US sends Irish authorities arrest warrant for Edward Snowden

In a precautionary move, the United States issued an arrest warrant for Edward Snowden and sent it to Irish authorities.

The logic behind the move is that if Snowden plans to fly from Russia to Havana, Cuba, as originally planned, the plane will stop in Shannon, Ireland, to refuel, the Irish Times reports.

The warrant allows local authorities to arrest Edward Snowden under the 1965 Act.

Under the law, Snowden could be taken to a local court where a judge could hold him for up to 18 days. The 18-day period would give the US the opportunity to carry out a full extradition process.

Edward Snowden is believed to still be at Moscow airport, where he landed on June 23.