We learned from a previous post, agents of the United States government can do what they want, when they want. However, they can’t do it where they want, at least not in Iceland. The leaders of Iceland, who also had the hutzpah to say “no” to their banksters, have expulsed FBI agents who entered Iceland unannounced and were spying on citizens of Iceland.
Is it asking too much of our Canadian leadership to do the same, especially as it regards the residents and citizens of Canada and their banking information?
Is it asking too much? Nope! Not at all!
Yankee go home!
Unfortunately, the Canadian Government is sitting there going…”The US is our friend…” 🙁 ~disgusted~
How does one become a citizen of Iceland?
@ “a”
I was wondering that too. It appears easier for EEA citizens than non-EEA citizens to immigrate to Iceland. Iceland is rated very high by the UN as a desirable place to live and it certainly handled the banking crisis cleverly. I had a 2 day stopover there many years ago and found it to be a fascinating place.
http://www.mcc.is/english/extra/immigrate-to-iceland
Woo! EFTA member citizen here.
I went to Iceland many years ago for a very long weekend in June. It’s very weird going into a club at midnight with daylight and coming out at 3am and it was still daylight (or daylight again). I’m sure I could get used to the summer but I certainly wouldn’t want to live there in the winter.
But it certainly had amazing scenery. We took the Golden Circle tour with geysers and waterfalls en route. Also saw the blue lagoon. Never understood why they put the airport an hour outside Reykjavik when there’s virtually nothing in between.
Not sure the Icelanders would agree about the handling of the economic crisis. Iceland suffered severely though they were smart enough to take their pain all at once as opposed to the Chinese water torture policy implemented just about everywhere else. I’m pretty sure stock market and their currency crashed and I think the entire banking system went bankrupt or was nationalised to prevent bankruptcy.
They also sat down as a country and began to rewrite their constitution in the aftermath with input from all, and they have probably the best educational system in the world. I could never convince my husband we needed to live somewhere even colder than where we are now (as we head into our fourth month of snow).
@a
C’mon Canada’s not doing too badly:
http://www.conferenceboard.ca/hcp/details/education.aspx
In either Canada or Iceland, take plenty of vitamin D.
Interestingly enough, Iceland was also the country that granted Bobby Fischer citizenship after the US tried to arrest him for playing chess in Yugoslavia.
Now, when is Hong Kong going to get around to expelling IRS attache William Cheung like one of our legislators suggested three years ago:
http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201004/14/P201004130213.htm
Bravo Iceland !!!!!!
@Eric, that’s a very interesting press release and worthy of its own post. I wonder, as the finder of the press release if you would like the honour. It seems to me that the United States is also lying through their teeth in their response to the Hong Kong government:
So why do they need a Criminal Investigation Division (CID) IRS agent in Hong Kong if they are carrying out “liaison duties” in Hong Kong. This bald-faced lie is all too typical of the two-faced double-standard lying scondrouls who are enforcing US federal laws.
And the FBI agents that were in Iceland weren’t spying on the citizens of Iceland. They were investigating the possibility of trade relations on behalf of the growing igloo industry in the US.
Ha, after Mr. Fatbardt gets us and rips us off of all of our assets, we can go to Iceland and live in luxury igloos.
The Swiss “Inside Paradeplatz” blog has a story today on IRS agents working undercover in Switzerland to determine whether banks were complying with the Qualified Intermediary regulations in 2001:
http://insideparadeplatz.ch/2013/06/11/united-spies-of-america-infiltrierten-zuerich-2001/
Following the NSA whistleblower comments this weekend about “turning” a banker in Geneva into a CIA informant in 2007, the Swiss government admonished the American Embassy that the consulate in Geneva is there to provide assistance and coordination for NGOs only (and not to be engaged in covert operations):
http://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/schweiz/standard/Bern-interveniert-nach-Snowdens-Aussagen-bei-USBotschaft/story/28980552
The revelation of these transgressions by American agents on Swiss soil is undermining support for the so-called Tax Deal with the US, which concerns past events by Swiss banks, and may undermine support to ratify the FATCA IGA, which is to presented to the parliament in the coming months. Many Swiss have simply had enough of the bullying US government.
Further to the above comment on IRS agents working undercover in Switzerland in 2001 after implementation of QI, in the below link on pp. 131-132 is a UBS email that states that this was happening. (The email is in English but written by a non-native speaker and reads rough):
“I among other things met the QI-specialist at Baker & McKenzie today at a conference. (Attorney’s name) is American, operated here from Zurich and helps banks to put the QI-Setup on.
