The truth about those Pentagon passes

In the May 26 Daily Herald, a Larry Casey from Huntley writes, “The New York Times sues the Defense Department because the Pentagon is refusing to allow journalists to wonder freely throughout the Pentagon building” and laments that this lawsuit is “frivolous.”

As a former Washington bureau chief who worked in the building and managed two reporters assigned space to work there, I can say that the assertion that journalists are able to wander the building freely is misleading.

Yes, journalists — anyone given a Pentagon pass — can wander much of the 17.5 miles of corridors in the building. That’s been true since the building opened in 1943.

But the notion that a journalist is going to overhear classified information is hilarious. Generals aren’t discussing battle plans in the food court. Those without specific access (including journalists) won’t get anywhere near the sensitive compartmented information facilities (SCIFs) where, as Mr. Casey puts it, “military strategy takes place.”

The details of the legal battles are easily found, so I won’t go into them here. And the rules for journalists working in the Pentagon worked perfectly well for 80-plus years. Any instances of leaks of classified information weren’t because a reporter overheard something in a hallway.

Patrick Dickson

Lindenhurst