The commentariat on David Miranda's detention
The commentariat on David Miranda's detention
Pundits react to news that the Brazilian partner of journalist Glenn Greenwald was detained under UK anti-terrorism law
Andrew Sullivan, the Dish: Cameron proves Greenwald right
"In this respect, I can say this to David Cameron. Thank you for clearing the air on these matters of surveillance. You have now demonstrated beyond any reasonable doubt that these anti-terror provisions are capable of rank abuse. Unless some other facts emerge, there is really no difference in kind between you and Vladimir Putin. You have used police powers granted for anti-terrorism and deployed them to target and intimidate journalists deemed enemies of the state. You have proven that these laws can be hideously abused. Which means they must be repealed. You have broken the trust that enables any such legislation to survive in a democracy. By so doing, you have attacked British democracy itself. What on earth do you have to say for yourself? And were you, in any way, encouraged by the US administration to do such a thing?"
Juan Cole, Informed Comment: How to create a dictatorship
"10. Further criminalize whistleblowing as "terrorism", have compradors arrest innocent people, detain them and confiscate personal effects with no cause or warrant (ie, David Miranda, partner of Glenn Greenwald). Presto, what looks like a democracy is really an authoritarian state ruling on its own behalf and that of 2000 corporations, databasing the activities of 312m innocent citizens and actively helping destroy the planet while forestalling climate activism."
Dan Kennedy, Media Nation: A chilling act of harassment
"What were the British security agents up to? Who knows? Maybe they genuinely believed Miranda might be carrying data they wanted to seize. Maybe they were trying to send a message to Greenwald and any other journalists about the consequences of working with a leaker such as Snowden.
Regardless of what you think of Snowden's actions, there is an enormous difference between leaking and journalism. A generation ago, Daniel Ellsberg was put on trial for providing the Pentagon Papers to the New York Times and the Washington Post; the Times and the Post weren't prosecuted for publishing them. The British enjoy fewer press rights than we do in theUnited States. But Britain is our closest ally, and the US and British security services may be presumed to be working together on the Snowden matter."
Regardless of what you think of Snowden's actions, there is an enormous difference between leaking and journalism. A generation ago, Daniel Ellsberg was put on trial for providing the Pentagon Papers to the New York Times and the Washington Post; the Times and the Post weren't prosecuted for publishing them. The British enjoy fewer press rights than we do in theUnited States. But Britain is our closest ally, and the US and British security services may be presumed to be working together on the Snowden matter."
Marc Ambinder, the Week: The Miranda mess
"First, the US government had reason to believe that David Michael Miranda was carrying classified documents, information that was stolen from the US government by Edward Snowden. ... Indisputably, the US government is within its rights, both morally and practically, to take reasonable steps to protect classified information. The same goes for the government of the UK. The US government is also within its rights to investigate how Edward Snowden procured the documents he took, and yes, the Justice Department may appropriately attempted to establish the chain of custody of those documents. Snowden has revealed classified information about how the US collects intelligence on foreign governments, including the identity of specific targets in China."
Nick Cohen, the Spectator: Trumped-up charges
"The detention of David Miranda at Heathrow is a clarifying moment that reveals how far Britain has changed for the worse. Nearly everyone suspects the Met held Miranda on trumped-up charges because the police, at the behest of the Americans, wanted to intimidate Miranda's partner Glenn Greenwald, the conduit of Edward Snowden's revelations, and find out whether more embarrassing information is on Greenwald's laptop. ... The Miranda affair is proof, if further proof is needed, that we are now stuck in the post-Leveson world where not only journalists but their partners can be detained and questioned for hours on end. Where police officers feel no need to explain themselves to the public, in whose name they work, and whose taxes pay their salaries. The next time they try to tell you that the secrecy and attempts to silence legitimate debate are 'in the public interest', do not forget what they did to David Miranda, because they can do it to you too."
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posted by Satish Sharma at
03:38
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