Britain is stepping up pressure against the newspaper publishing the embarrassing leaks regarding the massive telephone and internet surveillance being conducted by US and UK spy agencies:  Scotland Yard says it is pursuing a criminal investigation of the Guardian newspaper.

“The investigation was launched in order to protect life and national security,” according to a statement from London’s Metropolitan Police, adding the inquiry was launched following the discovery of “thousands of classified intelligence documents” held by David Miranda, the domestic partner of journalist Glenn Greenwald who wrote many of the sensational Guardian pieces.  Miranda’s controversial detention at Heathrow is now the subject of a legal battle at London’s High Court.  Miranda’s lawyers say the detention was unlawful.

The Guardian has been lauded and lambasted for pulling the curtain back on the massive espionage programs run by America’s National Security Agency (NSA) and its British counterpart, the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ).  Criticism has been much more muted for the Washington Post, Brazil’s O Globo, and Germany’s Spiegel, all of which have also published revelations from the massive trove of intelligence secrets smuggled out of the US by fugitive Edward Snowden.  For some reason, the Guardian seems to be the target of most of the anger from officials who’d rather not let the world know about what they’re up to.

Last week, British spy chiefs testified in Parliament, warning that terrorists were “rubbing their hands in glee” at the leaks.