Air Force bans access to sites of newspapers posting WikiLeaks documents

[bobthedrummer]

Source: by Kevin Baron Stars and Stripes

The Air Force has banned access from its computers to the websites of The New York Times and more than two dozen other press organizations that have posted classified documents provided by WikiLeaks.

Read more: http://www.stripes.com/news/air-force-bans-access-to-sites-of-newspapers-posting-wikileaks-documents-1.128862

[liberal N proud]

1. Are they afraid the secrets might get back in?

[bobthedrummer]

2. According to my read of the article apparently the USAF is fearful of some cyber-warfare n/t

[thereismore]

3. That's because our enemies who should not read this stuff are... in the Air Force? nt

[Kaleko]

4. Of course! Any well-informed person is an Enemy of the State now.

[Downwinder]

6. Air Force personnel have no "need to know" anything that they are

not spoon fed from higher authority. Just a little bit of brain washing. Can't allow people to start thinking on their own.

[Creative]

52. Clearly, this is not going to prevent anyone from accessing anything.

I would imagine that their concern relates more to trojans, worms and other malware.

[truthisfreedom]

5. Military buries head in sand while covering ears and shouting "WOOP WOOP WOOP!!!!111!!"

sheesh.

[ozymandius]

7. Well, it is the "land of the free" after all.

I don't see how one can get much more free than banning access to the "free" press.



:sarcasm: as if it were necessary

[Margot_Cox]

8. WikiLeaks

Keep up the Great work while the guilty get exposed by you WikiLeaks. Go WikiLeaks!!!!!!!
Margot_Cox

[Hissyspit]

9. US Air Force Blocks NY Times, Guardian Over WikiLeaks

Source: Reuters

US Air Force blocks NY Times, Guardian over WikiLeaks

3:03pm EST
WASHINGTON | Tue Dec 14, 2010 5:35pm EST

Dec 14 (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force has blocked access for computers on its network to The New York Times (NYT.N), the Guardian, and at least 23 other websites carrying WikiLeaks documents, a spokesman said on Tuesday.

Major Toni Tones, a spokesperson at Air Force Space Command in Colorado, said the command blocked at least 25 websites that have posted WikiLeaks documents.

The Air Force "routinely blocks Air Force network access to websites hosting inappropriate materials or malware (malicious software) and this includes any website that hosts classified materials and those that are released by WikiLeaks," she said.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1429593820101214

[FiveGoodMen]

10. Now no one will ever find out!

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. Given the way clearances work

what took them so long?

That is the way it works kiddies... and while in uniform you really do not have that many rights.

[DBoon]

24. or if you are a civilian doing classified work....

[nadinbrzezinski]

36. Correct

hell somewhere else. there are things I will take to the grave... and even if they were cleared today, I still could not talk about them.

And for god sakes it was as a humanitarian worker.

[JDPriestly]

12. That is foolish!

Now getting information from Wikileaks becomes a defiant game.

Not smart at all, but then what should we expect?

People who have to mark as secret documents that simply say what the educated public already knows?

I don't know what to say.

Some of the documents may contain information that should be kept secret, but a lot of it does not. And the information that is not secret should be accessible to the public.

What is the point?

[Hissyspit]

23. Point is?

"You who have your lives to lose, you certainly above all others have the right to decide the momentous issue of war or peace.

You need at this time especially to know that you are fit for something better than slavery and cannon fodder." - Eugene Debs

"Liberal Arts are not for Slaves" - Roman Empire

[24601]

34. The point is money - specifically the taxpayer's money. Leaked

info that hasn't been properly declassified is still classified and is not authorized for the unclassified systems/networks. If someone accesses the sites and downloads classified information to a government unclassified computer, it must be removed, including back-up files. It's not a trivial undertaking and it isn't cheap.

So the network controllers are doing what they should be doing as stewards of public monies.

[JDPriestly]

35. Most of the stuff in the Wikileaks should not have been classified

in the first place. It's gossip that cannot be important to our security.

For example, anyone who hasn't noticed that Austria does completely what it wants and still thinks it is an empire just doesn't know the country. And the stuff about Berlusconi would best be broadcast wide and far.

If you follow the news and read the foreign press, you probably know most of the stuff that is in those documents. There are few surprises. Why is this stuff classified?

The only surprises for me so far have been the extreme lengths that Obama has gone to in order to protect the Bush administration. And that is sheer stupidity just as keeping all this stuff secret is. The only people this is secret from are right here in America. That the Spanish courts were discouraged from proceeding on the charges alleged against the Bush administration and that the British commission investigating the role of the British government in the build-up to the Iraq War were discouraged from talking about the American lies and other crimes is known to most on DU. But Obama's role -- that is really bad news. But it shouldn't be classified.

The Iraqis know all about the brutality we have required our soldiers to commit.

The people of Afghanistan know how corrupt their leadership is. That's obviously why we can't win their hearts and minds -- because we support corruption in their country.

It's just Americans that aren't supposed to know this stuff.

With regard to saving taxpayer money, seems to me that not sending half of this stuff at all would save the most money. Isn't it more expensive to try to protect secrets and falsehoods than simply to tell the truth?

[24601]

49. That's not the call of SAs/Network Controllers. Go blame the

message originators, not the military.

[nadinbrzezinski]

37. No, not if you have clearances

I know to people who have never worked with this crap it don't make sense. But ultimately it is about trust.

[Downwinder]

13. Improving security or can everybody go on the State Dept. net and

read the cables.

