The military in Iraq are not allowed to talk to reporters

[catmandu57]

It was on CBS national last night, everytime they tried to ask a question they were no commented. A couple of forceful ones as well, what the hell are they afraid of? another fire rummy comment.

[protect freedom impeach bush now]

1. troops threatened not to talk

saw that CBS News report also.

troops said - NOT allowed to talk to news media.

troops must have been threatened

[qb]

2. When I was in the military, no one was allowed to talk to the press

unless it was cleared by the officer in charge of public relations, and we weren't doing anything even remotely controversial. I think this is a standard policy throughout the military. I suspect they just got lax about making it clear to the soldiers in Iraq.

[glarius]

3. Saw a reporter on CBC this A,M who said soldiers are coming up to him and

saying "when are we going home?"...or "we want to go home, have you heard anything?"....This was a reporter with a British accent...He said it is happening constantly and that the morale is very low among the American troops....THAT'S WHY THEY WON'T LET THEM TALK TO THE AMERICAN PRESS!!!

[MercutioATC]

4. That's SOP for government employees with security clearances

We don't talk to the press without an official O.K.

Military people DO have security clearances, don't they?

[diamond14]

5. talked to soldier tonight near our apartment mailboxes...he was

wearing his military backpack and carry his stuff in a plastic trash can...he had military flight tags on his backpack...told me that he had just arrived back from northern Iraq...so, of course, I asked him a lot of questions and thanked him for his service to our country...I live in metro DC area, in a complex with short-term furnished apartments and lots of other leasing arrangements...

He told me that the Iraq situation is grim. There is only tense talk with the citizens of Iraq, only a few translators. The translators are brought over when needed, but at the same time, all guns are pointed at the citizens, even at children, because our soldiers might get attacked, and our soldiers shoot citizens all the time, who come around a corner and our soldiers just shoot to kill, all the soldiers are very nervous and shoot in error just to protect themselves...this soldier was in three cities, all have only very limited power, rationed, only one or two hours a day....or even, just a generator in one area of the city...they have no TV's or internet, except if they want to leave their homes and come to the American-soldier guarded central locations, where American broadcast TV can be viewed...temperatures were way high over 115 degrees F day and night...he said he lost a lot of weight...and is glad to be here...

he could not see the situation improving any time soon, and just was glad to be here...but sad that his fellow soldiers remained in that mess....