Snowden gets asylum offers

CARACAS, (AP):Edward Snowden has found supporters in Latin America, including three countries who have offered him asylum. But many obstacles stand in the way of the fugitive NSA leaker from leaving a Russian airport, chief among them the power and influence of the United States (US).

Because Snowden's US passport has been revoked, the logistics of him departing are complicated.

Venezuela, Nicaragua and Bolivia have made asylum offers over the past two days, but the three countries haven't indicated they would help Snowden by issuing a travel document, which he would need to leave Russia.

The former NSA systems analyst, who is charged with violating US espionage laws, is believed to be stuck in the transit area of Moscow's main international airport after arriving June 23 from Hong Kong.

"Not our Business"

Russia doesn't appear willing to help him leave the airport, with Kremlin spokesman Alexei Pavlov saying yesterday that the issue of Snowden's travel documents is "not our business".

On Monday, President Vladimir Putin said Snowden would be offered asylum in Russia if he stopped leaking US secrets. Snowden then withdrew his Russian asylum bid, a Russian official said.

While President Barack Obama has publicly displayed a relaxed attitude towards Snowden's movements, saying last month that he wouldn't be "scrambling jets" to capture him, other senior US officials have used unusually harsh language that they want him back.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said China had "unquestionably" damaged its relationship with Washington for not returning Snowden, who recently turned 30, from semi-autonomous Hong Kong while he was still there.

"The Chinese have emphasised the importance of building mutual trust," Carney said last month.

"We think that they have dealt that effort a serious setback. If we cannot count on them to honour their legal extradition obligations, then there is a problem."

Snowden has asked for asylum in more than 20 countries and many have turned him down.

WikiLeaks, which has been helping Snowden, said last Friday he had submitted asylum applications to six new countries, which the secret-spilling website declined to identify "due to attempted US interference".