Defense Department Blocks Some Web Sites
Published: 5/14/07, 4:45 AM EDT
By ROBERT WELLER
DENVER (AP) - Soldiers serving overseas will lose some of their online
links to friends and loved ones back home under a Department of Defense
policy that a high-ranking Army official said would take effect Monday.

The Defense Department will begin blocking access "worldwide" 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 reduce drag
on the department's networks, according to Bell.

"This recreational traffic impacts our official DoD network and
bandwidth ability, while posing a significant operational security
challenge," the memo said.

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.

Iraqi insurgents or their supporters have been posting videos on YouTube
at least since last fall. The Army recently began posting videos on
YouTube showing soldiers defeating insurgents and befriending Iraqis.

But the new rules mean many military personnel won't be able to watch
those achievements - at least not on military computers.

If the restrictions are intended to prevent soldiers from giving or
receiving bad news, they could also prevent them from providing positive
reports from the field, said Noah Shachtman, who runs a national
security blog for Wired Magazine.

"This is as much an information war as it is bombs and bullets," he
said. "And they are muzzling their best voices."

The sites covered by the ban are the video-sharing sites YouTube,
Metacafe, IFilm, StupidVideos, and FileCabi, the social networking sites
MySpace, BlackPlanet and Hi5, music sites Pandora, MTV, and 1.fm, and
live365, and the photo-sharing site Photobucket.

Several companies have instituted similar bans, saying recreational
sites drain productivity.

___

Army memo:

http://tinyurl.com/2x2qka

go to that link to see the memo to the troops.
I think they are trying to hide the truth!!!

Come on Fanta! Having had two of my kids in Iraq and the third on his
way, they are able to access ANYTHING they want on their own cmputers on
their ff time. Are you allowed to play online games, watch you tube, or
surf the net at work? I would guess not. I am paying my employees to
work, not play. If not for only the reason of goofing off at work, the
servers can be overloaded by uploading and downloading large video files
not to mention the viruses available for free on the net. Fanta, you are
really reaching on this one. This thread is dead. I have to leave for
work. Consider doing the same. It'll really help the evil econmy.

Big Brother at his best aye

I hope thats all, but I keep reading where soldiers are restricted from
talkin to the press, and the fear from somewhere will not let them give
their name.

I also remember when the 3rd Infantry voiced their opinions right after
the securing of Bagdad many were silenced and punished!! I hope not, but
like the article says they really dont have access to a computer in Iraq
unless its in the military chat rooms that are set up for the soldiers
to talk to their relatives. Other than that where else do they have!

"This is as much an information war as it is bombs and bullets," he
said. "And they are muzzling their best voices."

A single infantry company in Diyala lost five Strykers this month in
less than a week, according to soldiers familiar with the losses, who
spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to
release the information.

"We went for several months with no losses and were very proud of that,"
a senior Army official said in Washington, speaking on condition of
anonymity because he is not authorized to comment publicly. "Since then,
there have been quite a few Stryker losses."

Same article, only he says what they want you to hear
"I love Strykers," said Spc. Christopher Hagen,

Lt. Col. Bruce Antonio, who commands a Stryker battalion in Diyala, said
he and soldiers still have confidence in the Strykers

I can find many examples just like this. I contend if the administration
wants you to know, Fine
If they dont want you to hear it they arent allowed to talk about it!!!

either with us or against us?.......lol




i betcha it doesn't work hahahahhaa

Soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center’s Medical Hold Unit say they
have been told they will wake up at 6 a.m. every morning and have their
rooms ready for inspection at 7 a.m., and that they must not speak to
the media.

“Some soldiers believe this is a form of punishment for the trouble
soldiers caused by talking to the media,��? one Medical Hold Unit
soldier said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Oops. Someone is going to have his room under 24 hours constant
inspection now.

This is interesting too!!

http://worldpolicy.org/journal/articles/wpj04-3/mermin.htm
WORLD POLICY JOURNAL

The word occupation...was never mentioned in the run-up to the war. It
was liberation. This was [talked about in Washington as] a war of
liberation, not a war of occupation. So as a consequence, those of us in
journalism never even looked at the issue of occupation. —Jim Lehrer

In other words, if the government isn’t talking about it, we don’t
report it. This somewhat jarring declaration, one of many recent
admissions by journalists that their reporting failed to prepare the
public for the calamitous occupation that has followed the “liberation”
of Iraq, reveals just how far the actual practice of American journalism
has deviated from the First Amendment ideal of a press that is
independent of the government.

OK , Im through!!!!!

One more thing
Dont forget the Patriot Act...
They know what we are saying...


I say **** you Geo Bush....
Wheres my Flag!!!

I can not beleive what some of you have said.

Myspace is not the method I use to contact my son. We stay in touch by
email accounts and family web sites not recreational web sites.

How many of you are allowed to use myspace, youtube, etc while at work?

I for one am quite suprised given the nonsecure nature of these
recreational web sites that the military waited this long to protect
Military Networks from them.

They would represent an enourmous security risk.

What do you want your flag for Fanta?

To burn it, spit on it or wipe your butt with it?

Only asking

Fly it from the highest point and publicly

There it is!!!!

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.

hey !! there's someone who you can mess with!! Duncan!!



actually he's sitting across the table as we speak....lol


shall i throw something at him?

AB..I work from home so I can be on myspace all day if I wanted too,
granted that would get boring after about an hour or so but I could do
it.....

you think they do not track where the average joe citizen is?? I bet
they do!! Big Brother is always and will forever be watching....as free
as we like to thinkwe are the reality is we really aren't that free

yes bl8, throw something LMAO

And Philosopher you are not invited to this topic!!!!

So Fanta, are you suggesting that you know better than the military
leadership what is in their best interest?

Are you recommending the military listen to sources in Wired Magazine
before making their decisions regarding use of military computers and
restriction of bandwidth usage?

Shakes me haid n rollz me eyez.

A serious question on this topic ...

Being that Skype is encrypted to such a high level, could the military
really be able to halt the communications of the personnel out there?

The way to disrupt Skype is remove the connection, but this does not
block other VOIP programs

There are encryption programs out there that will allow files through
...

... and Alex, throw me one of those really cute-with-curly-hair-looks,
please ...