British Government Increases Attacks On The Guardian

The British government has increased its attacks on the Guardian over the paper's national security and intelligence reporting.

During his weekly question-and-answer session in Parliament on Wednesday, Prime Minister David Cameron was asked if he thought there should be an investigation into the Guardian's publication of secret documents leaked by Edward Snowden. He replied that he thought parliamentary committees should decide "if they want to examine this issue and make further recommendations."

The Home Affairs committee promptly announced that it would be launching an inquiry.

It is the latest round of pressure put on the Guardian by British politicians. The inquiries follow the detention of David Miranda, the partner of Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald. (Greenwald is set to depart the paper soon.) Moreover, Cameron personally authorized his senior civil servants to threaten the paper with legal action if it did not turn over Snowden's documents. The paper wound up destroying hard drives with the documents on them in front of government employees.