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Air Force Blocks NY Times, WaPo, Other Media

Posted by kdawson on from the horses-and-barns dept.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the Air Force, not content with blocking WikiLeaks and its mirrors, has begun blocking media sites carrying WL documents. "Air Force users who try to view the websites of the New York Times, Britain's Guardian, Spain's El Pais, France's Le Monde or German magazine Der Spiegel instead get a page that says, 'ACCESS DENIED. Internet Usage is Logged & Monitored'... The Air Force says it has blocked more than 25 websites that contain WikiLeaks documents, in order to keep classified material off unclassified computer systems. ... The move was ordered by the 24th Air Force... The Army, Navy, and Marines aren't blocking the sites, and the Defense Department hasn't told the services to do so, according to spokespeople for the services and the Pentagon."

9 of 372 comments (clear)

  1. Quick, Close the Barn Door!!! by Machupo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    We don't want the stable-hands still inside to see that the horses are gone.

    --
    *insert pithy sig here*
    1. Re:Quick, Close the Barn Door!!! by flyingsquid · · Score: 5, Funny
      I picture a bunch of high ranking Air Force guys in their fancy uniforms sitting around on futons in someone's apartment. There's a blacklight on, Pink Floyd's _Dark Side of the Moon_ is playing, and they're passing this enormous bong around the room. After taking a really deep hit, one general turns to the other and says, "Whoa... dude, I just had the most amazing idea! For years we've worried about the secrets getting OUT. What if, instead, we worked to keep the secrets from getting IN?" And then the other generals turn and say "Whoa... deep, man, deep! Wow... does anyone have anything to eat?"

      At any rate, that's how I imagine people might come up with this kind of policy.

    2. Re:Quick, Close the Barn Door!!! by mr100percent · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Ah, so when the Taliban do read them and the US forces don't, it will put the Americans at an advantage?

    3. Re:Quick, Close the Barn Door!!! by senlis · · Score: 5, Interesting

      As I commented further down, this order is an attempt to keep classified documents off unclassified DoD (department of defense) computers. Simply because a document is leaked does not mean it is declassified, and viewing leaked classified documents, even though it is on the public domain, on an unclassified DoD computer results in a security violation. In response to such an incident, we have to spend many man-hours containing and clearing the classified material from the DoD network. It makes perfect sense in that context.

    4. Re:Quick, Close the Barn Door!!! by Jah-Wren+Ryel · · Score: 5, Informative

      Forgot to mention that such rigid over-reactions are exactly the kind of jiu-jitsu that Assange is looking for.

      --
      When information is power, privacy is freedom.
    5. Re:Quick, Close the Barn Door!!! by dcollins · · Score: 5, Insightful

      "...viewing leaked classified documents, even though it is on the public domain, on an unclassified DoD computer results in a security violation."

      No, the policy makes no sense on its face and is worthy of laughter and ridicule.

      --
      We know where leadership by an anti-intellectual "strongman" who scapegoats minorities and likes boisterous rallies goes
  2. Blind obedience to authority without morals... by A+beautiful+mind · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...caused a lot of the ugly chapters of history. Being part of an organisation makes you responsible for it's actions.

    --
    It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile
    Be yourself no matter what they say
  3. Wow, that's so stupid and pointless! by meerling · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It's like confiscating matchbooks but not lighters from the stable boys after THE ENTIRE TOWN HAS BURNED DOWN !

    Yet considering what I saw when I was in the military I'm not that surprised. A plane buff I knew on base wrote to the Library of Congress (as a normal civilian using his civilian address) asking for info on the SR71 Blackbird. They sent him some cool media materials which included a poster sized drawing of the plane, all standard and unclassified press packet stuff. During an inspection of the barracks a stupid officer saw it and wanted him arrested for spying and stealing classified material.

    Because of things like that, do I get surprised when some military moron goes off half-cocked and without bullets? No, I've become convinced that most of them don't even understand the security rules or pretty much anything else that exists outside their egocentric imaginations. (And I'm pretty sure that 3 of the 5 generals I actually met were senile at the time. 4 of them were also complete assholes, but that's a different issue.)

  4. Re:Executive Order 13526 Section 1.1(4)(c) by senlis · · Score: 5, Informative

    (c) Classified information shall not be declassified automatically as a result of any unauthorized disclosure of identical or similar information. This is the key part of the order. Just because a document is leaked into the public domain does not automatically declassify it. Any viewing of leaked material on DoD (department of defense owned) computers would constitute a security incident causing many man-hours to be spent containing the classified information on the network. The order this article is talking about makes perfect sense. It is so Air Force personnel do not accidentally view classified material on unclassified machines and causing major problems. I would appreciate it if people who obviously don't know what they are talking about wouldn't make ignorant jokes.