The surreal moment the Guardian destroyed the Snowden files

“The surreal moment the Guardian destroyed the Snowden files”
GCHQ insisted on purely symbolic act despite knowing the information was already elsewhere
The prime minister’s deputy national security adviser was punctiliously polite, but firm. We want the computer disks back, he said. We want to do forensics on them. We want to find the trail.
It had been almost five weeks since the Guardian’s publication of the Snowden files caused a sensation, exposing the secret global network of surveillance that allowed the UK and the US to spy on friends and enemies alike.
Earlier, in one morning meeting, the cabinet secretary, Sir Jeremy Heywood, had told us: “The prime minister, the deputy prime minister, the foreign secretary, the home secretary, the attorney general, and others in government, have got a problem with you. We want the material back.”
So, with the threat of legal action hanging over the organisation – and the real prospect of our reporting being closed down – negotiations began.”<snip>
Full story: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jun/04/surreal-moment-guardian-destroyed-snowden-files
This is alongside an interview with Snowden (“Edward Snowden: ‘The people are still powerless, but now they’re aware’”) – which can be found online at:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jun/04/edward-snowden-people-still-powerless-but-aware