Snowden, oil and smell of cat’s pee

After all, friendships are built on respect. And knowledge.

By M K Bhadrakumar

Scientists say cat urine frightens even rats that might never have seen a cat, because the forces of evolution have wired into their brains the smell of enemy’s pee. The Obama administration will be in a similar dilemma. The Kremlin made the announcement that Rafael Correa, president of Ecuador, will be back in Moscow. 

Amongst other things Correa’s talks will touch on “humanitarian” ties. In Langley, Virginia, they’re probably getting the smell of cat’s pee. Humanitarian — that’s how Russia finally treated the case of the ex-CIA whistleblower Edward Snowden. 

The last time Correa flew out of Moscow and was heading for Quito four months ago in July, it turned into a first-rate diplomatic scandal. Washington suspected Snowden would be on board the Ecuadorean presidential jet and prevailed upon the european allies to deny overflight facilities. The plane got grounded in Vienna. 

The issue has since become more messy. It’s highly unlikely any European country would want to collaborate with the US on a matter that reflects on Snowden case at a time when they are bristling they were being monitored like naked apes by the US’ Defence Intelligence Agency.

The stink is getting close to President Barack Obama. It appears he was in the loop about the tapping of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cell phone, although he disclaimed any knowledge. If you know German, read the weekend edition of Bild am Sonntag newspaper. 

It quotes American intelligence sources admitting that the US National Security Agency chief Keith Alexander briefed Obama personally as far back as 2010 that Merkel was under surveillance since 2002, but the US president blithely let it continue. 

Not only that, according to Bild am Sonntag, Obama wanted to be informed in detail about Merkel’s activities. Which is, of course, intriguing. There have been dark rumours Merkel worked for East German intelligence Stasi. Interestingly, the US surveillance began when Merkel became opposition leader in Bundestag. 

Merkel is furious and dialled Obama’s number to ask for a decent explanation. The European leaders are generally irritated with Obama’s aloofness. Der Spiegel has a biting story on it and concludes asking why should Obama seek friendships among world leaders anyway when he has the NSA. 

But Obama probably has a point. He is today a very knowledgeable man. After five years in the Oval Office, he knows about the skeletons in the cupboards of virtually every president or prime minister on the planet. After all, friendships are built on respect. 

Now, coming back to cat’s pee, the odds are Correa’s purpose of visit to Moscow is something other than Snowden — oil. He is locked in a grim struggle with Chevron and probably seeks Russian help to replace Big Oil in his country. Ecuador’s Amazon fields are estimated to hold $18 billion worth oil reserves and Correa wants to emulate Venezuela’s late Hugo Chavez and use oil revenue to implement radical social reforms. But I could be wrong — not having known the smell of cat’s pee.