Iceland: Congress Puts Forward Bill To Grant Snowden Citizenship

[WillyT]

Iceland: Congress Puts Forward Bill To Grant Snowden Citizenship
InSerbia
7/4/13

<snip>

One day before members of the Icelandic Parliament are due to break for summer vacation, leaders of three political parties have submitted a special piece of legislation which would make Edward Snowden a citizen of Iceland.

The issue was raised this morning by MP and former Minister of the Interior Ögmundur Jónasson, which could be decided before the weekend. Some are worried that this bill could be delayed by a piece of fisheries legislation which is also up for vote this Friday.

Although the bill is being backed by three parties, Brighter Future, Piran (Pirate Party) and the Green Party, there is still a possibility that the Snowden bill could be stopped by the current ruling coalition of the Conservative and Moderate parties.

According to Icelandic rules for prospective citizens, the applicant must be present in the country in order to lodge a successful application.

<snip>

Link: http://inserbia.info/news/2013/07/iceland-congress-puts-forward-bill-to-grant-snowden-citizenship/

[idwiyo]

1. K&R

[kentuck]

2. So how does he get to Iceland?

Russia could grant him permission to leave with Icelandic officials, I suppose, but who is to stop a country somewhere between Russia and Iceland refusing to let them enter their airspace? Does Iceland have an Air Force??

[Gravitycollapse]

3. They would only have to pass through Finland, Sweden and Norway...

I don't think that will be a problem.

[deurbano]

9. "Here's How Snowden Could Escape from Moscow and Exactly Where He Could Go" (Iceland scenario)

by Philip Bump

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2013/07/heres-how-snowden-could-leave-moscow-and-exactly-where-he-could-go/66833/

<<Which brings us to the key question: Where could Snowden go, without passing through another country's airspace?
First, we need to know how far the plane can fly. If it can't pass through any other countries' air spaces, it also can't land in those countries to refuel. …

…"A direct flight on an aircraft is also subject to the head and tailwinds involved for the routing, that would shorten the possible range," he noted. But: "The longest range private jet currently on the market is the Gulfstream G550, with a direct range of 6750 nautical miles." Other more common aircraft have shorter ranges. The Boeing Business Jet can go 6,141 nautical miles, for example…”

Which brings us to the question of where he can go. We've updated our map showing countries to which he's applied for asylum; it appears below. Black indicates a country that has rejected an asylum claim; yellow, a pending one; green, a country that has indicated some level of support.

Based on this, we narrowed the possibilities down to four: Iceland, Bolivia, Venezuela, and Cuba. Why not China? Snowden has had better opportunities to get to China, but didn't avail himself of them.
Using Google Earth's handy distance calculation tool, we looked at the distances between Snowden's current location and the airports near the capital cities of each country in an effort to figure out how far that private plane would have to fly.

In each of the ensuing maps, you'll notice that we assumed the same route: north from Moscow, past the eastern edge of Finland, but outside its territorial control, along the northern edge of Norway. Russia has a lot of coastline, but for travel west, which all of these scenarios require, it's by far the fastest way.

Reykjavik, Iceland: 2,210 nautical miles

In the case of Iceland, the next stretch of the flight is simple. Snowden's plane could simply continue on to Reykjavik, landing safely well within the plane's operational distance….>>

[WillyT]

5. Here:

http://www.icelandair.com/

[kentuck]

11. I assume this airport is in Moscow?

I clicked on Russia and this is what came up?

http://ru.icelandair.net/?__utma=42355834.1126145434.1372973294.1372973294.1372973294.1&__utmb=42355834.1.10.1372973294&__utmc=42355834&__utmx=-&__utmz=42355834.1372973294.1.1.utmcsr=democraticunderground.com|utmccn=%28referral%29|utmcmd=referral|utmcct=/10023169354&__utmv=-&__utmk=177493920


?????????

[randome]

4. There is a reason the Wikileaks attorneys walked away from Snowden.

I don't know much about Icelandic politics but I doubt this will go very far when questions are asked about who Snowden really is.

They will come to the same conclusion that all other countries (and the Wikileaks attorneys) have come to: that something is 'off' with Snowden and he is not the 'hero' he wants to be.

[hr]
[font color="blue"][center]I'm always right. When I'm wrong I admit it.
So then I'm right about being wrong.[/center][/font]
[hr]

[struggle4progress]

6. That's interesting. Between them, they have about a quarter of the seats. The Brights and Pirates

picked up seats in April, while the Greens took a hit. Last month, Pirate Jonsdottir floated the citizenship idea after concluding that prospects for asylum were tricky:

... frankly speaking, one of the parties in the government in Iceland is never going to agree to support it. So, it’s tricky ...
http://www.sfbg.com/politics/2013/06/11/icelandic-mp-birgitta-j%C3%B3nsd%C3%B3ttir-talks-asylum-options-nsa-whistleblower

... Snowden should not come to Iceland unless he will request and be granted citizenship by the Icelandic Parliament ...
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/06/23/1218165/-Icelandic-MP-Birgitta-Jonsdottir-on-Snowden-s-assylum-chances

[flamingdem]

7. Plus, they have to override a five year asylum process

I think, so that's unprecedented.

Otherwise there's the fisheries issue that may take precedence!

[struggle4progress]

10. Not quite unprecedented: Bobby Fischer was granted citizenship in Iceland back in 2005,

by parliamentary vote, to spring him from prison in Japan, where he was awaiting extradition to the US for his travel to Yugoslavia

[flamingdem]

12. How interesting, Snowden may be saved then, but sounds like it will be a tight vote

Happy 4th s4p!

[ProSense]

13. "However, the bill to grant Snowden citizenship received limited support Thursday."

However, the bill to grant Snowden citizenship received limited support Thursday. Six members of minority parties were in favor out of Parliament's 63 members.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/07/04/snowden/2490501/

Why Won’t Anyone Take Edward Snowden?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023162351

[struggle4progress]

14. Oh, so close! But no cigar

[flamingdem]

15. Ha ha as usual the facts were left out of the story, the numbers in this case

tell the story! Thanks Pro and Happy 4th!!

[Catherina]

8. More countries need to do this.

I know our fiery Clare Daly in Ireland wants to

[undeterred]

16. The pirate party?