It surprising that states cares about a passport in regard to a political refugee seeking asylum. It used to be a joke, as within the musical Chess, there is a short song with:
If these people can't strike
Blows for freedom
With a valid visa
We don't need 'em
There in the Embassy Lament, the joke is about the offhand attitude of the US embassy when a Russian is seeking asylum to the U.S. So I wonder a bit, why do nations care about passports or visas if the individual seeking asylum can be identified through other means. Its not like Russia doubts that Snowden is who he say he is.
My suspicion about why this is a big deal, at least from the administration's standpoint as a very calculated move, is to make Snowden toxic--without the passport, wherever Snowden is currently situated is a place from which he cannot easily move, instantly making him a legal and political liability. Add to that the difficult place it forces the host nation in to be grilled on why they're not taking action against an alleged lawbreaker who is within their sphere of influence. If he is going to be able to move, a country is going to have to muster the courage to stand before the world stage and make it known that they are helping.
It appeared for a moment that country was Ecuador. Now, apparently not (and quite possibly because of the publication of the alleged travel documents).
