NSA Files: Why The Guardian In London Destroyed Hard Drives Of Leaked Files - GuardianUK

[WillyT]

NSA files: why the Guardian in London destroyed hard drives of leaked files
A threat of legal action by the government that could have stopped reporting on the files leaked by Edward Snowden led to a symbolic act at the Guardian's offices in London
Julian Borger - theguardian.com
Tuesday 20 August 2013 13.23 EDT

<snip>

Guardian editors on Tuesday revealed why and how the newspaper destroyed computer hard drives containing copies of some of the NSA and GCHQ secret files leaked by Edward Snowden.

The decision was taken after a threat of legal action by the government that could have stopped reporting on the extent of American and British government surveillance revealed by the documents.

It resulted in one of the stranger episodes in the history of digital-age journalism. On Saturday 20 July, in a deserted basement of the Guardian's King's Cross offices, a senior editor and a Guardian computer expert used angle grinders and other household tools to pulverise the hard drives and memory chips on which the encrypted files had been stored.

As they worked, they were watched intently by technicians from the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) who took notes and photographs, but who left empty-handed.

The editor of the Guardian, Alan Rusbridger, had earlier informed government officials that other copies of the files existed outside the country and that the Guardian was neither the sole recipient nor steward of the files leaked by Snowden, a former NSA contractor. But the government insisted that the material be either destroyed or surrendered.

Twelve days after the destruction of the files...

<snip>

Much More: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/20/nsa-snowden-files-drives-destroyed-london

[Lint Head]

1. England also walked lock step with the Bush crime family into the oil grabbing Iraqi war.

Can someone spell BP? Of course they want to keep secrets from the People. If not, the People may find out how manipulated society is.
That would be disastrous for the greedy rich corporations. Fascism can't move forward without keeping secrets from the common man who is the cannon fodder for the industry.

[grasswire]

2. huh?

However, in a subsequent meeting, an intelligence agency expert argued that the material was still vulnerable. He said by way of example that if there was a plastic cup in the room where the work was being carried out, foreign agents could train a laser on it to pick up the vibrations of what was being said. Vibrations on windows could similarly be monitored remotely by laser.


What the hell? So they weren't just afraid of the files. They are also afraid of people discussing the files because foreign agents could pick up voice vibrations by laser??

[hobbit709]

3. "Paranoia strikes deep, into your heart it will creep"

Which is the way ALL security types think, regardless of which side they're working for. It's a prerequisite.

[grasswire]

6. I'm beginning to think they are just barking crazy.

Seriously.

[hobbit709]

7. There's a difference?

[nashville_brook]

4. they're just harassing them at this point.

[snooper2]

5. "angle grinders and other household tools"

LOL...

I didn't know everyone had an angle grinder just sitting around.


I prefer FIRE!