NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, who has been stuck in limbo for 3 weeks at the Moscow Airport, may soon be on the move.
Venezuela has offered Snowden asylum in their South American nation and Snowden, who has no other options at this point, has agreed to accept the offer. The only problem is, Snowden must first get to Venezuela and touch down on their soil before he can be legally granted asylum. But that will be an unbelievably risky move to pull off.
If Snowden were to leave Moscow, he would have to avoid the air space of any country with an extradition agreement with the United States, or run the risk of his flight being forced to land and him being placed under arrest. If he were to travel on a commercial flight, the United States would almost assuredly intercept the flight and arrest him. If Snowden were to charter a standard private jet from Moscow to Venezuela, the length of the flight would require the plane to land and refuel, once again giving the U.S. another opportunity to arrest him. However, there is a special Gulf Stream private jet that could make the trip from Moscow to Venezuela without the need for a refueling stop, but the cost of just the jet alone would be more than $200,000 dollars.
The longer Snowden stays in Moscow, the more antsy they grow to get him out and the United States off their backs. Russian President Vladimir Putin is growing increasingly impatient with Snowden, recognizing the damage his presence is causing Moscow’s relationship with the Obama administration.
It’s a delicate dance and a near impossible task. Snowden has run out of options and is now running out of time. Unless he can raise nearly a quarter of a million dollars to hire a special jet to get him to his preferred destination, or avoid U.S. friendly airspace with pinpoint accuracy, he could soon find himself forced back onto U.S. soil and quickly behind bars at a U.S. federal prison.
