by Shelby Vcelka
Impunity Watch Desk Reporter, Europe
LONDON, England–
British intelligence agents have been moved due to deciphered documents that both Russia and China have access to, a high-ranking government official said. The encrypted documents, stolen in 2013 by American whistleblower Edward Snowden, were recently cracked and placed a number of UK spies at risk. Both Russia and China have specific information that led to the spies being moved, but none have been injured thus far.
The information obtained by Russia and China placed a substantial burden on how the UK receives information, and gave the countries knowledge of how British intelligence operates in the area. Although Snowden did not have access to British intelligence databases, the UK government feared that Russia and China could identify agents by certain communications listed in the databases.
Snowden had previously stated that “no intelligence service” could decode the 1.7 million documents he stole, and that he would be able to keep the information from “being compromised even in the highest threat counter-intelligence environments.”
This news comes after Home Secretary Theresa May informed the House of Commons’ home affairs select committee in March about the “damage” the Snowden leaks had produced to the country’s security and intelligence gathering capabilities. The leak, Secretary May claimed, had “an impact on the ability of our agencies to do the work they need to do.”
Conversely, the human rights group Liberty commented that the news of agents being moved comes days after a counter-terrorist watchdog group released a report that suggested new and clearer laws should come up for debate in Parliament. The current situation, according to David Anderson QC, is “undemocratic, unnecessary, and- in the long run, intolerable.”
Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, questions the claims agents were moved. She believes that the revelation comes at a convenient time to rile up the public to support a bill that invades personal liberty and privacy, to expand the government’s intelligence collection powers. Other privacy campaigners state that no evidence has been presented to corroborate allegations that intelligence gathering capabilities had been hindered by the Snowden leaks, and that he had done a public service by revealing the scope of government mass surveillance.
For more information, please see–
BBC– Surveillance powers: New law needed, says terror watchdog— 11 June 2015
Al Jazeera– Report: UK moved spies after Snowden leaks were cracked— 14 June 2015
BBC– British spies ‘moved after Snowden files read’— 14 June 2015
The Guardian– UK under pressure to respond to latest Edward Snowden claims–14 June 2015
Independent–Timing of claims that British spies were withdrawn over Edward Snowden documents is ‘extremely convenient’, say campaigners–14 June 2015
The Telegraph– British spies removed from operations after Russia and China crack codes to leaked Snowden files— 14 June 2015
