Download
British authorities forced The Guardian newspaper to destroy material leaked by whistle-blower Edward Snowden, its editor has revealed, calling it a "pointless" move that would not prevent further reporting on US and British surveillance programs.
In a column in the paper on Tuesday, Alan Rusbridger said the "bizarre" episode a month ago and the detention at London's Heathrow airport on Sunday of the partner of a Guardian journalist showed the press freedom was under threat in Britain.
London's Metropolitan Police defended the detention under an anti-terrorism law of David Miranda, the Brazilian partner of US journalist Glenn Greenwald, saying it was "legally and procedurally sound".
Miranda, a Brazilian who was in transit on his way from Berlin to Rio de Janeiro where he lives with Greenwald, was questioned for nine hours before being released without charge without his laptop, mobile phone and memory sticks.
"This law shouldn't be given to police officers. They use it to get access to documents or people that they cannot get the legal way through courts or judges. It's a total abuse of power," Miranda said.
Greenwald was the first journalist to publish US and British intelligence secrets leaked by Snowden, the former US National Security Agency contractor who is wanted in the United States and has found temporary asylum in Russia.
Greenwald, who has met Snowden and written or co-authored many Guardian stories about US surveillance of global communications, vowed to publish more revelations and said Britain would "regret" detaining his partner.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters on Monday that while Washington did not ask British authorities to detain Miranda, Britain had given the US a "heads up" about plans to question him.
A US security official told Reuters that one of the main purposes of Miranda's detention was to send a message to recipients of Snowden's materials that the British government was serious about shutting down the leaks.
Rusbridger said that a month ago, after The Guardian had published several stories based on Snowden's material, a British official advised him: "You've had your fun. Now we want the stuff back."
Rusbridger said the paper was threatened with legal action by the government unless it destroyed or handed over the material from Snowden.
After further talks with the government, two "security experts" from Government Communications Headquarters, the secretive British equivalent of the NSA, visited The Guardian's London offices.
In the building's basement, Rusbridger wrote, government officials watched as computers that contained material provided by Snowden were physically pulverized. "We can call off the black helicopters," one of the officials joked, Rusbridger said.
About the broadcaster:
Lance Crayon is a videographer and editor with China Daily. Since living in Beijing he has worked for China Radio International (CRI) and Global Times. Before moving to China he worked in the film industry in Los Angeles as a talent agent and producer. He has a B.A. in English from the University of Texas at Arlington.
12月大学英语六级考试常用搭配词组(十五)
大学英语六级词汇记忆明察秋毫法
大学英语六级词汇天天背(12)
六级词汇与语法精选特训(6)
英语六级高频词汇复习笔记(2)
大学英语六级(CET-6)高频词汇6
大学英语六级词汇天天背(4)
大学英语六级(CET-6)高频词汇1
大学英语六级词汇天天背(13)
12月大学英语六级考试常用搭配词组(十六)
英语六级高频词汇动词词组和固定搭配3
六级词汇与语法精选特训(5)
英语六级高频词汇动词词组和固定搭配1
大学英语六级词汇天天背(8)
12月大学英语六级考试常用搭配词组(二十四)
大学英语六级词汇天天背(1)
大学英语六级考试常用搭配词组(一)
大学英语六级(CET-6)高频词汇7
大学英语六级词汇天天背(11)
大学英语六级词汇天天背(9)
大学英语六级(CET-6)高频词汇8
六级词汇与语法精选特训(9)
大学英语六级考试常用搭配词组(三)
六级词汇与语法精选特训(8)
英语六级考试核心难词解析
大学英语六级词汇天天背(2)
大学英语六级词汇天天背(5)
大学英语六级考试常用搭配词组(二)
大学英语六级(CET-6)高频词汇4
大学英语六级考试常用搭配词组(十二)
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |