Politics > Politics-USA > Pentagon bans ordinary soldiers from testifying in Congress - WHATARE THEY AFRAID OF?
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Politics > Politics-USA |
| User: |
"Speeders & Drunk Drivers are MURDERERS" |
| Date: |
10 May 2007 01:38:25 PM |
| Object: |
Pentagon bans ordinary soldiers from testifying in Congress - WHATARE THEY AFRAID OF? |
http://tinyurl.com/2ecuzg
Pentagon restricting testimony in Congress
Blocks staff of lower rank
By Bryan Bender, Boston Globe Staff | May 10, 2007
WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon has placed unprecedented restrictions on who
can testify before Congress, reserving the right to bar lower-ranking
officers, enlisted soldiers, and career bureaucrats from appearing
before oversight committees or having their remarks transcribed,
according to Defense Department documents.
Robert L. Wilkie , a former Bush administration national security
official who left the White House to become assistant secretary of
defense for legislative affairs last year, has outlined a half-dozen
guidelines that prohibit most officers below the rank of colonel from
appearing in hearings, restricting testimony to high-ranking officers
and civilians appointed by President Bush.
The guidelines, described in an April 19 memo to the staff director of
the House Armed Services Committee, adds that all field-level officers
and enlisted personnel must be "deemed appropriate" by the Department of
Defense before they can participate in personal briefings for members of
Congress or their staffs; in addition, according to the memo, the
proceedings must not be recorded.
Wilkie's memo also stipulated that any officers who are allowed to
testify must be accompanied by an official from the administration, such
as Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and his top-level aides.
Both Democrats and Republicans in Congress see the move as a blatant
attempt to bog down investigations of the war. But veterans of the
legislative process -- who say they have never heard of such guidelines
before -- maintain that the Pentagon has no authority to set such ground
rules.
The guidelines would not affect congressional subpoenas, which can
compel anyone to appear before lawmakers. As a result, several lawmakers
have pledged privately to use that power if the Pentagon's guidelines
stymie their efforts to get information from specific sectors of the
military.
(snip)
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| User: "Crusader Rabbit" |
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| Title: Re: Pentagon bans ordinary soldiers from testifying in Congress - WHAT ARE THEY AFRAID OF? |
11 May 2007 07:06:21 AM |
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In article <BEJ0i.5667$296.3820@newsread4.news.pas.earthlink.net>
Speeders & Drunk Drivers are MURDERERS <xeton2001@yahoo.com> wrote:
http://tinyurl.com/2ecuzg
Pentagon restricting testimony in Congress
Blocks staff of lower rank
By Bryan Bender, Boston Globe Staff | May 10, 2007
WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon has placed unprecedented restrictions on who
can testify before Congress, reserving the right to bar lower-ranking
officers, enlisted soldiers, and career bureaucrats from appearing
before oversight committees or having their remarks transcribed,
according to Defense Department documents.
Guess it's time for Congress to cut the Pentagon's allowance again...
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| User: "Bugman" |
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| Title: Re: Pentagon bans ordinary soldiers from testifying in Congress - WHAT ARE THEY AFRAID OF? |
11 May 2007 07:52:02 AM |
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"Crusader Rabbit" <fritz@spamexpire-200705.rodent.frell.theremailer.net>
wrote in message
news:29e9555ef7b2bf3114342ef642fef565@msgid.frell.theremailer.net...
In article <BEJ0i.5667$296.3820@newsread4.news.pas.earthlink.net>
Speeders & Drunk Drivers are MURDERERS <xeton2001@yahoo.com> wrote:
http://tinyurl.com/2ecuzg
Pentagon restricting testimony in Congress
Blocks staff of lower rank
By Bryan Bender, Boston Globe Staff | May 10, 2007
WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon has placed unprecedented restrictions on who
can testify before Congress, reserving the right to bar lower-ranking
officers, enlisted soldiers, and career bureaucrats from appearing
before oversight committees or having their remarks transcribed,
according to Defense Department documents.
Guess it's time for Congress to cut the Pentagon's allowance again...
The Pentagon doesn't have the authority to defy Congress.
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| User: "Speeders & Drunk Drivers are MURDERERS" |
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| Title: Re: Pentagon bans ordinary soldiers from testifying in Congress -WHAT ARE THEY AFRAID OF? |
11 May 2007 11:35:16 AM |
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Crusader Rabbit wrote:
Guess it's time for Congress to cut the Pentagon's allowance again...
But but .... that would mean we're not SUPPORTING THE TROOPS!!!
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| User: "PagCal" |
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| Title: Re: Pentagon bans ordinary soldiers from testifying in Congress -WHAT ARE THEY AFRAID OF? |
11 May 2007 12:37:25 AM |
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Speeders & Drunk Drivers are MURDERERS wrote:
http://tinyurl.com/2ecuzg
Pentagon restricting testimony in Congress
Blocks staff of lower rank
Sorry, congress is a separate branch of government, and is not bound by
any of this DOD nonsense.
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