Guardian staff may face terrorism charges over Snowden leaks

he Guardian was among several newspapers which published leaks from US spy agency contractor Snowden.

British police are examining whether Guardian newspaper staff should be investigated for terrorism offences over their handling of data leaked by Edward Snowden,Britains senior counter-terrorism officer said Tuesday.

The disclosure came after Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger,summoned to give evidence at a parliamentary inquiry,was accused by lawmakers of helping terrorists by making top secret information public and sharing it with other organisations.

The Guardian was among several newspapers which published leaks from US spy agency contractor Snowden about mass surveillance by the NSA and Britains eavesdropping agency GCHQ.

Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick,who heads Londons Specialist Operations unit,told lawmakers the police were looking to see whether any offenses had been committed,following the brief detention in August of a man carrying data on behalf of a Guardian journalist. Security officials have said Snowdens data included details of British spies and its disclosure would put lives at risk. Rusbridger told the committee his paper had withheld that information from publication.