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Snowden's empty plane seat mocks media pack
By Phil Black, CNN
June 25, 2013 -- Updated 1758 GMT (0158 HKT)
Hunting for Edward Snowden
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
* NSA leaker Edward Snowden was believed to be flying from Moscow to
Havana
* Dozens of journalists boarded the flight he was believed to be
traveling on
* CNN's Phil Black said a row-by-row search after takeoff found no
trace of Snowden
* Journalists huddled around the empty seat where he had been expected
to sit, Black said
(CNN) -- Do I stay or do I go? Almost everyone has
already boarded the plane, including dozens of journalists. The airport
staff, including lots of security guards, are now glaring at me.
This is the flight many people believe will carry Edward Snowden from Moscow to
Havana. But there's no sign of Snowden.
My cameraman is already on the plane. He's supposed to message me if there's a
confirmed sighting.
The stakes are high. If I get on and Snowden doesn't we're committing to a
Moscow-Havana round
trip that will take us a long way from the story.
There are too many
scenarios and no safe bets. If I don't see him and don't board, he could still
join the aircraft on the tarmac later. Another journalist is
already tweeting excitedly about a VIP van parked next to the plane.
I'm constantly on the phone with CNN HQ. The bosses make a decision. There's
only one way to know for sure. Go for it.
NSA leaker is on the move
White House upset about Snowden travels
U.S. hunt for NSA leaker's location
We want to know: Where's Ed?
Read more: Snowden 'free man'
For a story with so few
confirmed facts, sending us on a flight to Havana, despite the uncertain
outcome, was considered a valuable insurance policy.
When I step on board I see a frenzy of men with video cameras and flight
attendants trying to stop them. But there's no Snowden.
So we wait, nervously
glancing between the door and the tarmac. There is an unusually high
number of men in police-like uniforms surrounding the plane. A hungry
media pack is desperately looking for any sign of the man as the clock
ticks down to our departure time.
The door closes. The plane pushes back. But hope is not dead. He could still be
whisked out to meet the plane.
That's not what happens. Minutes later the Snowden-less jet is in the air bound
for Cuba. The
story remains on the ground somewhere in Moscow.
After takeoff, we do a
row-by-row search. We look in the galleys, the washrooms. I stick my
head in the curtained-off rest area for the flight crew. A grey haired
Russian man stares back with confusion in the dark space. "Izvinite."
Excuse me. It all confirms what we were already pretty sure of.
Read more: No-show leaves reporters stuck on plane
There's only one area we can't check - the cockpit. It seems unlikely Russian
authorities or
Aeroflot would allow Snowden to travel in the secure pointy end of the
aircraft. But the circumstances of this story fit the general rule I've
developed through living in Russia. Anything, no matter how logic
defying, is possible. I keep a close eye on the crew coming and going
from the cockpit just in case.
Frustrated journalists
huddle around seat 17a. Its emptiness mocks us. Some earlier reports
said this was where Snowden would be sitting.
A good part of the
flight is spent debating theories on Snowden's plans for escape and his
chances of success. What role Russia and Ecuador? It's all just
speculation with a little logic thrown in. In other words, like so many
people around the world right now, we're all just guessing.
But at least we knew he wasn't on the aircraft. Back on earth, my colleagues at
CNN had no way of being so certain.
Moments before takeoff,
I'd communicated by phone there was no sign of Snowden. But that didn't
mean he wasn't on board somewhere. And as we crossed the globe I had no
way of passing on the results of our detailed search. Neither Aeroflot
nor the Russian government had confirmed or denied if he was on the
flight.
So my news organization
was still tracking its path across Russia, Northern Europe, the
Atlantic, Canada and the eastern states of America. We even flew very
close to CNN's world headquarters in Georgia.
Read more: How hunt humiliated U.S.
It was not until the
aircraft doors opened at our destination and I first felt the sticky,
warm Havana air that I was able to call in again and confirm
definitively Snowden had not left Russia on that flight.
Ah Havana. A much
dreamed of travel destination for this Australian journalist. Those
dreams would remain unfulfilled. I'd arrived with no accreditation or
visa. I couldn't legally enter the country.
My Cuban adventure
involved one hour in the transit lounge desperately negotiating with
officials to allow me back on the same aircraft for the return flight to Moscow.
No rum. No sweet cigar
scent. No music. But during my brief time in the soulless transit area
there were still many incredibly warm Cuban smiles.
The return flight was
even less eventful. Time was spent writing this account and editing the
video story of our travels. In total we endured around 30 hours of
pretty darn comfortable business class travel for little journalistic
result.
It's not the stuff that
inspires enormous work satisfaction in my trade. But after arriving back in
Moscow and while sitting in this city's horrific traffic, one senior CNN editor
thanked me for making the journey. He said the time
consuming, sleep depriving, costly act necessary to confirm Snowden
wasn't on that flight was highly valuable in our coverage of a story
where basic questions remain unanswered.
What will Edward Snowden do next?
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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