While you weren't watching, Edward Snowden moved closer to being recognized as an international hero.
Former US spy agency contractor Edward Snowden, peace negotiators in Colombia or Greek islanders helping Syrian refugees were among tips for the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize at the deadline for nominations on Monday. "2016 may finally be Edward Snowden's year ... His leaks are now having a positive effect," Kristian Berg Harpviken, head of the Peace Research Institute, Oslo, told Reuters, putting him top of his list of candidates. Harpviken said many nations were now reforming laws to restrict intelligence gathering, helping human rights, in the wake of Snowden's leaks in 2013 of details of the U.S. government's surveillance programmes. Washington has filed espionage charges against Snowden, who has been granted asylum in Russia. An award of the $930,000 prize to Snowden, by a Nobel committee in NATO member Norway, would be a huge snub for President Barack Obama, the 2009 Nobel laureate.A "snub" would be an understatement. It would be more of an F U. The Republican candidates covered themselves in "glory" the other night by accusing Snowden of being a spy for Russia, and a traitor.
Meanwhile, Snowden continues to pick up international awards this week.
The Carl von Ossietzky prize is awarded annually for efforts to uphold freedom of speech and expression. A German pacifist, von Ossietzky was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1935 for works exposing Germany’s re-armament program in the lead-up to World War II. "By awarding the prize to Edward Snowden, Norwegian PEN wish to pay respect to the unique role he has undertaken as a whistle blower," Norwegian PEN said on its website.It's starting to get embarrassing to be an American again. Only really sleazy dictatorships accuse Nobel Peace Prize nominees of treason.