Letters: Putin outsmarted U.S. over Snowden
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at a news conference after the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia. (July 1, 2013) Credit: AP
From Russian President Vladimir Putin's viewpoint, President Barack Obama is the gift that keeps on giving ["Asylum for now," News, Aug. 2]. He is clearly beginning to view our president as a pushover. By granting Edward Snowden asylum for one year, Putin has given Obama a lesson in power politics.
This could backfire on all concerned. Witness the Bay of Pigs. President John F. Kennedy's failure to take a stand encouraged the Soviets to place missiles on Cuban soil and almost triggered a nuclear war.
If Obama doesn't wake up soon, he will find Russia establishing new proxy beach heads in nations other than Syria. If that happens, then welcome to Cold War Two.
Kenneth E. Heard, Smithtown
The extent of stupidity of the Obama administration is simply mind-boggling with respect to the National Security Agency debacle and whistle-blower Edward Snowden.
After the Obama administration was caught red-handed by Snowden's public revelations of the massive electronic breach of Americans' privacy, the president justified the illegal intrusions on the grounds of an ends-justifies-the-means philosophy.
In a retaliatory move, Obama revoked Snowden's American passport and threatened countries that would offer him political asylum. The result, since Snowden was stranded in a Moscow airport, is Russia granting him a one-year political asylum. Obama sits as a buffoon before world opinion.
Joseph N. Manago, Briarwood
