alexander koryagin wrote to Roy Witt:   
      
       
      
    ak>>> There are many KGB traitors who have caused great damage to Russia   
    ak>>> when they sold top secrets to CIA, and they were given asylum in   
    ak>>> the US.   
      
    RW>> Perhaps they were disgruntled spys with a bone to pick with the   
    RW>> KGB...   
      
    ak> "with a bone to pick with the KGB..." - what does it mean?   
      
   "a bone to pick" or "pick a bone" is an English cliche' meaning that there   
   is a controversy or a dispute that needs to be negotiated.   
      
    ak>>> The situation looks similar -- Russia has been wanting to suit   
    ak>>> them as criminals, but the US is not in the mood to extradite   
    ak>>> them. So, for Russia, Showden could be just a small revenge.   
    RW>> We've been there before. Most, if not all, former KGB agents   
    RW>> re-patriated to Russian seem to have disappeared.   
      
    ak> Neither Russia nor the US have never repatriated traitors. That   
    ak> would be a bad sign for future traitors, won't it? ;-))   
      
   I wasn't talking about traitorus spys, I was talking about spys that have   
   been caught and held in prison, then repatriated back to their home   
   country. Check into USSR history and you can find an American U2 spy plane   
   incident where it was shot down over the USSR and the pilot kept in prison   
   and charged with spying, then returned to the USA through negotiations   
   which included a prisoner exchange.   
      
    ak> Can you give me at least one example when Russian KGB traitor was   
    ak> repatriated to Russia and disappeared there?   
      
   See above. Whether the KGB agent returned to the USSR was a traitor or not   
   would be the opinion of the politburo or the KGB. However, with that said,   
   I doubt that any KGB agents returned from the USA to the USSR would have   
   been returned if there was any chance that they would be considered to be   
   traitors.   
      
    ak>>> As for Putin's words, that "Snowden could stay in Russia on   
    ak>>> condition that he stops to cause damage to the US" -- all   
    ak>>> politicians are liars and hypocrites. IMHO, it was just a formal   
    ak>>> statement, and after that Putin's spokesman had said that Snowden   
    ak>>> would no be extradited in any case (because there is a death   
    ak>>> penalty in the US).   
      
    RW>> Snowden's own publically spoken words convicted him before he was   
    RW>> charged with any crimes. This is what I meant when I said he was a   
    RW>> smart man, but not a very smart man.   
      
    ak> If he behaves himself correctly his secrets will guard him. And   
    ak> probably the US will understand that it is better to leave him alone.   
      
   He's tried to keep his information from being revealed, but that may not   
   last, depending on who has that information now.   
      
    ak> If Snowden has not opened another secrets so far he has no intention   
    ak> to do it. He needs to keep something for his own safety. KGB also   
    ak> cannot get access to them -- it cannot even interrogate him, because   
    ak> Snowen has constant contacts with his friends (from Wikileaks, for   
    ak> instance).   
      
   Yes...that helps him somewhat.   
      
    ak>    
      
    ak>>> Well, as a rule guests are not unwanted. We say about our guests   
    ak>>> that stay very late, without thinking that the good time to leave   
    ak>>> had passed long ago. I remember as Winnie-the-Pooh was Rabbit's   
    ak>>> guest and got into a tight place. But all the Rabbit should have   
    ak>>> done was to ask the bear for some honey. ;-)   
      
    RW>> I haven't read Winnie the Pooh, but having some kind of lubricant   
    RW>> to help release someone caught in a tight place seems logical...   
      
    ak> It depends on how much honey the bear ate before trying to get out   
    ak> from Rabbit's house hole. ;-) It had eaten too much then.   
      
   So his fat belly kept him from exiting the rabbit hole...I see...   
      
      
    R\%/itt   
      
      
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