08.19.13
How not to do it
Glenn Greenwald is an accomplished journalist. His release of the materials provided by Edward Snowden is historic.
But he’s not great at everything.
It was unwise to publicize that people you were working with (a family member) — separated globally — were also handling the Snowden materials.
It was obvious, even to the man, they would all become objects of global tracking and observation by the US government and its proxies. And that there might be opportunities taken to look for and seize encrypted files on thumb drives and a lap top.
Which now has been done, if only to provide confirmatory evidence of what Snowden has made available and to procure ancillary files which may hold indications of plans for it.
Greenwald’s an investigative journalist, one with a big ego. It’s not surprising that some aren’t particularly skillful at the spying trade.
On the other hand, shaking down the partner, David Miranda, through the authority of British intelligence service toadies, certainly does nothing to convince the world you’re not the new Evil Empire.