

But apparently he has not spoken to the younger Snowden since the latter fled the United States.  Nevertheless he vowed to oppose a plea deal:

The father of Edward Snowden, the fugitive former U.S. spy agency contractor, has received a Russian visa and will travel there shortly to see his son, he and his lawyer said on Sunday.
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The younger Snowden was stuck at a Moscow airport for more than five weeks before Russia granted him a year’s asylum on Aug. 1.

Lon Snowden told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday that he has not spoken to his son since [the younger Snowden] left the United States for Hong Kong, just before news broke in June of the disclosures he made about the U.S. surveillance programs.
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Snowden’s father added that he is “not open” to a plea deal that would allow his 30-year-old son to return to the United States.

Reuters observed how the Snowden saga has impacted U.S.-Russian relations

Washington’s inability to persuade Russia to return Snowden to the United States has curdled U.S. relations with Russia. Obama canceled a planned summit in Moscow with President Vladimir Putin, although the two countries held high-level political and defense talks in Washington on Friday.

Click here for full article: reuters.com/article/2013/08/11/us-usa-security-snowden-idUSBRE97A08Y20130811