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July 03, 2006
It's Just Logical
I was heartened to read today (after the Times rally) that former WaPo publisher admitted that publishing national security secrets endagers lives (and has):
Tragically, however, we in the media have made mistakes. You may recall that in April 1983, some 60 people were killed in a bomb attack on the U.S. embassy in Beirut. At the time, there was coded radio traffic between Syria, where the operation was being run, and Iran, which was supporting it. Alas, one television network and a newspaper columnist reported that the U.S. government had intercepted the traffic. Shortly thereafter the traffic ceased. This undermined efforts to capture the terrorist leaders and eliminated a source of information about future attacks. Five months later, apparently the same terrorists struck again at the Marine barracks in Beirut; 241 servicemen were killed.
This kind of result, albeit unintentional, points up the necessity for full cooperation wherever possible between the media and the authorities. When the media obtains especially sensitive information, we are willing to tell the authorities what we have learned and what we plan to report. And while reserving the right to make the final decision ourselves, we are anxious to listen to arguments about why information should not be aired.
Posted by Aaron at July 3, 2006 05:13 PM
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Comments
I remember during the first Gulf War that SNL had a skit where all the media was asking a general how the military plans were. Each question was asked about sensitive data.
Posted by: DoubleU at July 3, 2006 10:04 PM
Yes! Excellent reminder! I was only 10 years old and in Germany, but people all over post in Mannheim were talking about it.
We watched it and just had a hoot! I should see if that's online somewhere and post it.
Posted by: aaron at July 4, 2006 11:38 AM
I saw that SNL skit. It was the skit used to open the show. The skit ended when one of reporters asked the General, "Well, what can you tell us?" The General replied, "I can tell you that Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!"
Posted by: Dodo david at July 4, 2006 06:31 PM