The revelation came in the aftermath of the detention of David Miranda, the partner of Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald, by British authorities in a blatant act of political intimidation. (See, “Detention of Glenn Greenwald’s partner approved at highest levels of US and UK governments”)

The British government acted swiftly to suppress exposures of its criminal activities and the activities of its US partners. One day after the first article was published in the Guardian on NSA surveillance, the UK government issued a Defence Advisory Notice to the newspaper, warning that future such articles might threaten “national security” and “UK personnel.”

Rusbridger writes that two months ago he was contacted by “a very senior government official claiming to represent the views of the prime minister” about the Snowden material, which, as Rusbridger learned through a series of subsequent meetings with government agents, the state wanted to be destroyed or handed over. Rusbridger says he was told by an official, “You’ve had your fun. Now we want the stuff back.”