Viceroy Bremer, and his adventures in Iraq. Free Speech in Iraq? Fugeddaboudit. All media communications between US civilian employees and the media have to be cleared by the CPA...no eyeshades involved, CPA= the Coalition Provisional Authority, and their sub-agency the Directorate of Strategic Communications. Wow. Is this sounding suspicously like some kind of Soviet-style bureacracy or what?
All this info comes from the Tennessean (Al Gore's old paper?), and was submitted by a Federal Judge sent over there to help with the establishment of the new Iraqi Judiciary. Hizzoner, Judge Gilbert S. Merritt has some interesting thoughts on the "gag order" imposed by Viceroy Bremer (and I'm sure the 1600 Crew)
This is my last story from Baghdad. The so-called Coalition Provisional Authority, or CPA, acting through its head, L. Paul Bremer, issued a ''gag'' order two days ago that says: ''Speaking To The Media. To insure the effective co-ordination of the CPA's message, any plan for a member of the CPA to talk to the media should first be coordinated with the Directorate of Strategic Communication.'' The Directorate of Strategic Communication, according to the order, was a ''recent creation designed with the intention of delivering a coherent strategic information for the CPA.''
... I have been informed that this includes any article I may write, or verbal utterance I may speak, to any members of the press, including my hometown newspaper. In my opinion, this is a clear violation of the First Amendment to our Constitution, which says that our government may not impose any law, regulation or directive ''abridging the freedom of speech.'' The First Amendment covers any attempt by our government to control the speech of a civilian citizen of the United States, with only a few exceptions. There are many cases in the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals — more than 2,000 — that hold that the Free Speech Clause covers state and federal officials and employees. Those cases secure to such employees the right to speak on matters of public concern broadly defined and to converse with the press and others without abridgment or control.
... Although the order is clearly unconstitutional, in my view, I intend to comply with its terms from now until I leave Iraq and am no longer subject to it. I will be leaving in a few days to meet my wife, Robin, in Istanbul for a few days' vacation before returning home to Nashville. It is, to say the least, ironic that, as a federal judge, I was asked to come here to try to help erect and establish constitutional values for the Iraqis, including the rights of free speech and other civil liberties.
Interesting take on the whole thing from a man who certainly knows the constitution. I doubt that Viceroy Bremer had a guy like Judge Merritt in mind when he signed whatever paper created the CPA and the "strategery communications department".
If I were Jerry Bremer and I ever had to appear before Judge Merritt, I'd ask for a change of venue. He doesn't seem too impressed with the merits of Bremer.
