The Guardian:
American spies based in the UK intercepted the top-secret communications of the then Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, during his visit to Britain for the G20 summit in London, leaked documents reveal.
The details of the intercept were set out in a briefing prepared by the National Security Agency (NSA), America’s biggest surveillance and eavesdropping organisation, and shared with high-ranking officials from Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
The document, leaked by the NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden and seen by the Guardian, shows the agency believed it might have discovered “a change in the way Russian leadership signals have been normally transmitted”.
The disclosure underlines the importance of the US spy hub at RAF Menwith Hill in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, where hundreds of NSA analysts are based, working alongside liaison officers from GCHQ.
The document was drafted in August 2009, four months after the visit by Medvedev, who joined other world leaders in London, including the US president, Barack Obama, for the event hosted by the British prime minister, Gordon Brown.
Medvedev arrived in London on Wednesday 1 April and the NSA intercepted communications from his delegation the same day, according to the NSA paper, entitled: “Russian Leadership Communications in support of President Dmitry Medvedev at the G20 summit in London – Intercept at Menwith Hill station.”
The document starts with two pictures of Medvedev smiling for the world’s media alongside Brown and Obama in bilateral discussions before the main summit.
Snowden’s new “leak” is going to do more damage to our National Security even though it is something that would be expected of the NSA. It is now quite obvious Snowden isn’t some whistleblower who really believed he had the best interests of the country at heart when he initially opened his mouth. He is anti-American and will do what is necessary to advance his agenda, including betraying his country.
This is the military definition of “Top Secret”:
containing information whose disclosure could result in grave danger to the national security; – the highest of the three commonly known levels of national security classification, the others being confidential and secret.
I’m shocked! Shocked to learn that there is spying going on between countries!
Snowden leaks reveal Britain spied on G20 members
@Wordsmith: None of what he has leaked comes as a shock. It’s been going on for years. As technology improves, so does the means and ability to spy. It also makes it harder to maintain the right to privacy and opens the practice up to abuse for political purposes. Having an administration with this one’s track record for no holds barred politics and desire for unchecked power only magnifies the concern. As for Snowden, there is no telling how much more he will be leaking. There will no doubt be lots of damage control needed.
I’m just scratching my head wondering what leaking about the U.S. hacking China, spying on the Russian president, the Brits spying….
…what do those have to do with shedding light on civil liberties and the Constitution?!