Joint Chiefs Advise Pentagon Personnel To Preserve Iraq Documents

A recent Joint Chiefs directive apparently recognizes that some Bush officials may think of ‘losing’ data on Iraq before leaving the White House. Joint Chiefs Advise Pentagon Personnel To Preserve Iraq DocumentsBy Cliff Montgomery – Mar. 24th, 2008A little-noticed Joint Chiefs of Staff directive was put into force on Jan. 31st, 2008. It deserves greater attention.The top brass at Defense normally are known to follow the will of a commander-and-chief to a fault. But the January directive is a hint they know that some in the Bush Administration may care more about protecting their Master’s image than they do about preserving all data concerning Bush’s occupation of Iraq.The directive, penned by Col. Marlon Beck, a secretary to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is entitled, Preservation of Historical Records of Operations Enduring Freedom And Noble Eagle And Pertaining To Iraq.”Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and NOBLE EAGLE and current operations pertaining to Iraq are a prominent part of American and world history,” states the directive.”It is important that we preserve the historical records of these continuing operations and we obtain information and lessons that can be applied in planning, shaping, and implementing our national defense in the future.”The Deputy Secretary of Defense has requested…that appropriate action be taken to identify and preserve all documentary materials pertaining to the entire ENDURING FREEDOM and NOBLE EAGLE operations and Iraq (e.g., supporting and implementing documents, case management files, procurement records, transportation records, and financial accounting records).”All elements of the Department of Defense should identify, collect, organize, and preserve documents, to include records pertaining to intelligence and documents in special control channels…both paper and electronic, pertinent to their activities in connection with these operations,” said the Beck directive.”These programs are of vital importance for recording the history of ENDURING FREEDOM, NOBLE EAGLE, and Iraq,” added Beck, “and facilitating the preparation of studies and analyses of policies, plans, operations, technology, logistics, and personnel.”The benefits to be derived from this documentation of our experience may be invaluable,” the Beck directive correctly stated.That the reasons for the Iraq War were proven utterly false by a handful of reporters like this one has been clear for years; but just how high up those lies go is still an open question.Some in the Bush crowd may wish to keep it that way. Top Pentagon brass apparently are aware of this fact–as well as of what the loss of such information may mean, both for lingering questions about our Iraq occupation and for our nation’s history.The data concerning all presidential and Executive Branch decisions rightly and legally belong to the American people.The Presidential Records Act (PRA), enacted in 1978, “mandates that the Presidential records of an Administration be transferred to the legal and physical custody of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) immediately upon the end of the President’s last term of office,” acknowledged then-U.S. Archivist John Carlin to a House subcommittee on November 6th, 2001.Normally a departing administration properly follows laws and etiquette here, and maintaining all data is no great concern. But the Bush Administration is no ordinary White House.The Joint Chiefs of Staff tacitly admits this by the recent enactment of this information-protecting directive.Like what you’re reading so far? Then why not order a full year (52 issues) of thee-newsletter for only $15? A major article covering an story not being told in the Corporate Press will be delivered to your email every Monday morning for a full year, for less than 30 cents an issue. Order Now!