Solidarity with Glenn Greenwald

American journalist Glenn Greenwald, most well-known for being the journalist behind the Edward Snowden story, had intimate videos about himself leaked online on May 30.

Below is part of Greenwald’s statement about the leaking of the videos:

“Last night, videos were released online depicting behaviour in my private life. Some were distorted and others were not. They were published without my knowledge or consent and its publication was therefore criminal. Though we do not yet know exactly who is responsible, we are close to knowing, and the motive was a maliciously political one.”

This is not the first time that those in power have sought to silence those who go against the established narrative. In the old days people like Greenwald would be assassinated. Think Martin Luther King Jr, assassinated after he had turned against the Vietnam War, or Fred Hampton, the young black panther leader who was shot and killed during a police raid in December of 1969 by the Chicago police.  

At some point, those at the top realised that assassinating critics of power only served to make them and their ideas more popular. So it came to pass that instead of physical assassinations, character assassinations would also be used (it should be noted that physical assassinations still take place once all else fails).  

A good example of this would be the story of Eliot Spitzer, the former Attorney General and Governor of New York state. Spitzer had made a name for himself as a tough AG who went after financial corruption, i.e. bankers, years before the 2008 financial crisis.  He won a landslide victory to become the Governor of New York in 2007. In March of 2008 he resigned after it was revealed by the New York Times that he was being investigated for being involved in a prostitution ring. What is less know is that a private detective was hired by billionaires to destroy Spitzer. This is all revealed in the documentary ‘Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Elliot Spitzer’.

Greenwald is not the first journalist to be targeted with character assassination.  Khadiya Ismayilova, an Azerbaijani journalist, was threatened with the release of footage depicting her having sex with her boyfriend. The footage was captured by a camera hidden in her bedroom. This threat came after Ismayilova spent years investigating and reporting on the corruption of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. The European Court of Human Rights ruled that Khadiya had her right to privacy violated by the Azerbaijani government.

It is not yet known why Greenwald was targeted. Ever since October 7, he has been a vociferous critic of Israel’s genocide against the people of Gaza as a response to the Hamas attacks. It is not unreasonable to think that the people behind the leaking of Greenwald’s private tapes are pro-Israeli operatives, or Israeli operatives themselves; seeking to discredit the former co-founder of The Intercept by means of shaming him.

Make no mistake about it, the people behind the leaking of these videos have made a grave mistake. This will end up having the opposite effect. Greenwald is one of the most courageous people alive today. This attempted smear-job will backfire spectacularly and will make Greenwald double-down of his journalistic crusade to speak truth to power and hold those who commit unspeakable crimes to account.         

Glenn, for what its worth, full solidarity with you. Thank you for all the brave work you’ve done over the last two decades. To many more years of your intrepid journalism.  

Mark Manduca has a Master’s degree in Diplomatic Studies from the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies.