"Gonzales Urged to Rescind FOIA Rules"

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Associated Press and other news organizations are encouraging Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to rescind a policy restricting public access to government information.

The change was put in place by Gonzales' predecessor, John Ashcroft, shortly after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

"Where agencies were once encouraged to disclose unless disclosure would do harm, they are currently encouraged to withhold if there are legal grounds for doing so," Tom Curley, AP president and chief executive officer, said in a letter to Gonzales. "We think this change was a terrible mistake."

In an AP interview this week, Gonzales said he would reconsider the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) guidance established by Ashcroft.

http://apnews1.iwon.com/article/20050729/D8BKOK8O0.html