CNN reported last week that the Department of Defense purchased and destroyed approximately 9,500 copies of Army Reserve Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer's memoir of time served in Afghanistan titled "Operation Dark Heart."
The Pentagon confirmed the report and stated the move was in response to the book's exposure of classified information. A second printing of the Bronze Star medal recipient's book, which retails for $25.99, blacks out some names, sentences and paragraphs which the Pentagon determined dangerous to national security.
As with other war memoirs, both the author and publisher must work to ensure that the security of our troops and nation are not compromised while at the same time give the reader as much information as possible. It is a balancing act. In Lt. Col. Shaffer's defence, he did clear his manuscript with superiors within the Army Reserve prior to publication.
Read the full story from CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/09/25/books.destroyed/index.html
The Pentagon confirmed the report and stated the move was in response to the book's exposure of classified information. A second printing of the Bronze Star medal recipient's book, which retails for $25.99, blacks out some names, sentences and paragraphs which the Pentagon determined dangerous to national security.
As with other war memoirs, both the author and publisher must work to ensure that the security of our troops and nation are not compromised while at the same time give the reader as much information as possible. It is a balancing act. In Lt. Col. Shaffer's defence, he did clear his manuscript with superiors within the Army Reserve prior to publication.
Read the full story from CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/09/25/books.destroyed/index.html