Terrorist & Spy? Greenwald's Partner Accused by UK for Carrying Snowden Docs

British authorities say the partner of a newspaper reporter who's been publishing Edward Snowden's leaks, was involved in espionage and terrorism. The accusation was made in a Scotland Yard document which is being used as evidence in a London court hearing. A hearing for David Miranda's legal challenge is scheduled for next week. Jim Killock, executive director of the Open Rights Group, joins RT to talk about how it may play out.

THE OBSERVER: Metropolitan police detained David Miranda for promoting 'political' causes: Justification for airport detention of partner of Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald alarms human rights groups and Tory MP » | Jamie Doward | Saturday, November 02, 2013

Details zu Treffen mit Snowden: Die One-Ströbele-Show

Snowden Asks Germany to Support Him against US 'Persecution'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Edward Snowden pleads for international community support in his fight to stop his extradition to US on espionage charges as he says he is willing to testify to US Congress

Edward Snowden has written to the German government expressing his willingness to testify about American spy surveillance if his asylum “situation” can be resolved without his extradition to the United States.

Click here to view Edward Snowden's letter.

Hans-Christian Stroebele, a Green MP, published the letter after meeting with the former National Security and Central Intelligence Agency contractor at a secret location in Moscow on Thursday.

The veteran MP, who is a member of the German parliamentary committee that oversees the country’s intelligence agencies, said the fugitive NSA operative had told him he would be ready to testify to the US Congress to shed light on "possibly serious offences".

"He has always emphasised, also to my question whether he is ready to give information before the German parliament in Germany... that first he would prefer to present the facts in front of the US Congress," he said.

In an appeal for support from Germany, including a thinly veiled plea for asylum, Mr Snowden’s letter called on the international community to stop America extraditing him on charges of espionage for leaking US spying secrets.

"I have faced a severe and sustained campaign of persecution," he wrote.

"I am confident that with the support of the international community, the government of the US will abandon this harmful behaviour." Read on and comment » | Bruno Waterfield, and agencies | Friday, Novermber 01, 2013

Germany to Seek Spying Details from Snowden

Germany to 'find a way' to talk to NSA leaker, after he agrees to talk about US spying on Merkel if US drops charges.

Edward Snowden Gets a Job at Russian Website

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The National Security Agency leaker is to begin working for the unnamed website in November, his lawyer says

Former US spy agency contractor Edward Snowden has found a job working for a website in Russia, where he was granted asylum after fleeing the United States, a Russian lawyer who is helping him said on Thursday.

"Edward starts work in November," lawyer Anatoly Kucherena said, according to state-run news agency RIA.

"He will provide support for a large Russian site," he said, adding that he would not name the site "for security reasons". » | Reuters | Thursday, October 31, 2013

Snowden: France Summons US Envoy Over Spying Claims

Laurent Fabius, French Foreign Minster

BBC: French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius says claims that the US spied on millions of phone calls in France are "totally unacceptable".

Le Monde says the data, based on leaks from ex-intelligence analyst Edward Snowden, suggest the US NSA agency monitored businesses and officials as well as terrorism suspects.

The intercepts were apparently triggered by certain key words. (+ BBC video) » | Monday, October 21, 2013

Snowden's Father’s Interview after Arrival in Moscow (Full Video)

Snowden Says He Has No Regrets

Fugitive Intelligence Contractor is Satisfied his Actions Have Had an Impact, says former CIA agent and supporter.
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: MOSCOW—Fugitive former intelligence operative Edward Snowden told supporters at a secret dinner this week that he doesn't regret leaking details of classified U.S. surveillance programs, despite having to live his life on the run because he is satisfied his actions have had an impact, a person present at the dinner said.

Mr. Snowden told four former U.S. government agents-turned-whistleblowers, who traveled to Moscow to give him an award, that he was settling into his new life in Russia and was happy to have avoided the fate experienced by others who have exposed government secrets.

"He made his decision and didn't hesitate for a second when we asked if he would do it again, and he prepared it well enough so I think he takes a measure of satisfaction that he didn't end up like Bradley Manning," said Ray McGovern, a former CIA agent who was among the group, referring to the former U.S. soldier recently sentenced to 35 years in prison for leaking classified documents.

The dinner Wednesday evening marked Mr. Snowden's first public appearance since being granted temporary political asylum in Russia on Aug. 1, as he fled from prosecutors in the U.S. who have charged him under the Espionage Act. Mr. Snowden had been in hiding in Russia under heavy security for weeks and had only previously emerged in public in disguise, his lawyer Anatoly Kucherena has said. » | Lukas I. Alpert | Friday, October 11, 2013

Snowden Receives Sam Adams Award in Moscow

WikiLeaks has released footage from a secret meeting in Moscow during which NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden was awarded the Sam Adams Award for Integrity in Intelligence. In the first video appearance since he was granted asylum in Russia, Snowden spoke about US government transparency and dangers to democracy caused by the NSA mass spying programs. The meeting was attended by the former CIA analyst Ray McGovern, former NSA executive Thomas Andrews Drake and former FBI agent Coleen Rowley, Jesselyn Radack of the Government Accountability Project, and Sarah Harrison of WikiLeaks -- all whistleblowers in their own respects.

