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Monday, May 14, 2007

Department Of Defense Blocks Soldier Access To Myspace, YouTube And Other Sites

"THEY’RE TRYING TO HIDE HOW BAD THINGS ARE IN IRAQ,” is what the doofus leftards have to say about it (as if the media’s all-negative-all-the-time coverage of Iraq doesn’t bring us enough negative news as is), but in reality I think this helps the anti-war cause more then it hurts it by impeding the ability of the soldiers to tell their stories from the battlefield.

Soldiers serving overseas will lose some of their online links to friends and loved ones back home under a U.S. Department of Defense policy that a high-ranking Army official said would take effect Monday.

The Defense Department will begin blocking access world-wide to YouTube, MySpace and 11 other popular Web sites on its computers and networks, according to a memo sent Friday by Gen. B.B. Bell, the U.S. Forces Korea commander.

The policy is being implemented to protect information and improve security, as well as reduce drag on the department’s networks. “This recreational traffic impacts our official DoD network and bandwidth ability, while posing a significant operational security challenge,” Gen. Bell said in the memo.

The armed services have long barred members of the military from sharing information that could jeopardize their missions or safety, whether electronically or by other means.

The new policy is different because it creates a blanket ban on several sites used by military personnel to exchange messages, pictures, video and audio with family and friends.

Members of the military can still access the sites on their own computers and networks—but Defense Department computers and networks are the only ones available to many soldiers and sailors in Iraq and Afghanistan.

When the soldiers talk about Iraq it’s usually not all doom and gloom unlike what we get from them media.  By cutting off these soldiers’ ability to communicate the DoD is essentially silencing their best advocates.

Operational security is important, no doubt, but we’ve been in Iraq for 4+ years and YouTube/Myspace haven’t been a problem.  Why do this now?

Comments

The left is way to off the mark on this one, they all assume that the troops are bad mouthing the war effort, they might actually be saving the defeatocrats face… Its all about mostly not jeopordizing operational security.


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goon on May 14, 2007 at 11:12 am
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When the soldiers talk about Iraq it’s usually not all doom and gloom unlike what we get from them media. 

You’re right, Rob. My friends who have come back paint a picture that is far, far worse than the media portrays it.

* on May 14, 2007 at 11:50 am

* Could it be that the people you are related to and most of your friends or acquintances are liberals? After all, we are inclined to have relationships with people sharing our views, after all why spend time with someone that makes you angry or irritated all the time.

I have a grandson and nephew in Iraq and my son was there, how many relatives do you have over there? Mine all say that tremendous progress has been made and they are ready to go back and serve there again. Yes it is hard, this is combat. War is not a picnic, it is supposed to be horrifying at times, people get killed, living is tough and it often looks like we are losing when we are in the middle of battle, because our friends are getting killed.

Lastly, could it be that your liberal bias and BSD is influencing your views and interpreting the words of others to fit your prejuduces?


No matter the age or state of health, for a military man it is always glorious to tilt at windmills, rescue a fair Dulcinea and be a gallant knight in armor in a glorious cause.

Neiman on May 14, 2007 at 12:08 pm
Rob
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My friends who have come back paint a picture that is far, far worse than the media portrays it.

Well then they’re the exception and not the rule.


When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

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Rob on May 14, 2007 at 12:16 pm

Army Regulation AR 530-1, Operations Security, updated April 19, 2007 has ordered military members to stop posting to blogs or personal emails without first clearing content with a superior officer.

scores of milblogs have already been shut down by the Army and the Marines for nothing more than saying that we shouldn’t be in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Don’t Say Nothin bad about My Baby

WOOF on May 14, 2007 at 12:28 pm
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These guys are not liberals. I won’t bore you with their disabilities, or the things they scream at during the night, but none are enamoured with our ‘progress.’

And Neiman, the war ended several years ago. This is an occupation.

I particularly like the reference to Bush Derangement Syndrome. When your boy-king’s approval ratings start to hover ~ 28-30%, BDS is a more apt description of his followers.

* on May 14, 2007 at 01:47 pm

When your boy-king’s approval ratings start to hover ~ 28-30%, BDS is a more apt description of his followers.

“Boy-king”? That’s the BDS we’re talking about. As for the claim that his approval ratings are 28-30%, that poll oversampled Dems by about 20 points. If you don’t think that matters, you’re kidding yourself.

likwidshoe on May 14, 2007 at 01:55 pm
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These guys are not liberals. I won’t bore you with their disabilities, or the things they scream at during the night, but none are enamoured with our ‘progress.’

Well they’re certainly entitled to their opinion.


When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

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Rob on May 14, 2007 at 01:57 pm
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Guys, it’s the military. When you’re in the military, things are different than they were when you were a civilian. Whether you like it or not is irrelevant, it’s the way it is.

Rob, do you have a list of all of the sites? I can’t get to the full article.

Given the plethora of free sites available for blogging, not to mention that you can buy your own domain name, it would be a poor attempt at stopping military personnel from expressing their opinion publicly.

As for the types of stories that are being told, guys that have been in a hell hole are going to report being in a hell hole, guys that have been in a relatively peaceful area are going to report things as being okay. I don’t think you can properly judge everything by what people are saying unless they have broad exposure to a large part of Iraq.

WOOF, you link doesn’t work, but it seems to be a Spaces problem.

Steve on May 14, 2007 at 03:53 pm

Can they get Say Anything still?


What’s going to happen to US industry when the global warming extremists like John McCain double the price of electricity?  I would think all these factories will close and set up in countries where they aren’t scared of technology.


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The Whistler on May 14, 2007 at 04:00 pm
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To clarify Rob’s misleading characterization of my post (take that, personal responsibility!):

Part of the news story I quoted points out the order muzzles the good news coming out of Iraq as well (soldiers drown in bouquets of flowers!, school gets paint job finished before being blown up again!, etc.).

I don’t like the order because it prevents military people from using useful tools to communicate with family and friends back home.

Doofus Leftard on May 15, 2007 at 06:50 pm
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I think blocking is a stupid behavior,just making more people want to see videos.

youtube downloader on July 18, 2008 at 12:16 am
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