US uses taxpayer dollars to purchase/destroy war memoir

The US Pentagon purchased 9,500 copies of a war memoir written by US Army Lt. Col Anthony Shaffer and subsequently burned them because they were deemed to be “a threat to national security.” The publisher was paid almost $50,000 of taxpayer dollars for printing costs before the book was pulled from the press.

A second, edited version of the book is going to be released; Operation Dark Heart: Spycraft and Special Ops on the Frontlines of Afghanistan, with some portions blocked out.

The New York Times acquired a copy of the book previous to the Pentagon pulling it from the publishers. The Times described the book as “a breezily written, first-person account of Colonel Shaffer’s five months in Afghanistan in 2003.” Wikileaks is said to release a copy soon.

These actions should be met with scrutiny by journalists and American citizens. Is the government trying to cover up unlawful actions taken during war? It definitely wouldn’t be the first time.

-Kate Aronson