is the pentagon blocking liberal/anti-conservative sites from troops?

so according to these guys, the Pentagon is blocking liberal or anti-conservative sites just in time for the November elections:

Guess what websites are being blocked by the Pentagon to make sure U.S. troops in Iraq don’t get any big ideas?
One hint: Free Republic is coming through loud and clear! A Marine writes Wonkette:

I am currently stationed in Al Taqaddam, Iraq with the Marines…you’ve done a short piece about this before, but this is getting ridiculous.

It seems that every non-conservative politics website has been blocked by our firewall guys…including your site. The reason it is blocked is because it is a “personal page.” Which means they don’t have a reason to block it … but they want to block it, so they do. This was done recently, just in time for mid-term elections. As I said, it was not only your website, I have gone through lists of liberal sites and most of them are blocked. I’ve also taken the time to go to some conservative sites….none of which are blocked.

wonkette.com...
(normal 'quote' tags used, as this isn't an official news source...)

all i want to know is is this happening for real?

i can't find any official news site that confirms, as everything i find just leads to someone or another's personal blog. but if (and do take care to notice the questionable if) it's true, then it is quite frightening....that what they see, read and hear is being controlled like that...

They use Novell and some other security suite to filter sites they don't want. I know this for a fact, but I do not know what sites those are, because it was common to see porn. I spend my sparse computer time frantically writing emails.

It is possible that some sites are flagged, but we've had a few soldiers posting here from Ramadi and Baghdad, and I'm fairly certain ATS would be on that list.

I guess, it all depends on the Network administrators at a particular camp.

Personally, in 2 yrs and 7 mos here, i've never had a problem while using military MWR internet cafe's, aside from video streaming and music download sites being blocked due to bandwidth issues, and porn. I've always been able to check out ATS, Alternet, Infowars, prisonplanet, corpwatch, indymedia, and many other sites with no problem.

But if it's on the military's NIPR internet, they can block what they want. Mostly it's chat programs, file sharing programs, streaming video or audio, and of course porn. Sometimes they have the filters set too high. Once i wanted to read a newspaper article about a sexual assualt near where i live in the states. It was blocked, because it had the word "sex" in the article. But then i could go to the Angeles City Philippines adult content message board that i'm a member of, with no problem.

Well I dont blame them for that simply for the effect it would have on morale. I repeatedly hear daily on this sight defeatist, cowering, and slanderous comments everyday just on ATS alone. The effect on Troop morale would be profound, given that there are so many who do not support them or what they are doing at home. Dont give me that "I support the troops, just not what they do" crap either....cant have your cake and eat it too.

Originally posted by XphilesPhan
Dont give me that "I support the troops, just not what they do" crap either....cant have your cake and eat it too.

The article's about blocking access to liberal political websites. Denying our troops access to differing political views is denying them the very thing they're fighting for. We hear it every day, our troops are giving their lives in Iraq so the people there can have the right to choose how their country's run. Of course they're also fighting to protect our way of life, so that we can continue to voice our dissent with the government, form our own political views, and read whatever we damn well please.

Blocking political views that aren't aligned with the current government is supporting the troops? I don't like your version of support.

Originally posted by bg_socalif

Personally, in 2 yrs and 7 mos here, i've never had a problem while using military MWR internet cafe's, aside from video streaming and music download sites being blocked due to bandwidth issues, and porn. I've always been able to check out ATS, Alternet, Infowars, prisonplanet, corpwatch, indymedia, and many other sites with no problem.

I have a question for you. Does this 'alternative' information that you are presented with have an effect on how you see the war. Do you discuss these views with anyone in your unit -- or are your views kept private. I'm sorry if these are rather personal questions but I find it quite interesting to consider what it must be like to have alternative views to what is being presented, and then being in the militiary. It acutally gives me a lot of optimisim as I generalized and assumed that most Military are not that interested in what is 'really' going on.