- Joined
- Jul 6, 2005
- Messages
- 18,930
- Reaction score
- 1,040
- Location
- HBCA
- Gender
- Male
- Political Leaning
- Very Liberal
Are these a conduit to the truth or a comprimise in our National Security? Are they freedom of speech or an aid to insurgents and terrorists? Is shutting them down good or bad?U.S. military 'shuts down' soldiers' blogs
Troops are detailing their experiences in online journals,
but military says some are revealing too much
BY JOSEPH MALLIA STAFF WRITER January 2, 2006
Letters home filled with tales of death and danger, bravery and boredom are a wartime certainty.
And now, as hundreds of soldiers overseas have started keeping Internet journals about the heat, the homesickness, the bloodshed, word speeds from the battlefront faster than ever.
More and more, though, U.S. military commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan are clamping down on these military Web logs, known as milblogs.
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/l...0,959146,print.story?coll=ny-linews-headlines
I think for a lot of people that writing about their experiences helps them deal with the stressful experiences more effectively. I can understand the Government not wanting them to dilvulge details that could threaten operations but I assume the soldiers already know not to do this. There has been an unprecedented effort imo to censor this war from the American people and I assume this is part of that censorship.Billo_Really said:Are these a conduit to the truth or a comprimise in our National Security? Are they freedom of speech or an aid to insurgents and terrorists? Is shutting them down good or bad?
I would tend to agree.Originally posted by scottyz:
I think for a lot of people that writing about their experiences helps them deal with the stressful experiences more effectively. I can understand the Government not wanting them to dilvulge details that could threaten operations but I assume the soldiers already know not to do this. There has been an unprecedented effort imo to censor this war from the American people and I assume this is part of that censorship.
scottyz said:I think for a lot of people that writing about their experiences helps them deal with the stressful experiences more effectively. I can understand the Government not wanting them to dilvulge details that could threaten operations but I assume the soldiers already know not to do this. There has been an unprecedented effort imo to censor this war from the American people and I assume this is part of that censorship.
I just wonder how they determine the line of demarcation. Why is it all the flag-waving ra-ra-USA sites are the ones that remain? We have to have discoarse on both sides of the fence in order to properly act as a republic.Originally posted by Lefty:
I too would tend to agree. I guess soliders writing about their thoughts and feelings is unacceptable in the name of national security.
I just wonder how they determine the line of demarcation
oldreliable67 said:Basically, its a question of maintaining operational security, or opsec in DoD speak. Anything that even hints of a location, the results of an operation past or certainly planned operations, numbers of people, capabilities, armaments, etc, etc. Anything that would give the enemy any info about your location, disposition, intentions, capabilities or morale.
You may or may not remember when Geraldo Rivera had his creds lifted and was summarily booted out of a 101st base camp and out of Iraq during the initial push to Baghdad for drawing, on live TV, a map in the sand and showing troop locations relative to Iraqi troop locations? That kind of thing is a definite no-no!
After a suitable period of chastisement, retraining and mea culpas, he was let back in, but not into the 101st AO.
Billo_Really said:This is just another way the present administration is trying to censor speech in order to hide illegal acts.
kelzie said:And so what if these blogs don't threaten opsec? Should they be allowed? I think everyone here can agree that any blog that threatens the security of our troops is not okay, but (without reading them anyway) it doesn't sound like these blogs did.
This isn't Bush-hate. This is Republicans suck-hate.Originally Posted by oldreliable67
Oh, baloney! Total BS. Thats just your Bush-hating obscuring your considerable common sense.
Well, I don't know about you, but I don't feel any safer.Originally Posted by oldreliable67
Here is one grunt who voluntarily gave up his blog in the interest of security.
Billo_Really said:Well, I don't know about you, but I don't feel any safer.
Excuse me! If it is a matter on National Security, then I am a recipient.Originally Posted by oldreliable67:
You aren't the recipient of this grunt's concession. His buddies in uniform are.
Billo_Really said:Excuse me! If it is a matter on National Security, then I am a recipient.
I would tend to agree.Originally Posted by oldreliable67:
I promise you, that soldier doesn't even know your name! But if he saw some of your posts here on DP, he would probably be giving up all kinds of opsec stuff just to get to you!
But seriously, in a combat zone, a soldier's allegiance first and foremost is to those around him. They keep him alive, he keeps them alive. Thats the only way they can continue the mission and expect to execute it successfully.
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?