NSA leaker Edward Snowden is still in China and talking to Chinese press

What the hell are you people up to?

I don't have time and don't really need to recap who Edward Snowden is at this point, do I? Whatever the case, that'd take more writing than I want to do right now. If you need to bone up, just click this.

The 29-year-old NSA contractor who dropped numerous bombs about what a joke the concept of privacy is in the United States these days via Glenn Greenwald and the Guardian was known to be in China, then he 'went to ground,' as press writers who kind of wish they were Tom Clancy like to say.

Now the South China Morning Post has an "exclusive" (nice to see that particular b.s. term is not confined to American media use) on Snowden, "from a secret location in Hong Kong." SCMP's Sarah Graham acknowledges "Snowden's actions have been both praised and condemned" around the world then goes on to give a list of what Snowden may have up his sleeve:

• more explosive details on US surveillance targets

• his plans for the immediate future

• the steps he claims the US has taken since he broke cover in Hong Kong

• his fears for his family

The article also quotes Snowden addressing the thing that's bothered me about his actions since the story broke:

"People who think I made a mistake in picking HK as a location misunderstand my intentions. I am not here to hide from justice; I am here to reveal criminality," Snowden told the Post earlier today.

So... he addresses skepticism about his going to Hong Kong, but doesn't really answer the deeper question as to why there. At least in that brief quote.

There are other countries more friendly to what Snowden is doing; no less than Julian Assange said Snowden should seek asylum in South America.

There are many uncomfortable holes in the slowly unfolding story of Edward Snowden and his treasure trove of NSA secrets. I am paranoid enough and mistrustful enough of government in general, regardless of the party in charge, to stop short of judging Snowden's actions at this point. But the questions, "why China? Why a Chinese territory?" dig at me. It's as if the whole thing is a big espionage/whistleblowing centipede and we've only had two shoes dropped.

Wait and see, I guess. Wait and see.

[South China Morning Post]