Interesting comments so far ... I'm more incensed that Obama called him a hacker. There was absolutely no hacking as he had a security clearance to work with (and apparently copy) the data he was responsible for.
If he's really refusing to barter, he must not want Snowden back that much.<p>More likely, this is Obama's equivalent of Reagan's "We do not negotiate with terrorists"... just a lie for the cameras.
Keeping the NSA's program(s) running would be easier if they keep Snowden out of the news.<p>Fighting with Russia for him would just draw more attention to it.
"What's more, Ecuador offers the United States economic aid of $23 million annually, similar to what we received with the trade benefits, with the intention of providing education about human rights" well played, Ecuador.
>>it took two months for the country to make a decision in the case of Julian Assange, the founder of whistleblowing website Wikileaks, and that Snowden's case would take at least as long from the time the request was filed.<<<p>Snowden might be in Russia for some time.
The headline should be "Obama <i>says</i> he refuses to barter over Snowden". And every time a politician says something, that's just PR. What matters is what politicians <i>do</i>.