Military Bans Disks, Threatens Courts-Martial to Stop New Leaks

In a classic case of closing the barn door after the horse has run off, the Pentagon has ordered troops against using CDs, flash drives or other removable devices on the Department of Defense system for classified documents. The military is targeting what it labels an “insider threat,” after the release of thousands of classified US State Department cables. The US suspects a young Army private, then 22, of copying military and diplomatic documents onto CDs, then transferring those to WikiLeaks editors. The US Air Force has also blocked 25 media sites, including the New York Times and the Guardian, for its service members. Designating a clear path for concerned would-be whistle-blowers inside the military who would like to report abuse could also reduce unauthorized leaks. The military admits that the new orders and censorship could complicate tasks for analysts, reduce troop morale, and even delay missions. – YaleGlobal