UK Home Office Says Miranda's Detention 'Fully Justified,' Attacks Press And Public For Condoning Snowden's Leaks

from the where-were-you-when-the-government-told-you-to-go-fuck-yourself? dept

For all the claims that the nine-hour detention of David Miranda was going to be "looked into," the Home Office seems to have already arrived at its conclusion: completely justified.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "The government and the police have a duty to protect the public and our national security. If the police believe that an individual is in possession of highly sensitive stolen information that would help terrorism, then they should act and the law provides them with a framework to do that. Those who oppose this sort of action need to think about what they are condoning. This is an ongoing police inquiry so will not comment on the specifics."

This is a rather chilling statement from the Home Office, one that implicitly declares inconvenient people to be terrorists. This, combined with Guardian Editor Alan Rusbridger's account of GCHQ officials forcing him to destroy hard drives while telling him the "debate" was "over" and he could "stop writing," indicates the UK government is through playing defense.

The statement doesn't limit itself to attacking the press. It also attacks the public for supporting the Guardian's efforts.

Those who oppose this sort of action need to think about what they are condoning.

This is an ugly sentiment for a government to be pushing. It declares its critics to be enemies of the state, bedfellows of terrorists, and announces its intent to go on the offensive to rein in its detractors.

The UK government, along with the US government, has seen its constituents' trust eroding at a rapid pace in recent months. And, like the US government, it seems to have no interest in rebuilding it. It would rather write off the loss and blame its victims.

The law that was abused to detain Miranda was hardly "abused." The language itself is abusive, seeing as it leaves the definition of "terrorist" to the imaginations of police officials. America's laws relating to terrorism are easily abused as well, and additions like the "Insider Threat" program point to more antagonistic actions in the future from an angered administration.

This is a watershed moment. We knew it when Miranda was detained. This statement from the Home Office seals it.

Filed Under: alan rusbridger, david miranda, gchq, home office, teresa may, uk