The Free Press Lives

Tomorrow, America's paper of record will take a stand reminiscent of the decision thirty-plus years ago to publish the Pentagon Papers.

The Times will go forward with the publication of an op-ed by former Bush administration official Flynt Leverett. Leverett has worked in the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of State, and on the National Security Council, and his piece is highly critical of the Bush administration's Iran policy.

The piece was to run earlier, but the White House attempted to stop it by claiming it revealed classified information. Leverett hit back, proving the CIA had cleared the piece for publication, as it does everything he publishes.

The Times has apparently decided to go forward with the publication, and black out the parts the White House objects to: with the information where readers can find the redacted parts in other non-censored publications elsewhere. In fact, here is a link to Dealing with Tehran, a paper written by Leverett for the Century Foundation. It is sure to be one of the sources the Times lists as a place to find the missing information.

Ye gods, the dissonance is palpable. I sure hope surrealism is your cup of fur.