Tom Engelhardt, who blogs at Tom Dispatch, reports that the State Department has blocked employees from accessing the site through its unclassified web system. Seems to have something to do with publishing details of certain, uh, embarrassing cables leaked to a certain other web site.
Writing at Antiwar.com, Engelhardt reports:
I have a friend who sends a note every year in December, pleading with me to pen one upbeat, hopeful piece before the next year rolls around. Mind you, I consider myself an upbeat guy in a downbeat world and, for me, when it comes to pure upbeatness, you couldn’t have beaten this week if you tried. This was when my Oscar came in—or the equivalent on the political Internet anyway. On December 7th, the State Department announced its brave decision to host UNESCO’s World Press Freedom Day in 2011. (“[W]e are concerned about the determination of some governments to censor and silence individuals, and to restrict the free flow of information…”) Less than two weeks later, I learned that if you try to go to TomDispatch.com from a State Department computer, you can’t get there. The following message appears instead:
“Access Denied for Security Risk (policy_wikileaks)
“Your requested URL has been blocked to prevent classified information from being downloaded to OpenNet.”
OpenNet is what the State Department calls its unclassified Web system. Maybe it should now consider changing that name as it prepares for World Press Freedom Day.
Read the rest here.
eats shoots 'n leaves 