US Judge Overturns Pentagon Restrictions on the Press

SadaNews - A US federal judge issued a ruling yesterday (Friday) to halt a new policy implemented by the Department of Defense (Pentagon), which restricted the work of journalists and resulted in the revocation of press credentials from most major media outlets.

After an appeal filed by the "New York Times" in December, the judge concluded that a significant portion of the new licensing policy violates several amendments to the US Constitution, including the First Amendment which guarantees freedom of speech.

The Department of Defense did not issue an immediate response, but it is expected to appeal the decision.

In a document published in October, which sparked widespread condemnation from the US and international press, including from "Agence France-Presse", the Department of Defense issued instructions to accredited journalists to refrain from requesting or publishing specific information without explicit permission from them, under the threat of losing their licenses.

The judge wrote in his ruling: "The framers of the First Amendment believed that national security requires a free press and an informed public, and that this security is threatened by the government's suppression of political speech."

He added: "This principle has maintained the country's security for nearly 250 years, and it cannot be abandoned now." The judge clarified that "the court acknowledges the necessity of protecting national security, as well as the safety of our forces and our war plans."

However, the judge noted that "in light of recent intervention in Venezuela and the ongoing war in Iran, it has become essential for the public to obtain information from diverse perspectives to understand what their government is doing."

The judge stressed the necessity of this: "so that the public can support government policies if they wish, protest against them if they want, and make their decision on whom to vote for in the upcoming elections based on complete and transparent information."

He ordered the Pentagon to immediately restore credentials for seven journalists from the "New York Times"; these were the credentials they held before the policy was implemented in October.

The Pentagon Reporters Association welcomed the court's decision, describing it as "a great day for press freedom (...)". They stated: "We look forward to returning to the Pentagon and providing the public, including military personnel currently involved in conflicts around the world, with information about the reasons and methods by which the Department of Defense conducts wars."

These measures are part of a broader campaign that began with the return of Donald Trump to power, aiming to restrict journalists' access to the Pentagon - the largest employer in the country with an annual budget of hundreds of billions of dollars.

In previous months, the Department of Defense, which the Trump administration recently renamed as the Department of War, expelled eight media organizations, including the "New York Times" and the "Washington Post", as well as the "CNN" network, from its offices at the Pentagon.

The department also restricted the movement of journalists within the Pentagon building, requiring them to be accompanied in a limited number of areas pertaining to the Department of Defense.