U.S. Rescinds Guantanamo Press Rules

[Khephra]

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) -- The U.S. military has rescinded controversial ``ground rules'' for journalists that were imposed after the arrests of two interpreters and a Muslim chaplain who worked at the base in Guantanamo, officials at U.S. Southern Command said Tuesday.

Before boarding a plane to Guantanamo on Tuesday, reporters in Jacksonville, Fla., were asked to sign a form that warned them U.S. officials would not talk about investigations or future operations, said Capt. Tom Crosson, spokesman for Southern Command in Miami.

The arrangement represented a change from a stricter one implemented last week, when reporters were required to sign ground rules for coverage that banned questions about the investigations.

Under last week's rules, reporters who did ask questions about the investigations risked being removed from the remote base on the eastern tip of Cuba or losing their Defense Department press credentials. The Associated Press and The New York Times signed only after protesting.

more........

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Guantanamo-Press.html

[gratuitous]

1. I guess we should be grateful that somebody protested, at least

Of course, right after rising up on their hind legs, the AP and NYT resumed their ovine stance and signed a document voluntarily limiting their reportage. Heck, who needs that old First Amendment anyway?

A far more effective "protest" would be to start running stories about what your surmise is going on at Guantanamo, since you're not allowed to file an independent report. After a month of running stories about Satanic sacrifices and sexual congress with barnyard animals, the authorities would probably be begging for press coverage, no restrictions.