In accordance with (attorney’s name) the IRS started an undercover action with the goal three weeks ago here in Switzerland, the QI procedures of the Switzerland banks in case of US citizen to test 1: to test 1. It concerned obviously in particular also such problem definitions whether the adviser receives funds of Americans, also not defined, upper he pieces of advice (ed.: whether he offers advice) for the evasion of the QI-problem given and as he generally reacted to QI-problems.
The IRS people operated here in Switzerland and obviously with the Einverständnis (ed.: agreement) of Swiss revenue offices!
(Attorney’s name) has rather encountered by coincidence this circumstances, because also he was asked by one of the agents over the QI-situation here in Switzerland and he at the very much detailed and purposeful questions was then surprised. About its own stating it then inquired with colleagues in the IRS whether IRS people are here more active undercover, which was confirmed informally (and off the records).
With cordial greetings,”
http://lukashaessig.ch/wp-content/uploads/UBS_Declaration_DReeves-305-S.pdf
Something to consider for Canadian Brockers: Will Canada also allow IRS agents to work undercover on its territory to test for FATCA compliance should this extra-territorial US law be implemented in Canada?
“News of Iceland” is reporting today that there is a chartered jet in Hong Kong waiting to collect Edward Snowden to fly him to Iceland as soon as the Icelandic government gives its approval:
http://www.newsoficeland.com/home/business-economics/foreign-affairs/item/1753-edward-snowden-could-fly-to-iceland-tomorrow
Huh, I guess Snowden is serious about not wanting to talk to the FSB, otherwise he could have done the trip in two legs through Russia and saved some money. If he weren’t concerned about security risks from fellow passengers, he could have even flown commercial with transfers in Moscow & then Saint Petersburg without stopping in any hostile US satrapies (as the one-stop itineraries from Hong Kong would have otherwise forced him to do).
A direct route would be the best to ensure that he arrives and isn’t nabbed en route. Another possible commercial routing might be Hong Kong to Zurich and then Zurich to Keflavik/ Reykjavik on Icelandair, which has service twice weekly. In theory, he could remain in transit in Zurich to wait for the Iceland flight.
In a recent article, Mother Jones mentioned the difficulty in reaching Iceland to apply for asylum, which I found somewhat humorous. An excerpt:
“But Iceland is a long way from Hong Kong. At least 20 hours by air and easily a $3,000 ticket, the trip also would almost certainly require a stop in another European country that might be inclined to turn him over to the US during a layover.”
http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/06/can-snowden-get-icelandic-asylum-hong-kong
It appears that an Icelandic television channel 2, “Fréttir” broke the news last news (in Icelandic):
http://www.visir.is/flugvel-tilbuin-til-ad-flytja-snowden-til-islands/article/2013130629917
Well, he went to Russia on a commercial flight, but it looks like he’s not going to Iceland. Unsurprisingly, Chuck Schumer couldn’t resist the chance to shove his face in front of a microphone and say something inane about the situation:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/23/us-usa-security-washington-idUSBRE95M08U20130623
NPR says a black diplomatic car picked him up on the runway, but there’s conflicting reports whether it was Venezuelan or Ecuadorean
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/06/23/194829002/nsa-leaker-departs-hong-kong-reportedly-headed-to-venezuela
Eric,
I wonder if as part of the Snowden fallout there will be a move to block all US Dual nationals from security clearances. Not directly related but I could see it happening. If Snowden was a Hong Kong ID Card holder it might have been tough to get him.
@Eric
The Reuters article misses out the best bit of Chucky’s quote. The Guardian in their Snowden live blog quote Chucky going on to say “Allies are supposed to treat each other in decent ways.” (http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/2013/jun/23/edward-snowden-leaves-hong-kong-moscow-live)
High five to Hong Kong (and China?) for letting him out of the country without a valid US passport (it was revoked by the US on Saturday).
The Guardian is reporting that Snowden has taken a room in a capsule hotel in the terminal and that they just spoke to the Ecuadorian ambassador outside the capsule hotel who only said “We have an interest in knowing what is happening to him.” The Guardian are also suggesting he may have been examined by Ecuadorian medical personnel.
I hope he makes it to his intended destination. There was some ABC journalist suggesting that the Moscow-Cuba flight flies over US airspace. Hopefully Aeroflot will amend the normal flight plan so it doesn’t come anywhere near the US.
