In a bold move today the NYT and Leverett thumbed their noses at the administration and dared to print what the White House had barred because of security concerns. An example:
But Tehran was profoundly disappointed with the United States response. After the 9/11 attacks, xxx xxx xx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxxx xx set the stage for a November 2001 meeting between Secretary of State Colin Powell and the foreign ministers of Afghanistan’s six neighbors and Russia. xxxx xxxxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxx xx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxx xxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxxx xx xxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxx xxxxx Iran went along, working with the United States to eliminate the Taliban and establish a post-Taliban political order in Afghanistan.
Redacted Op Ed NYT
But don't despair! If you follow the links found at the companion article What we wanted to say...
You can "fill in the blanks" of this quote acrostic piece.
Freedom is on the March! More below the fold...
I don't mean to imply that Leverett shouldn't have followed his contract with the CIA. I greatly admire him for his intelligent comments and depth of thought, as well as courage in speaking out (although that should be the duty of all public servants who realize that the administration is misleading their people and the world).
It just strikes me as ludicrous that we have to resort to this fill in the blank game to find out the truth!
As Flynt Leverett states in the accompanying article:
What’s more, we have spent a collective 20 years serving our country as career civil servants in national security, for both Republican and Democratic administrations. We know firsthand the importance of protecting sensitive information. But we also know the importance of shared knowledge. In the entrance to the C.I.A.’s headquarters the words of the Gospel of John are inscribed, "And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free."
National security must be above politics. In a democracy, transparency in government has to be honored and protected. To classify information for reasons other than the safety and security of the United States and its interests is a violation of these principles. It is for this reason that we will continue to press for the release of the article without the material deleted.
The worst part is that the censorship has been so bad that it has taken away the discussion on the underlying issue: We should be discussing the value of making a Grand Bargain with Iran!
Update: Congresswoman Rep. Louise Slaughter (NY 28 .her web site) - had a great Diary on this subject and included a copy of her letter to Bush Dear President Bush: Did You Censor Info on Iran?