[macspoofing]

You're arguing a red herring, and I don't know if you're doing it purposly or what. Let's set aside the technical IT details of how passport checks work, rather focus on the point: the Hong Kong and Russian authorities knew he wasn't allowed to board that plane.

[ryanlol]

>Hong Kong and Russian authorities knew he wasn't allowed to board that plane.

AFAIK there was no HK warrant or even an Interpol notice issued for Snowden at the time. Why would he not have been allowed to board that plane?

[macspoofing]

Here's the HK press release: https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201306/23/P201306230476....

So clearly there was an arrest warrant issued by US with a request to HK authorities to detain Snowden. You may choose to believe the excuse put out by HK/Chinese authorities that US government filled out the paperwork incorrectly but the State Department, and pretty much anybody I've ever read, has rejected that explanation.

For boarding and plane and clearing security and entry into Moscow, you made an absolutely ludicrous assertion that "Your passport doesn't magically cease to work after someone somewhere says it's been revoked." - Uh huh, there goes our entire security infrastructure ... Is it your contention that neither Hong Kong authorities nor the Russians were aware that Snowden's passport was revoked?

You sound like you're bending over backwards to try to prevent Snowden from being seen as what he is, a traitor to his country who defected to a geopolitical rival after stealing millions of documents (the vast majority of which have NOTHING to do with domestic espionage programs).