From Turing to Snowden: how US-UK pact forged modern surveillance | World news | The Guardian

From Turing to Snowden: how US-UK pact forged modern surveillance | World news | The Guardian:

Revelations show transatlantic intelligence pact started in second world war is expanding beyond states' ability to control it

There haven't been too many moments of levity over the past four months for those intimately involved in the story of Edward Snowden. It hasn't been a laughing matter for the man himself, who is now stuck in Russia, the intelligence agencies whose secrets he has disclosed, or the governments that have had to deal with the consequences.

But the impasse between the opposing forces in this unprecedented and complex saga has been broken on occasion. One of these moments came at the Guardian's London headquarters, near King's Cross station, on Wednesday 17 July.

The scene was a second-floor office overlooking Regent's Canal, the time 11am. On one side of a large, round wooden table sat two senior officials from the Cabinet Office, nursing cups of coffee and unconcealed irritation. Facing them were two journalists from the Guardian.

After hollow pleasantries and firm handshakes, the conversation turned to the right to freedom of speech on issues that might affect national security. And, though no voices were raised, the message – which had come directly from the prime minister – was loud, clear and intended to unnerve.

The Guardian had become a target for every intelligence service in the world, intoned the grey-suited official. His colleague nodded. She took notes. Hostile foreign agencies would be using all manner of low tricks and high technology to get hold of the classified files gifted to us by Snowden.