Edward Snowden spy leaks: only 1% of files published

Alan Rusbridger, the editor of The Guardian, reveals that only one per cent of intelligence files leaked by US whistleblower Edward Snowden have been published by the newspaper.

Appearing before the Home Affairs Select Committee, Alan Rusbridger said Edward Snowden, a former contractor with the National Security Agency (NSA) handed 58,000 files to four places - The Guardian, Washington Post, a location in Rio de Janeiro and a location in Germany.

Mr Rusbridger and The Guardian have faced criticism for publishing details of the activities of the UK's listening post GCHQ and its US counterpart the NSA. But in a heated evidence session, Mr Rusbridger said he and his colleagues at The Guardian were "patriots".

When questioned by Committee chairman Keith Vaz MP about how much had been published, the editor replied: "We continue to publish stuff, it's about one per cent of what we were given."

Asked where the remaining files were, he said: "This is an ongoing story we are writing.
If you think it's sensible I talk about where the exact files are I can write to you. But I'm not sure that's really sensible to talk about the existence of other files in other bits of the world."

Mr Rusbridger said the files were distributed across four continents to different organisations, with The Guardian holding one file jointly with the New York Times in the US. Asked whether the remaining 99 per cent of files not published were in a secure place, the editor replied: "I believe that to be true."




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