New Military Reporting Rules

U.S. military officials imposed strict reporting limits Tuesday on the first journalists to go to the U.S.-run detention camp for terrorist suspects since the arrests of a Muslim Army chaplain and two interpreters.

The reporters were required to sign “ground rules” for coverage that banned questions about the investigations on pain of being removed from the Navy camp at Guantanamo Bay, on the eastern tip of Cuba.

Reporters were presented with a statement to sign as they prepared to board a flight chartered by the military from Jacksonville, Fla. A new paragraph was added to earlier rules:

“Asking questions or perspectives about ongoing and/or future operations or investigations can result in restricted access on Gitmo, removal from the installation, and/or revocation of [Department of Defense] press credentials.”

Signing the statement was a requirement to board the flight. Among those who signed were reporters for Associated Press, the New York Times and Fox Television.