--Patià ±o remarked that, as the war on Iraq was based on lies, it would have been extremely valuable if a whistleblower had spoken out prior to the start of the Iraq war since this might have saved many thousands of lives.
--Finally, he promised that Ecuador would carefully study and consider Snowden's asylum request.
Will Ecuador's actions back up the words of Foreign Minister Patià ±o? Having previously provided political asylum to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, President Correa has shown that he possesses uncommon courage and leadership. It would be a shame to see Ecuador -- which prides itself on being an independent Latin American country that has repudiated the status of a banana republic -- buckle so soon under U.S. pressure.
As China's Global Times newspaper wrote upon Snowden's departure from Hong Kong: "We wish Snowden good luck in this difficult time. His personal fate will reflect the game between U.S. hegemony and global pursuit for fairness and justice."
What happens next also will be a test of whether America's democratic Republic retains the necessary respect for civic courage, which can be defined as putting one's own welfare aside for the benefit of the larger society, a prerequisite for this form of government which is by, of and for the people.
Or as WikiLeaks tweeted on June 30, in response to a tweet wondering whether Christians ought to support whistleblowers Edward Snowden, Bradley Manning and Julian Assange: "For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light."(Mark 4:22 )
Elizabeth Murray served as Deputy National Intelligence Officer for the Near East in the National Intelligence Council before retiring after a 27-year career in the U.S. government, where she specialized in Middle Eastern political and media analysis. She is a member of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS).
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--Finally, he promised that Ecuador would carefully study and consider Snowden's asylum request.
Will Ecuador's actions back up the words of Foreign Minister Patià ±o? Having previously provided political asylum to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, President Correa has shown that he possesses uncommon courage and leadership. It would be a shame to see Ecuador -- which prides itself on being an independent Latin American country that has repudiated the status of a banana republic -- buckle so soon under U.S. pressure.
As China's Global Times newspaper wrote upon Snowden's departure from Hong Kong: "We wish Snowden good luck in this difficult time. His personal fate will reflect the game between U.S. hegemony and global pursuit for fairness and justice."
Or as WikiLeaks tweeted on June 30, in response to a tweet wondering whether Christians ought to support whistleblowers Edward Snowden, Bradley Manning and Julian Assange: "For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light."(Mark 4:22 )
Elizabeth Murray served as Deputy National Intelligence Officer for the Near East in the National Intelligence Council before retiring after a 27-year career in the U.S. government, where she specialized in Middle Eastern political and media analysis. She is a member of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS).
Share this Article:
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