McClatchy Resists Pentagon Intimidation, Still Names Interrogator No. 1

McClatchy Resists Pentagon Intimidation, Still Names Interrogator
By: Jim White Friday May 7, 2010 4:30 pm

Which way lies freedom for our press? (Photo by sara~ on Flickr)

On Thursday, the Pentagon banned four reporters from further on-site reporting of military commission trials at Guantanamo, because they published the previously known name of a witness that the Pentagon was trying to present as anonymous. The impact of this assault on press freedom can be seen immediately in the corporate news coverage of this event, as only McClatchy continues to name the witness in its coverage of the banning.

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At issue were news articles earlier this week that identified a witness at a hearing for Canadian detainee Omar Khadr as former Army Sgt. Joshua Claus. The Pentagon had asked reporters to identify him as Interrogator No. 1.


Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/05/06/93705/pentagon-bans-mcclatchy-reporter.html#storylink=omni_popular#ixzz0nICbYPMP

much more here:
Basically, the government is banning journalists for using a name they’ve used in reports in the past, a name that is publicly known.

His name had been widely published during a 2005 court-martial in which he pleaded guilty to abusing prisoners at the Bagram air base in Afghanistan. He had also allowed the use of his name in subsequent media interviews.

But the Guantanamo court declared his name to be secret during his testimony on Thursday in a hearing to determine whether a Canadian prisoner’s confessions to interrogators were coerced. He was identified only as Interrogator No. 1.

About a dozen news organizations covered the hearing and about half, including Reuters, did not identify the interrogator by name.



http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/45877
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/07/obama-administration-dema_n_568208.html
http://washingtonindependent.com/84200/pentagon-bans-four-journalists-from-guantanamo-bay-for-reporting-interrogator-1s-name

:eyes:

is that half of the news organizations actually caved to the Pentagon. Unbelievable!

:kick:

If you missed it, catch the clip at msnbc.com.