Johnson defends Guardian over NSA
Last updated 10 minutes ago
Mayor of London says it is right
that 'salient and interesting facts' about espionage are brought into
public domain
- Spain 'colluded in NSA spying'
- Live NSA dismisses European surveillance claims
- White House backs curbs on NSA
- NSA spying on Europe reflects culture gap
- Jeff Jarvis: at last, a review of NSA powers
Mayor of London says it is right that 'salient and interesting facts' about espionage are brought into public domain
Boris Johnson speaks at the World Islamic Economic Forum in London. Photograph: Facundo Arrizabalaga/EPA
Boris Johnson has issued a staunch defence of the Guardian's
"salient and interesting" revelations about the activities of US and UK
intelligence agencies based on secret documents leaked by Edward
Snowden.
The mayor of London told an audience at the World Islamic Economic Forum that it was important that governments and their spies were held to account by a "beady-eyed" media.
"I think the public deserves to know. The world is better for government being kept under the beady-eyed scrutiny of the media and for salient and interesting facts about public espionage being brought into the public domain."
Johnson's intervention puts him at odds with David Cameron, who has said the leaks have made the UK less safe. This week the prime minister issued a veiled threat to take "tougher measures" against the Guardian and other newspapers.
Johnson highlighted news that the German chancellor Angela Merkel's phone had been bugged by the US National Security Agency, a story originally reported in the German news weekly Der Spiegel.
"I personally defend the Guardian's right to publish interesting information such as that Angela Merkel's phone was bugged by Barack Obama. I think that is an interesting fact," he said.
"I don't believe that the fact that Angela Merkel's phone was bugged by the NSA does anything to jeopardise anybody's security, it's merely colossally embarrassing and it should come out."
Asked whether his own phone had ever been bugged, Johnson quipped: "I'm sure my mobile has been bugged by everybody, and good luck to them!"
COPY http://www.theguardian.com/politic
The mayor of London told an audience at the World Islamic Economic Forum that it was important that governments and their spies were held to account by a "beady-eyed" media.
"I think the public deserves to know. The world is better for government being kept under the beady-eyed scrutiny of the media and for salient and interesting facts about public espionage being brought into the public domain."
Johnson's intervention puts him at odds with David Cameron, who has said the leaks have made the UK less safe. This week the prime minister issued a veiled threat to take "tougher measures" against the Guardian and other newspapers.
Johnson highlighted news that the German chancellor Angela Merkel's phone had been bugged by the US National Security Agency, a story originally reported in the German news weekly Der Spiegel.
"I personally defend the Guardian's right to publish interesting information such as that Angela Merkel's phone was bugged by Barack Obama. I think that is an interesting fact," he said.
"I don't believe that the fact that Angela Merkel's phone was bugged by the NSA does anything to jeopardise anybody's security, it's merely colossally embarrassing and it should come out."
Asked whether his own phone had ever been bugged, Johnson quipped: "I'm sure my mobile has been bugged by everybody, and good luck to them!"
COPY http://www.theguardian.com/politic
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário