Pentagon again makes demands on “sensitive” information

The American military now must obtain prior approval before discussing strategic matters with Congress. The determination was made by the office of the United States Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, and contains a broad list of points considered “sensitive”, such as the recent military attacks carried out by the United States against vessels suspected of drug trafficking in Latin America.
The guidance was issued after confusion surrounding an initial memo from Hegseth that prohibited all Defense Department personnel, including commanders, from speaking to Congress or state legislators unless they had received prior approval, as CNN reported.
Republican Rep. Don Bacon said the policy represented “yet another amateur maneuver” by the secretary, who was making the military “afraid to communicate” with lawmakers.
“I was commander five times and our leadership wanted us to interact with members of Congress,” he wrote on his account on the social network X, formerly Twitter.
Hegseth’s mandate has been marked by leaks, which is why he has tried to strictly control information since the beginning of the year. This included requiring approval for the press to release sensitive information, threatening journalists with losing credentials for reporting on the Armed Forces.