MOSCOW, July 11 (RIA Novosti) – Former NSA chief General Keith Alexander was advised on The Guardian’s symbolic destruction of Edward Snowden’s files last July, The Guardian newspaper reported Friday.
"We're disappointed to learn that cross-Atlantic conversations were taking place at the very highest levels of government ahead of the bizarre destruction of journalistic material that took place in The Guardian's basement last July. What is perhaps most concerning is that the disclosure of these emails appears to contradict the White House's comments about these events last year, when they questioned the appropriateness of the UK government's intervention," a spokesperson for The Guardian was quoted as saying.
On July 20, 2013, The Guardian destroyed the files leaked by whistleblower Edward Snowden. Washington had previously stated that it was unaware of the British government’s pressure on the newspaper and that it was hard to "evaluate the propriety of what they did based on incomplete knowledge of what happened." The emails obtained by Associated Press reporter Jack Gillum from the White House and the NSA, however, showed that former director of NSA General Keith Alexander and head of US intelligence James Clapper were informed about The Guardian’s decision to destroy materials. As the documents reveal, US security officials described the events as “good news.”
A day before three editors destroyed Snowden’s files, Keith Alexander received an email from Rick Ledgett, who is now deputy director of the NSA, with the title "Guardian data being destroyed." Despite the email being redacted, it contained the phrase: "Good news, at least on this front."
A few hours after the documents were destroyed Alexander responded to Ledgett with an email requesting: "Can you confirm this actually occurred?" Soon after that Clapper wrote to Alexander: "Thanks Keith … appreciate the conversation today."
It is unclear whether US officials took active part in the UK’s pressuring of the newspaper to destroy the files.
NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden fled the US in June 2013, after leaking information about the extensive electronic surveillance programs conducted by the US government around the globe, including eavesdropping on US citizens and foreign leaders. The revelations have sparked domestic controversy and strained relations between the US and its partners worldwide. The Guardian, to whom Snowden sent his files, published a large amount of the materials.