[katty]

14. because i say so! like a fight in a sandbox

[Permanut]

15. They block inappropriate material

so I'm bettin the next thing is they will block any web access to Limbaugh's show, and also on Armed Forces radio, while they're at it.

[ProudDad]

16. Too fuckin' funny!

:rofl:

[TexasObserver]

17. Theatre of the Absurd.

[goforit]

45. 'Dr. Strange Love' is alive and well

[sirthomas66]

18. Wonder which op they don't want anyone to know about? Are they

torturing people in Indonesia or something?

[Buenaventura]

19. That'd be Major Toni "Loony" Tones? n/t

[tomm2thumbs]

20. Yes, it is good the REST of the world know this information, and not us. Smart thinking.

Ignorance IS bliss.

[RKP5637]

22. Yep, everything is fine in la-la land America ... just block it all ... n/t

[goforit]

46. LOL!!!....The ostrich buries his head in the sand.

[fascisthunter]

29. gotta keep the military ignorant and obedient

they must always believe they are doing what's best for this country. The truth would open up eyes.

[valerief]

21. Wonder if the soldiers will question why or if they'll tune in to Fox Fox Fox. nt

[ixion]

25. Why does the Air Force hate America?

I guess they hate us for our freedoms.

[fascisthunter]

26. this government has lots to hide

[glinda]

27. What are they afraid might be released might be the question.

[fascisthunter]

28. And that's why I can't wait....

[guruoo]

30. Idiots actually believe this is going to keep them from reading NYT, Guardian, etc?

WTF are they smokin?

[ManiacJoe]

31. It does help the soldiers keep their security clearances.

[Boudica the Lyoness]

32. It's the air force

not the army. Airmen not soldiers.

[guruoo]

33. Of course, they can still access it freely, and covertly when they're not at work.

[defendandprotect]

38. Why should those fighting for the country actually know what's going on ...???? Wow!!

[cory777]

39. Air Force blocks media sites that post WikiLeaks

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The Air Force is blocking computer access to The New York Times and other media sites that published sensitive diplomatic documents released by the Internet site WikiLeaks, a spokeswoman said Tuesday.

Air Force Maj. Toni Tones said more than 25 websites have been blocked and cannot be viewed by any Air Force computer. The ban - aimed at preventing the viewing of classified information - does not apply to personal computers.

She said the action was taken by the 24th Air Force, which is commanded by Maj. Gen. Richard Webber and is responsible for cyberwarfare and computer security for the service. The move was approved by Air Force lawyers, she said.

The Army and Navy say they have not taken similar actions.

Read more: http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20101214/NEWS03/101214048/Air+Force+blocks+sites+that+post+WikiLeaks

---

Uncensored Activist News http://activistnews.blogspot.com/

[hlthe2b]

40. Boy, they just keep stepping into it deeper and deeper...

So what, pray tell, are these men and women fighting for, if they are not even free to read the New York Times?

[glinda]

42. Maybe they will find out what they are fighting for and therein lies the problem.

[Downwinder]

41. Ought to be worrying about what is going out rather than what is coming in.

[truthisfreedom]

43. Well that's the point.

The military has to stop anyone from considering helping the cause.

[goforit]

44. Can't have our military personnel know the dirty truth.

But, quite frankly, where I work, we can't even access GOOGLE on our computers.

Military personnel will have to access the internet in the private sector.

[Pharaoh]

47. We are becoming Nazi Germany

:spank:

[buckrogers1965]

48. If it is leaked...

then it is not secret anymore.

You can lock the barn door all you want, but the horses are all done gone.

[kgnu_fan]

50. What are they afraid of? Truth shall set you free... be strong, boys!

[bobthedrummer]

51. My extended family's branch of service is The United States Marine Corps, they can access anything

kick
n/t

[bobthedrummer]

53. I wonder what our USAF is doing as punishment to those that disobey and read the New York Times and

other banned press websites?

It's absurd, what about those that have hard copies, real newspapers from old school newsstands, Barnes and Noble, etc. or is this just about USAF computers and active members???

The Fourth Estate is truly dying on many fronts, and our military command is killing truth and truthseekers, in opposition to what our Constitution clearly states.

Another example-the Pentagon buying up the first run of "Operation Dark Heart" after the author had it cleared through the internal security process before going to press.

"Operation Dark Heart" Turned To Pulp: Military Officials Watched Publisher Destroy 9,500 Books (9-27-10 Huffington Post)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/27/operation-dark-heart-turn_n_741022.html

Anyone want to discuss the history of religious cult and criminal activities going on at the USAF Academy in Colorado?

[bobthedrummer]

54. 12-17-10 WikiLeaks US embassy cables via The Guardian for those of US that aren't USAF

WikiLeaks cables: India accused of systematic use of torture in Kashmir
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/16/wikileaks-cables-indian-torture-kashmir

[wmbrew0206]

55. Pretty simple - the US still considers these cables classified. Therefore, US military

personnel cannot view or possess them on a non-classified system. Doing so is a violation of the UCMJ and can result in a service member being charged with a crime.

What would you rather have: A bunch of service members being charged for reading the Wikileaks documents or the AF being preemptive and shutting off access to the documents on government computers and networks until they can inform there airmen about this ruling?

[bobthedrummer]

56. Many of US believe that there are other choices, wmbrew0206-Semper Fidelis n/t

[wmbrew0206]

57. I agree but the problem is that the US military has never had to deal with

a situation with exposed classified information like this. This is a first for them so they have to stick to the current laws until there is a change in the current laws dealing with classified info.