Russia surprised at US statement over extradition of Snowden

Russia is surprised at the U.S. statement saying it has enough grounds for extraditing former CIA technical contractor Edward Snowden, a Russian diplomat told Itar-Tass on Wednesday. “We wouldn’t like to disappoint our American partners. But if they say such things, we’re forced to say it’s Washington that had previously rejected many Russian proposals to sign an agreement on the extradition,” the diplomat said. “Now Washington is trying to prove things, which cannot be proved, and purposely mix the concepts of extraditing a person at the request of another state and expelling foreigners, who violate American laws, for example an expired visa,” the diplomat said. On Tuesday, July 23, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told a news briefing: “I would simply say that our position is the same as it has been, which is that we believe Mr. Snowden ought to be expelled and returned to the United States, where he faces felony charges, and that there is ample legal justification for that and precedent in terms of cooperation with Russia in the law enforcement arena that would allow for that. But I have no new information on his disposition, if you will.”