The Department of Defense said Tuesday it will appeal a federal court ruling that temporarily blocks its policy requiring journalists to be escorted while inside the Pentagon, arguing the decision weakens security protections and increases the risk that classified information could be exposed.
In a statement posted on Twitter by Sean Parnell, Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs and the Pentagon’s chief spokesman, the department said the preliminary injunction removes what it described as reasonable safeguards designed to protect sensitive military information.
The Defense Department stated:
“The Department strongly disagrees with today’s decision. This ruling strips away reasonable security measures and will make it easier for sensitive and classified information to reach our adversaries.
Unescorted access to the Pentagon allowed journalists to observe activity patterns and develop relationships that contributed to repeated unauthorized disclosures of operational plans and intelligence. The court’s order effectively restores that risky environment at a time when protecting our military’s secrets is more critical than ever.
The Department has a duty to safeguard classified information and our warfighters. We will appeal this decision in order to restore the Department’s ability to secure the Pentagon Reservation and prevent further harm to national security.”
The ruling was issued June 30 by Paul L. Friedman, who granted a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit filed by The New York Times. The order bars the Pentagon from enforcing the escort requirement against the newspaper’s reporters while the litigation proceeds.
The case stems from a series of recent Defense Department policies tightening press access to the Pentagon. In addition to the escort requirement, the department adopted rules allowing officials to revoke press credentials for journalists deemed security risks.
The New York Times argues the policies violate the First Amendment by restricting legitimate newsgathering and limiting reporters’ access to one of the nation’s most important government institutions.
Defense officials, however, have argued that unescorted access allows reporters to observe sensitive operational patterns and cultivate informal relationships that can contribute to unauthorized disclosures of military plans and intelligence. The department has maintained that the restrictions are necessary to protect classified information and secure the Pentagon Reservation.
The Defense Department said it will appeal the injunction in an effort to reinstate the escort requirement and what it described as essential security protocols.
[Read More: NBA Caught In Massive Gambling Scandal]
