US presses Russia to deport Snowden

The US today said that it does not want to harm its relationship with Russia, as it continued with its efforts to get back former CIA contractor Edward Snowden, who is at Moscow airport for the past two days.
Snowden, who is accused of espionage and leaking classified US documents, initially fled to Hong Kong. He is now stranded at the Moscow airport and planning to go to a third country possibly Ecuador where he has sought asylum.
The Obama Administration insists that Snowden should be deported to the United States immediately.
"We still believe that he is at the airport in Russia. We noted the statements by (the Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin and the (Russian) Foreign Minister. We certainly understand the fact that Snowden chose to travel to Moscow, chose to travel to Russia creates issues that the Russian government has to consider," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters travelling with the US President to Africa.

"We also believe that when it comes to Snowden, well, we agree with President Putin that we don't want the situation to harm our relations, I would note that we have improved, as I did the other day - significant and improved cooperation with the Russian government on matters of law enforcement, especially in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings.
"I would note that we are asking the Russians to expel Snowden, and that we believe there is a clear, legal basis to do so, based on his travel documents and the indictment against him," Carney said.

The United States is having conversations with Russian government officials on return of Snowden.

Carney insisted that the relationship with China would be hit because of the role it played in the decision of Hong Kong to let Snowden leave for Russia.
"There was no reason for Hong Kong not to detain Snowden. All the procedures were followed. And certainly, as I said the other day, we certainly don't accept the proposition that China - that this was just a technical issue, that China could not have had an effect on," he said.