The Pentagon on Wednesday said it had no plans to shun reporters despite the fallout from a magazine article that led to the sacking of the Afghan war commander.
'We have no intention of any iron curtain falling between the military and the press. And particularly when it comes to Afghanistan, we believe... the opposite is necessary,' said Douglas Wilson, assistant secretary of defense for public affairs.
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And yet, Secretary Gates is busy tightening the media rules.
The Pentagon's small press office is about to get a lot busier. Even top military officials now have to get Pentagon clearance for interviews and other contact with reporters.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates issued the order Friday in a brief memo sent to military and civilian personnel worldwide; it was effective immediately.
The order tells officials to make sure they are not going out of bounds or unintentionally releasing information that the Pentagon wants to hold back. It comes after President Barack Obama fired the top general in Afghanistan for embarrassing comments in a magazine article.
By: Brant
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