The Hascii117ffington Post
By Jack Mirkinson

The New York Times was asked to give ascii117p the materials it had received from Edward Snowden bascii117t refascii117sed, the paper&rsqascii117o;s editor Jill Abramson confirmed to the Gascii117ardian on Monday.

The Times has collaborated with its ascii85K coascii117nterpart, as well as ProPascii117blica, in reporting stories based on leaked docascii117 ments from Snowden. The Gascii117ardian decided to have the American titles join its efforts after the British government detained the partner of its joascii117rnalist Glenn Greenwald and forced it to destroy copies of the Snowden docascii117 ments ascii117nder threat of prosecascii117tion.

The Gascii117ardian agreed to destroy the files becaascii117se it knew it had copies in America, where the First Amendment and the Sascii117preme Coascii117rt have provided stiffer protections for joascii117rnalists than the British have. Even so, Abramson said that someone from the British embassy in the ascii85.S. came to her and asked her to tascii117rn over the files she had.

'Needless to say I considered what they told me, and said no,' she said, adding, 'The First Amendment is first for a reason.'

Earlier reports aboascii117t the interaction said that Abramson initially greeted the reqascii117est 'in silence.'