Cameron joins attacks on the Guardian amidst bitter leaks row
Prime Minister David Cameron has weighed into a bitter war of words between MI5 head Andrew Parker and the Guardian newspaper by giving his full support to the security chief.
Parker had described the Guardian’s publication of a series of leaked documents from renegade CIA employee Edward Snowden as a ‘gift’ to terrorists which have damaged Britain.
Commenting on this speech a No 10 spokesman said: “The Prime Minister thinks it was an excellent speech and we are, as you would expect, always keeping under review the measures that are needed to contribute to keeping our country safe. I would happily point you to all parts of the director general’s speech.”
MPs and security chiefs have been lining up to lambast the paper in recent days but the Guardian’s editor, Alan Rusbridger, remains unrepentant, telling the BBC: “We are working slowly and responsibly but as we discover further stories that we think merit the debate, the debate that everyone says is necessary, then we will go on publishing.”
Oliver Robbins, the UKs deputy national security adviser, said however: ”It is impossible for a journalist alone to form a proper judgment about what disclosure of protectively marked intelligence does or does not damage national security.
“The fragmentary nature of intelligence means that even a seemingly innocuous piece of information can provide important clues to individuals involved in extremism or terrorism.
“There is therefore a real risk that that publication or disclosure could cause unintended damage to that national security.”