Download After the NSA whistle-blower lands in Moscow, the big question is: Where is he? A plane took off from Moscow on Monday heading for Cuba, but the seat booked by US National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden was empty, and there was no sign of him onboard. An Aeroflot representative who wouldn't give her name said that Snowden wasn't on flightSU150 to Havana. And reporters from The Associated Press on the flight couldn't find him. The Interfax news agency also quoted an unidentified Russian security source in Moscow as saying that Snowden wasn't on the plane. The airline said earlier Snowden registered for the flight using his US passport, which US officials say has been annulled. Snowden arrived in Moscow on Sunday from Hong Kong, where he had been hiding for several weeks to evade US justice. Ecuador is considering Snowden's asylum application. After spending a night in Moscow airport, Snowden had been expected to fly to Cuba and Venezuela en route to possible asylum in Ecuador. The White House said on Monday that it expected the Russian government to send Snowden back to the US and lodged "strong objections" with Hong Kong and Beijing for letting him go. Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying on Monday defended his government's decision to allow Snowden to leave the city. Leung said he noted "expressions of displeasure" from some in the US, but told reporters that "the people of Hong Kong expect Hong Kong to uphold its own laws including the Basic Law". |