UK Govt Forces Guardian to Destroy copy of Snowden Material

TEMPO.CO, London - The British government forced the Guardian to destroy copies of secret materials leaked by Edward Snowden, the paper's editorial wrote Tuesday. One of Britain's intelligence agencies, the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), was reported to have visited Government Communications Headquarters and physically pulverized several hard drives that contained material provided by Snowden.

In an article posted on the British newspaper's website, Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger said that the incident happened a month ago after the newspaper had published several stories based on Snowden's material. He wrote that a British official advised him: "You've had your fun. Now we want the stuff back."

The incident, as the events in a Heathrow transit lounge, Rusbridger said in his column, "have shown the threat to journalism is real and growing."

Rusbridger wrote that the Guardian had to approve of the hard drives' destruction as they were threatened by the government. However he said that the news agency will continue to write about the documents that Snowden leaked, but they "just won't do it in London."

The GCHQ declined to comment on Guardian's report, as did 10 Downing Street. Meanwhile, the London Metro Police had insisted that they had every right to detain David Miranda, the Brazilian partner of Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald, as he passed through Heathrow airport. "It was done properly according to law and procedures."

Miranda was transiting at Heathrow from Berlin to Rio de Janeiro, where he lived with Greenwald. The police then arrested and questioned him for nine hours before releasing him without charge. The police confiscated Miranda's possessions including his mobile phone, laptop, camera, memory sticks, DVDs and games consoles.

"My arrest was an abuse of power," said Miranda told the Guardian.

Greenwald was the first journalist to publish the US and British intelligence leaked by Snowden. The man had received temporary asylum in Russia. Since June 5, Greenwald has written a series of stories revealing the National Security Agency's (NSA) electronic surveillance programs.

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