White House National Security Adviser Tom Donilon said Saturday that he’s confident that Hong Kong will extradite Edward Snowden, the 29-year-old former government contractor who’s served as the source of the recent leaks on top secret surveillance programs.
The U.S. government has filed charges of espionage and theft against Snowden. Donilon told CBS News he believes Hong Kong, where Snowden is believed to be hiding, will comply with an extradition tready between the two countries.
“We believe that the charges presented, present a good case for extradition under the treaty, the extradition treaty between the United States and Hong Kong,” Donilon said. “Hong Kong has been a historically good partner of the United States in law enforcement matters, and we expect them to comply with the treaty in this case.”
A senior Obama administration official followed up on Donilon’s comments, telling CBS that if Hong Kong fails to act swiftly “it will complicate our bilateral relations and raise questions about Hong Kong’s commitment to the rule of law.”
A senior State Department confirmed that the U.S. has contacted Hong Kong authorities to “seek the extradition of Mr. Snowden.”