The Norwegian Aftenposten states that Snowden may fly on to Norway and then to Iceland, directly to Iceland, citing sources in the Pirate Party, or to South America:
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=no&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aftenposten.no%2Fnyheter%2Furiks%2FPiratpartiet-Snowden-mellomlander-pa-Gardermoen-7238358.html
Icelandic “Fréttir” article seems to rely on Aftenposten article (Icelandic does not translate well with Google):
http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=is&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.visir.is%2Ffullyrt-ad-snowden-fljugi-til-islands%2Farticle%2F2013130629724
I wouldn’t want to be on the same plane as Snowden. The US Navy has been known to shoot down civilian aircraft (Air Iran Flight 655 and TWA Flight 800). The US Air Force is now equipped to take out a target anywhere in the world at hypersonic speed. However I very much doubt one man would be important enough to unleash such power. There are much more subtle ways to deal with “dangerous” individuals like the journalist Michael Hastings. One thing which might be helpful for Snowden’s survivial is IF he has been operating as an agent of the actual US gov’t or rogue elements within it and therefore his recent statements about the NSA are what is called a “limited hangout”, all part of an operation of some kind. He would also have to still be serving some useful purpose for his bosses in that scenario. I really don’t know if he is a genuine whistleblower (I hope he is though) and unfortunately time will NOT necessarily tell. These days it is extremely difficult to tell if someone is wearing a white hat or a black hat because the only thing we are allowed to see is a mass of smudgy grey hats. Things are way too complicated and corrupt for me to determine the truth behind any given situation and I don’t know why I keep trying (too much curiosity perhaps). I may not know the absolute truth but I can hope that Snowden is the real deal; that he gets to his final destination safely; and that somehow he will to survive despite the powerful forces allied against him.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_Air_Flight_655
http://politicaloutcast.com/2013/06/new-evidence-suggests-twa-flight-800-was-shot-down-leaving-new-york/
Good for Iceland.
Look what the US was willing to do to a law-abiding American citizen actually on US soil:
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2013/06/18/2642842/we-forget-the-other-side-of-spying.html
“….Recently, we discovered that the National Security Agency is keeping an enormous file of our phone calls. In the NSA’s defense, its chief, Gen. Keith Alexander, said “dozens” of potential terrorist attacks had been thwarted by that kind of effort. The director of the FBI, Robert Mueller, suggested it might prevent “the next Boston.”
“………But most Americans were sold. The words “terrorist attack” conjured up terrible, vivid pictures. On the other side was just a humongous computer bank full of numbers. If you didn’t do anything wrong, what was the problem?
Today, let’s try putting a face on it in the form of Brandon Mayfield.
………Mayfield went to college and law school, served in the Army, married, had three children, and moved to Portland, Ore., to practice law.
His story begins with — yes! — an enormous federal database, in this case the one that collected fingerprints of Americans who served in the military………..”
@Tim: Wouldn’t surprise me if they did. Maybe they’ll even go as far as Taiwan does and require them to give up foreign permanent residence as well. But in HK’s case, having an ID card (either as a foreigner or as a Chinese citizen) doesn’t make any difference to how we handle extradition. That’s why Steven Cheung is stuck doing the lecture circuit up in the mainland and can’t even set foot here in his hometown — otherwise the US will try to nab him too.
@Edelweiss: Wow, didn’t know the part about the passport cancellation. The fun part is, HK’s immigration law only requires you to present a valid passport when you’re entering. (Exit controls exist anyway, but are not required by law — meaning it was just Immigration Department discretion to let him leave).. But still, without a valid travel document, Aeroflot shouldn’t have let him on board. So I wonder whether they just overlooked it, or whether someone issued him a one-time travel document. HK Immigration Department doesn’t issue those on its own (Basic Law only lets us issue travel documents to residents), so if he got one from here the application would have had to go through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs office and get passed up to Beijing for approval.
This is FlightAware link for the Aeroflot flight from Moscow to Havana. I say it most definitely goes into US Airspace
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/AFL150/history/20130623/1005Z/UUEE/MUHA
Its going to be now or never for the US. Do they force down tomorrow’s flight or not(And also let everyone know they are capable of doing this)?
I will add it is possible for Aeroflot depending on weather conditions to take alternative routings going further away from the US such as the flight on June 20th.
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/AFL150/history/20130620/1005Z/UUEE/MUHA
So there are three possibilities(perhaps a fourth too)
1. Aeroflot flies into US Airspace unhindered(US looks “weak” by no forcing him down)
2. Aeroflot flies into US Airspace and is forced to land. Snowden taken into custody
3. Aeroflot avoid US Airspace enroute to Cuba
4?? A Western European ally UK, Germany etc forces Aeroflot down and take Snowden into custody. Not sure the Europeans would want to go this far on behalf of the US.