Pentagon issues gag order on BRAC

[IndianaGreen]

Paul Wolfowitz's successor as Rumsfeld's second banana at the Pentagon, Gordon England, has issued a gag order to Defense Department employees instructing them to "refrain from answering questions or providing comments regarding the (BRAC) Commission's recommendations."

The unusual directive was issued on August 23 to all Defense Department activities, agencies, and military departments. What is unusual about the directive is its broad language. Under England's directive, DOD personnel can not discuss BRAC issues with their colleagues, friends, relatives, or elected representatives. England's directive is a change in DOD policy. The old policy only applied to discussing BRAC issues with the media. DOD personnel were not to present themselves as speaking for the Pentagon or the military department they worked for.

Was this an oversight on the part of the Pentagon? Not if you consider who Gordon England is. England is one of Bush's recess appointments. The reason the Senate did not confirm England to succeed Paul Wolfowitz was because England held substantial financial interests in the military-industrial complex.

More about that here: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0805/080105cdpm1.htm

As the second most powerful man in the Pentagon after Rumsfeld, England has been the point man in the negotiations between federal unions and DOD on the implementation of a new national security personnel system that essentially does away with civil service. Those that have sat across the negotiating table from England describe him as being arrogant, anti-labor, and hell-bent on breaking the federal unions.

For an earlier story about England's negotiating tactics, go here:

http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0204/021204pb.htm

[Nikki Stone 1]

1. What are they afraid of revealing?

Political motivations?

[wli]

3. Well, we all saw those coming.

i.e. close bases in Democrat-voting areas only.

[Eloriel]

5. FOUR in the Atlanta area alone. THOUSANDS of jobs lost. n/t

[IndianaGreen]

4. They want to control the message, and stifle dissent

They don't want General Shinseki and Army Secretary Thomas White turning into role models for disaffected Pentagon professionals.

I can understand telling people to not talk to the media, even though it would be hard to enforce. I don't understand changing an established past practice to make it inappropriate to discuss an issue even within the DOD community.

[wli]

6. they'll all blab anyway

With gag orders they'll just do it anonymously.

[wli]

2. Could they be using the closed bases for REX 84?

It wouldn't surprise me if Bushler's plot included using the things for mass imprisonment. I'll just not bother telling them about my condition so I'll drop dead faster.

[MaineDem]

9. I can't imagine this

I don't see any sort of secretive plans for the closed bases. The states and communities will be studying what to do with the properties and I can't see the DoD hiding anything there. The closings are to save money (yeah right) so the Government will unload the real estate.

In my opinion, of course.

[GetTheRightVote]

7. I heard there was some kind of plan to get def jobs out of VA area

so it has been in the planning for years now, Why I do not know ??
Any ideals anyone ?

:kick:

[IndianaGreen]

8. The Pentagon claimed it was for security reasons

something about too many DOD personnel in a small geographic area. The fact that the Pentagon itself falls in that category makes the argument fall on its face.

Governor Warner has fought very hard against the Pentagon's proposal.

BTW, BRAC is voting on all of this now, until Saturday. Congress gets a crack at it too!

[Supersedeas]

10. this kind of public discourse is unacceptable in a democracy

[IndianaGreen]

11. The remnants of the old republic have been swept away

and a new Roman Empire rises from the ashes of the late, great, United States of America.

I hope the federal unions have the guts to sue DOD.