by Chris Bodenner
A reader casts a skeptical eye on the story:
Andrew’s take on the detention of Greenwald’s partner is mostly on the mark, but he says that Mr. Miranda appears to have been held only because his partner embarrassed the US government. This is possible, but the circumstances also suggest that he may have been acting as a courier between Greenwald and Poitras and thus made himself a part of the Snowden case. By no means do I mean to suggest that there would be anything wrong with acting as a courier, or that his detention was justified under British law – only that there is some reason to believe Mr. Miranda may have been directly involved in the disclosure of Snowden information, in which case his detention – however inappropriate – would have been in connection with his own actions, not just Greenwald’s.
Another points to the following excerpt from a NYT report and says “it sure sounds like he was acting as a courier”:
Mr. Miranda was in Berlin to deliver documents related to Mr. Greenwald’s investigation into government surveillance to Ms. Poitras, Mr. Greenwald said. Ms. Poitras, in turn, gave Mr. Miranda different documents to pass to Mr. Greenwald. Those documents, which were stored on encrypted thumb drives, were confiscated by airport security.
Another wonders:
Was that sloppiness on Greenwald’s part? Was it a deliberate attempt to solicit sympathy, to manipulate people’s emotions? I’ll admit that on the first read of what happened, I was angry that Miranda was detained, because Greenwald made it sound as though there was no good reason. But obviously there was.
Another responds to the latest news from Greenwald – that he’s planning to leak UK-specific national security documents to retaliate against his partner’s detention:
I understand why Greenwald is upset, but I’m uncomfortable with this type of personal and vengeful journalism. It is something I’ve always disliked about Greenwald and those like him. I wish I could better articulate why, but it just strikes me both as petty and dangerous – and not journalistic.
Update from a reader:
I’m not sure that I see the point these readers make. Even though Miranda may have been acting as a courier for Greenwald, he was detained by the UK government under an anti-terrorism statute – and journalism ain’t terrorism. It’s a perfect illustration of the exact corruption Greenwald’s been warning against, and a colossally stupid move to make for those invested in the security state’s continuation.
Another:
Reuters twisted Glenn’s statement beyond recognition. See his response here.
The Dish 