U.S. using Snowden, Assange and, possibly, FIFA cases to mercenary ends - Putin
MOSCOW. May 28 (Interfax) - The United States may be using the arrest of FIFA officials at its request to mercenary ends, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
As he was commenting on the FIFA situation, Putin reminded reporters about the U.S. prosecution of former National Security Agency employee Edward Snowden and the situation of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
"Why do I recall them now? Alas, our American partners are using these methods to achieve mercenary goals and they are doing so illegally, prosecuting people. I do not rule out that the FIFA case is exactly the same, although I do not know how it may end. But what is going on shortly before the election of the FIFA president suggests precisely this idea," Putin said.
"We are aware of the U.S. viewpoint on former security service officer, employee of the National Security Agency Mr. Snowden who made public U.S. illegal practices conducted practically throughout the globe, including the eavesdropping on foreign chiefs of state," Putin said.
This is the matter highlighted everywhere, including in Europe, he added. "However, nobody wants to give him an asylum and guarantee his security, nobody wants to quarrel with their partners, senior partners," Putin remarked.
Edward Snowden is a former security service officer and a U.S. citizen, but the Julian Assange situation is totally different, he said. "What about Mr. Assange who has been forced to hide at a foreign embassy for several years? You can also say he is confined. What is he prosecuted for? For sex crimes. But nobody believes that. You do not believe that either," Putin told reporters.
He said that Assange was prosecuted for distributing information about U.S. army operations in the Middle East, including Iraq, he had obtained from U.S. servicemen.