Snowden: US Government Allows Top Officials to Lie to Congress, Yet Prosecutes Truth-tellers

Edward Snowden hasn't been seen by the wider public since he received political asylum in Russia until now. Wikileaks has released new footage of the NSA whistleblower. They did not reveal exactly where it was filmed though, because of concerns about his security. RT's Lucy Kafanov reports.

'US Unchained Itself from Constitution': Whistleblowers on RT after Meeting Snowden

Edward Snowden's revelations about the activities of NSA forced him to go on the run and seek sanctuary from US intelligence agencies. But it also won him a lot of support and praise. Just yesterday he received the Sam Adams prize for 'Integrity in Intelligence'. RT welcomes whistleblowers and activists Jesselyn Radack, Thomas Andrews Drake, Ray McGovern and Coleen Rowley in the studio. They saw the whistleblower in Moscow and presented him with the award.

Guardian's NSA Revelations: Spies to Go Under Spotlight

THE GUARDIAN: Deputy PM Nick Clegg says public accountability and trust to be examined in review of surveillance powers

British deputy prime minister Nick Clegg is to start conversations in government about how to update the legal oversight of the UK's security services in the light of disclosures by the Guardian that powerful new technologies appear to have outstripped the current system of legislative and political oversight.

Clegg's aides said he would be calling in experts from inside and outside Whitehall to discuss the implications of the new surveillance technologies for public accountability and trust. It is the first time such a senior figure in government has conceded that the revelations published in the Guardian have highlighted concerns about the accountability of the security services.

Clegg hinted at his plans in his weekly phone-in on London's LBC radio, saying: "I think it is right to ask whether there is anything more we can do to make sure the public feel accountability is working in this area properly. There is a totally legitimate debate about the power of these technologies, about how you get the balance right, how you do make sure these technologies are used in an accountable and proportionate way." » | Patrick Wintour, Rowena Mason and Dan Roberts in Washington | Thursday, October 10, 2013

THE GUARDIAN EDITORIAL: Spies and journalism: when worlds collide: The raging global discussion about the proper limits of surveillance of the past few months will become harder to ignore » | Editorial | Thursday, October 10, 2013

GCHQ Leaks Have Already Caused 'Real Damage' Warns Security Adviser

Oliver Robbins

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The mass GCHQ leaks have already caused “real damage” to UK security, put agent lives at risk and could even threaten the economy and international relations, the deputy national security advisor has warned.

Oliver Robbins said the Edward Snowden revelations, published by the Guardian newspaper, could lead “directly to widespread loss of life” and “threaten the internal stability of the UK”.

A senior MP also accused the newspaper and Snowden of being “naïve” if they thought they could identify what parts of the stolen files would damage national security if publicised.

On Tuesday, Andrew Parker, the new head of MI5, used his first speech to launch a scathing attack on the leaks warning they had “gifted” the terrorists the ability to attack “at will”.

He said revealing intelligence techniques had given fanatics the advantage that allowed them to evade detection.

David Cameron, the Prime Minister, backed the comments. » | Tom Whitehead, and Steven Swinford | Wednesday, October 09, 2013

SophieCo: Snowden's Lawyer: US Desperate to Get Edward, Still a Threat to Him

Who pays for Snowden's security in Russia? Where is he living? Does he like it in Russia, has he made any friends? Why could nobody find him in Sheremetyevo Airport? Scores of questions have been surrounding Snowden's summer landing in Moscow, but the whistleblower is maintaining media silence. The only person known to have access to him is his lawyer Anatoly Kucherena. We decided the best way to figure out what's currently happening with Edward Snowden was to invite his counselor for a chat.

'Russia's Only Choice Is to Permit Snowden to Live Here' - Putin

Ahead of the G20 summit in St. Petersburg, Russian President Vladimir Putin sat down for an interview with AP and Channel 1. Among many issues, the leader spoke about Snowden, Syria, and Russia's controversial gay propaganda law.

Snowden Wins Whistleblower Award, As Leaks Fuel German Election Race

Snowden's leaks have won him international recognition. He's been awarded the 2013 Whistleblower Prize by a coalition of NGO's. And as RT's Peter Oliver in Berlin reports, Snowden's been stealing the show in Germany's general election race.

UK Crackdown on Snowden Files

The British government's attempts to stem the tide of articles on mass surveillance have gone beyond intimidating the journalist behind the publications. Just a day after Glenn Greenwald's partner was detained at Heathrow airport, The Guardian's editor came forward describing how the authorities pressured the newspaper to destroy documents provided by NSA leaker Edward Snowden. The UK government has reportedly confirmed the move was sanctioned by the Prime Minister himself.

Alan Rusbridger of The Guardian: I Would Rather Destroy the Copied Files Than Hand Them Back to the NSA and GCHQ

The Guardian's editor reveals why and how the newspaper destroyed computer hard drives containing copies of some of the secret files leaked by Edward Snowden. The decision was taken after a threat of legal action by the British government, that could have stopped the reporting on the extent of American and British state surveillance revealed by the document

UK Defends Snowden-linked Detention

Government cites "national security duty" in case of detention of Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald's partner.

'UK Orders Guardian Hard Drives Destroyed to Gag Snowden Leaks'

UK authorities reportedly raided the Guardian's office in London to destroy hard drives in an effort to stop future publications of leaks from former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. To discuss this, RT talks to lawyer and journalist Eva Golinger.