Barton Gellman Quotes

No offense to Iceland, but Latin America is where the fugitive leaker Edward Snowden should settle.

I am very unhappy about reports that I was seeking asylum in Manila.

To some, incredibly, Russia has become a human rights leader. Edward Snowden, the American whistleblower, has succeeded in his asylum application in Russia, and White House spokesman Jay Carney appears flummoxed and wrong-footed as the mantle of free speech and liberty appears to pass from West to East.

Any country that grants asylum to Snowden risks retaliation from the United States, including diplomatic isolation and costly trade sanctions. Several don't seem to care.

In the physical world, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is a wanted man.

After four years at the United Nations I sometimes yearn for the peace and tranquility of a political convention.

If the inmates of Guantanamo want to make their nests in Uruguay, they can do it.

Diplomats make it their business to conceal the facts, and politicians violently denounce the politicians of other countries.

The limits of diplomacy must be acknowledged.

The job of a diplomat is to be the eyes and the ears of the country he or she is representing.

At home you always have to be a politician. When you're abroad you almost feel yourself a statesman.

You can't wing foreign policy.

During the early 1990s, Mexico's domestic political sensitivities meant that it rarely extradited people who had committed crimes in the U.S. After NAFTA, extradition numbers began to increase until they surpassed 100 a year in the late 2000s.

I think the United States is mindful of its reputation for its democracy and rule of law, and if they are willing to risk that reputation by extraditing me based on the request and claims made by Turkey, I would never say no. I would go willingly.

I would be happy to accept asylum, political asylum, in India — a nation I love. In return, I will bring Mayawati a range of the finest British footwear.

[on Edward Snowden] He should be brought back from Russia and given due process, and I think the proper outcome would be that he would be given a death sentence.

The only way I could be extradited is through the principle of what my lawyers call "politics trumps law."

Patriots don't go to Russia. They don't seek asylum in Cuba. They don't seek asylum in Venezuela. They fight their cause here. Edward Snowden is a coward. He is a traitor. And he has betrayed his country. And if he wants to come home tomorrow to face the music, he can do so.

I've served on the International Relations Committee.

I studied political science at the Ecole de Sciences Politiques in Paris.

As a senator, I play an important role in crafting foreign policy.

As a member of Congress, I am part of a large group of elected officials who remain clear-eyed about the threat emanating from Tehran.

We do not worry about how a sovereign country keeps its relations with others.

People are mistaken if they think the Foreign Office can get you out of jail. We can't, but we will work hard to try and ensure your safety, and that you get a fair trial.

Putin is very - not the smartest guy in the world.