Pentagon restricting testimony in Congress

Source: Boston Globe

Blocks staff of lower rank/
By Bryan Bender, Globe Staff  |  May 10, 2007

WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon has placed unprecedented restrictions on who can testify before Congress, reserving the right to bar lower-ranking officers, enlisted soldiers, and career bureaucrats from appearing before oversight committees or having their remarks transcribed, according to Defense Department documents.

Robert L. Wilkie , a former Bush administration national security official who left the White House to become assistant secretary of defense for legislative affairs last year, has outlined a half-dozen guidelines that prohibit most officers below the rank of colonel from appearing in hearings, restricting testimony to high-ranking officers and civilians appointed by President Bush.

The guidelines, described in an April 19 memo to the staff director of the House Armed Services Committee, adds that all field-level officers and enlisted personnel must be "deemed appropriate" by the Department of Defense before they can participate in personal briefings for members of Congress or their staffs; in addition, according to the memo, the proceedings must not be recorded.

Read more: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2007/05/10/pentagon_restricting_testimony_in_congress/

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Another * crony making up the rules as he goes along.

:kick:

I think the dog shit on the lawn, after being covered by snow and frozen all winter might be thawing out soon.

This fits right in with 'Unitary Executive.'

Sometimes, I wish I had an umbrella.

Generals and the Civilian Leadership always make sure there are plenty of lower ranks between them and any actually crime, thus to get the Secretary of Defense you have to start by going after some Sargent first and then work up the chain of Command.

By restricting Enlisted personnel and Company and Field Grade Officers from testifying AND THE NEVER HAVING THE TESTIMONY RECORDED, You can NOT connect the dots from Abu Ghraib to Bush. You have a whole section of dots MISSING (Senior enlisted personnel along with Company and Field Grade Officers).

Furthermore, like Vietnam, Iraq has become a Platoon Level war. The Tactical operations are rarely more than Company movements against the Iraqis. Thus the best people to tell you how things are going are such Enlisted Personal performing such operations, the Company Grade officers leading or directing such operations and the Field Grade officers trying to coordinate these operations. All the Generals can do is make sure the men have supplies and support (Artillery or Air) as needed and kiss the Secretary of Defense Ass for a promotion.

:kick:

I'm sure a Senator will be so concerned about violating that policy if he or she wants to hear from a servicemember under the rank of Colonel...

I would think Congress could interview ANYone they wanted -- no? The question is, will Congress flex its muscles or not?