WASHINGTON, July 2 (by Karin Zeitvogel for RIA Novosti) – The Twittersphere lit up with posts about fugitive whistleblower Edward Snowden Tuesday, as a request for asylum that he sent to nearly two dozen countries fell on deaf ears, leaving the 30-year-old American marooned in the transit area of a Moscow airport for a second week.
According to one Twitter tally, 13 out of 21 countries that Snowden reportedly asked for asylum have rejected his request, including India where External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid cited as a reason the country’s “very careful and restrictive policy on asylums” and insisted “we are not an open house for asylums."
But Twitter user @mojorojo thought there might be another truth behind the rejection.
India didnt turn Snowden down for political reasons. It's just that the last thing we need is another software engineer.
— Rohan Joshi (@mojorojo) July 2, 2013
Reports that Norway was considering taking Snowden in were tweeted as a soccer transfer.
Transfer rumours latest. Rooney from Man Utd to Barcelona, Snowden from Moscow Airport to Norway.
— David Schneider (@davidschneider) July 2, 2013
The Scandinavian land of speed skaters and the Nobel Prize ended up turning Snowden down, as did Ireland, though it’s unlikely that Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny really did say what one Twitter user attributed to him.
@thejournal_ie Kenny rejecting Edward Snowden's plea for asylum saying: "Ireland is already an asylum and we're fullly stocked up".
— Padraic Heneghan (@heneghanp) July 2, 2013
As country after country shut the door on him, individuals stepped up to offer Snowden a place to crash.
Edward Snowden, you are very welcome to #Umeå, #Sweden. You can have my job and my apartment. Just avoid the globalists and the Bilderberger
— Andreas Norlin (@AndreasNorlin) July 2, 2013
Snowden was invited to settle on tiny, barren, uninhabited Hans Island, which lies in the Nares Strait between Greenland and Canada’s Ellesmere Island and is claimed by the Danes and Canadians.
We are happy to offer asylum to Snowden on Hans Island! It is very lonely here, we would be happy to make new friend! @wikileaks
— Hans (@Hans__Island) July 2, 2013
But even as Snowden’s search for asylum grabbed global headlines, some Twitter users were beginning to tire of the media furore over the accused leaker.
People are reporting on Snowden applying to India for asylum as if Tom Cruise said he loved Chicken Tikka Masala or Norah Jones won a grammy
— Khamba (@gkhamba) July 2, 2013
And others grew weary of seeing the same old headshot of the man the whole world was looking for, but nobody seemed to want to take in.
Do you think Edward Snowden is wishing he'd had at least *one* other headshot taken before all this went down? And maybe the mole removed?
— Vinz Clortho (@Obfusticate) July 2, 2013
Meanwhile, some suggested that Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport, where Snowden is reportedly hiding out, capitalize on its newfound celebrity by marketing T-shirts.
Moscow airport should sell "I Went To the Transit Zone & All I Got Was This T-Shirt" #SnowdenSwag #Snowden
— CIA Spy Girl (@CIAspygirl) July 2, 2013
Still others predicted that the fugitive would turn himself in when he’s had his fill of airport food.
Snowden to surrender himself soon. Becoming fed up with diet of Toblerone, Smarties & duty free Stolichnaya
— Paisley Tweed (@CRITIQUEatLARGE) June 25, 2013
British bookmaker William Hill opened the betting on where Snowden would be in five months’ time, and as of Monday, the odds pointed to him being back in the United States, right where his saga started.
#UK betting agency Wiliam Hill posting odds on where Edward #Snowden will end up. pic.twitter.com/bC4Qi4emnw
— NewsBellGlobal (@newsbellglobal) July 2, 2013
