British newspaper The Guardian has teamed up with the US paper The New York Times (NYT) to work on classified documents leaked by US whistleblower Edward Snowden due to "intense pressure" from the British government to destroy the files.
The Guardian’s agreement with the NYT was announced on Friday and intends to allow the paper to continue exposing mass surveillance by putting the documents beyond British government’s reach.

According to the British paper, US journalists are protected by the First Amendment of the constitution which “guarantees free speech and in practice prevents the state seeking pre-publication injunctions or prior restraint'".

“In a climate of intense pressure from the UK government, The Guardian decided to bring in a US partner to work on the GCHQ documents provided by Edward Snowden. We are working in partnership with The New York Times and others to continue reporting these stories,” The Guardian said in a statement.

The partnership was sealed after detention and harassment of David Miranda, partner and assistant to Guardian journalist Glen Greenwald, who is allegedly linked with the US intelligence leaker.

Miranda was detained at Heathrow international on Sunday, August 18 and informed that he was to be questioned under Schedule 7 of Britain’s Terrorism Act 2000.

Greenwald said the detention of his partner Miranda was “clearly” intended to intimidate those journalists who have been reporting on mass surveillance programs by the UK and the US.

Britain's eavesdropping agency, the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) also threatened the paper with legal action after if they did not agree to hand over or destroy the leaked documents.

By Press TV

 

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