As Snowden landed in Moscow after leaving Hong Kong, where the US had requested his arrest, leading Democratic senator Chuck Schumer accused the Russian president of sticking a finger in the eye of the US, The Guardian reports.
"The bottom line is very simple: allies are supposed to treat each other in decent ways and Putin always seems almost eager to put a finger in the eye of the United States, whether it is Syria, Iran and now of course with Snowden," Schumer said on CNN's State of the Union.

"That's not how allies should treat each other and I think it will have serious consequences for the United States-Russia relationship."
Mike Rogers, chairman of the House permanent select committee on intelligence, told NBC's Meet The Press that he did not have information that Putin had prior knowledge of Snowden's flight plans but "it wouldn't surprise me".
"Putin has been planting a thorn in the world's side in Syria. We think they may not be playing honest with respect to the nuclear treaty. They are very aggressive around the world," he said. "I'm sure they would love to have a little bit of coffee and some conversation with Mr Snowden."
He added that the US should use "every legal avenue" to bring Snowden back to the US. "We will continue with extradition activities wherever he turns up."
Republican senator Lindsey Graham told Fox News that Russia should "hold this fellow and send him back here for justice".
However, amid the backlash against Russia, politicians and others also rounded on the Obama administration. Graham questioned why Snowden was allowed to leave Hong Kong in the first place.
"I'd like to find out why our papers were not in compliance. That would be a big mistake by the Department of Justice," he said.
On Saturday House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi was booed by a crowd during a speech at activist meeting Netroots Nation when she said Snowden had broken the law.
Pelosi was heckled as she spoke about the need to balance privacy and security. One man yelled: "It's not a balance, it makes us less safe." Another shouted: "You suck!", according to The Guardian.
Congressman Peter King, always in search of a microphone, has been making the television rounds this afternoon. He's not pleased with senator Rand Paul,one of the few politicians who finds merit in Edward Snowden's deeds.
“I think it is important for the American people to realize that this guy is a traitor, a defector, he’s not a hero,” the congressman added. “And I heard Senator Rand Paul this morning actually compared Snowden to General Clapper. What’s happened to our country? This is a traitor, and for anyone to be comparing him to a U.S. military hero is absolutely disgraceful.”
From State department chief spokesperson Jen Psaki: "As is routine and consistent with US regulations, persons with felony arrest warrants are subject to having their passport revoked. Such a revocation does not affect citizenship status. Persons wanted on felony charges, such as Mr. Snowden, should not be allowed to proceed in any further international travel, other than is necessary to return him to the United States. Because of the Privacy Act, we cannot comment on Mr. Snowden's passport specifically".
Voice of Russia, The Guardian

U.S. House intelligence chairman says U.S. must get Snowden back
Former U.S. National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden's reported choice to fly to Cuba and Venezuela undermines his whistleblower claims, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers said on Sunday.
"Everyone of those nations is hostile to the United States, the Michigan Republican said on NBC's "Meet the Press" news talk show.
The U.S. government must exhaust all legal options to get Snowden back to the United States, Rogers said.
"When you think about what he says he wants and what his actions are, it defies logic," said Rogers, who repeated his assertion that Snowden's leaks of secret government surveillance programs had damaged U.S. national security.
US wants cooperation of countries where Snowden may go
The US Justice Department said Sunday that it will seek the cooperation of law enforcement authorities in countries where former NSA computer technician Edward Snowden may travel.
Justice Department spokeswoman Nanda Chitre said Snowden had left Hong Kong "for a third country" despite a US extradition request.
"We will continue to discuss this matter with Hong Kong and pursue relevant law enforcement cooperation with other countries where Mr. Snowden may be attempting to travel," Chitre said.
Snowden arrived in Moscow on Sunday en route to an undisclosed destination.
According to WikiLeaks, unidentified diplomats are escorting Snowden in his bid to secure political asylum in a country yet to be disclosed.
"Mr Edward Snowden, the American whistleblower who exposed evidence of a global surveillance regime conducted by US and UK intelligence agencies, has left Hong Kong legally," WikiLeaks said in a statement.
"He is bound for a democratic nation via a safe route for the purposes of asylum, and is being escorted by diplomats and legal advisors from WikiLeaks."
According to Russian media, Snowden, 30, will head to Venezuela via Cuba.
'Snowden has forced tighter security for intel techs' - NSA
Computer technican Edward Snowden's blowing the lid on US surveillance of phone calls and Web traffic has forced a tightening of security on system operators like him, the NSA said Sunday.
National Security Agency director Keith Alexander said it is overhauling its operations to keep a closer watch on contractors like the fugitive Snowden, who had top security clearance and "stole some of our secrets."
Alexander, interviewed on ABC television, was not asked about Snowden's departure from his first haven Hong Kong for Moscow en route reportedly to a third nation.
Alexander described Snowden as an NSA computer system adminstrator with top secret security clearance who betrayed his nation by taking a trove of information from the NSA and fleeing from his base in Hawaii to Hong Kong.
No red flags went up to detect that theft, Alexander said, and the NSA is working to overhaul things to prevent a repeat."Clearly, the system did not work as it should have," Alexander said.
"We are now putting in place actions that would give us the ability to track our system administrators, what they doing, what they are taking," the army general said, adding that the NSA is implementing what he called a "two man rule."
"He did not elaborate, also, we've changed the passwords. But at the end of the day we have to trust that our people are going to do the right thing," - he said.
Reuters, AFP, VOF,Omo Oodua<