Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Boston Globe
January 20, 2008 Computers
By Bryan Bender, Globe Staff
WASHINGTON - The military has warned soldiers not to use official computers to forward a chain e-mail that falsely accuses Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama of being a Muslim who attended a radical Muslim school, saying distribution of the information is a violation of Army regulations and constitutes unlawful political activity.
The memorandum, dated Thursday, went out after the discredited claims about Obama's background were sent from an Army computer to what appear to be thousands of Army personnel worldwide.
"Currently there is a Chain Email floating around with the Subject line: 'Who is Barack Obama,' " states the official warning, which was sent to all personnel who work for Army Medical Command, based in Fort Sam Houston, Texas. "Like virtually all chain e-mails this one is false."
Further, the official warning adds, distributing the e-mail using military computers is a violation of several Army regulations that state that government communications equipment must be used only for official purposes and that their misuse could be punished under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
Moreover, Army personnel were told that the political nature of the e-mail constitutes a violation of separate regulations that explicitly bar the military from engaging in any political activities while on duty, saying "the subject email falls under the realm of prohibited political activity."
A copy of the reprimand, which came from information technology managers at Army Medical Command, was obtained by the Globe.
The author of the message, reached by the Globe yesterday, confirmed its content.
One of the relevant regulations states that uniformed or civilian Defense Department employees cannot, among other things, "knowingly solicit or discourage the political activity of any person who has business with DoD; engage in political activity while on duty; and engage in political activity while in any Federal workplace."
The controversial e-mail that spreads the falsehoods about Obama's background begins by saying that this is "something that should be considered in your choice" for president.
Obama's biological father was raised a Muslim in Kenya, but Obama met him only once and there is no evidence he was a radical. Obama later had a stepfather who was a practicing Muslim in Indonesia, but he divorced his mother after three years and Obama never attended a radical Muslim school while he lived there.
Obama is a practicing Christian in the United Church of Christ and was sworn in as a US senator with a Bible, not a Koran, as asserted by the bogus e-mail.
Nevertheless, the falsehoods about Obama - whose middle name is Hussein - have been repeated on conservative talk radio for months.
The Army, for its part, felt the need to remind personnel that the charges are baseless and to alert them to be on the lookout for similar attacks in the coming months.
"In this emotion-charged election year expect to see an overabundance of similar chain emails from friends and foes alike in both your personal and government email inboxes," it concludes. "Just keep in mind that the government systems are for official use only."
January 20, 2008 Computers
By Bryan Bender, Globe Staff
WASHINGTON - The military has warned soldiers not to use official computers to forward a chain e-mail that falsely accuses Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama of being a Muslim who attended a radical Muslim school, saying distribution of the information is a violation of Army regulations and constitutes unlawful political activity.
The memorandum, dated Thursday, went out after the discredited claims about Obama's background were sent from an Army computer to what appear to be thousands of Army personnel worldwide.
"Currently there is a Chain Email floating around with the Subject line: 'Who is Barack Obama,' " states the official warning, which was sent to all personnel who work for Army Medical Command, based in Fort Sam Houston, Texas. "Like virtually all chain e-mails this one is false."
Further, the official warning adds, distributing the e-mail using military computers is a violation of several Army regulations that state that government communications equipment must be used only for official purposes and that their misuse could be punished under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
Moreover, Army personnel were told that the political nature of the e-mail constitutes a violation of separate regulations that explicitly bar the military from engaging in any political activities while on duty, saying "the subject email falls under the realm of prohibited political activity."
A copy of the reprimand, which came from information technology managers at Army Medical Command, was obtained by the Globe.
The author of the message, reached by the Globe yesterday, confirmed its content.
One of the relevant regulations states that uniformed or civilian Defense Department employees cannot, among other things, "knowingly solicit or discourage the political activity of any person who has business with DoD; engage in political activity while on duty; and engage in political activity while in any Federal workplace."
The controversial e-mail that spreads the falsehoods about Obama's background begins by saying that this is "something that should be considered in your choice" for president.
Obama's biological father was raised a Muslim in Kenya, but Obama met him only once and there is no evidence he was a radical. Obama later had a stepfather who was a practicing Muslim in Indonesia, but he divorced his mother after three years and Obama never attended a radical Muslim school while he lived there.
Obama is a practicing Christian in the United Church of Christ and was sworn in as a US senator with a Bible, not a Koran, as asserted by the bogus e-mail.
Nevertheless, the falsehoods about Obama - whose middle name is Hussein - have been repeated on conservative talk radio for months.
The Army, for its part, felt the need to remind personnel that the charges are baseless and to alert them to be on the lookout for similar attacks in the coming months.
"In this emotion-charged election year expect to see an overabundance of similar chain emails from friends and foes alike in both your personal and government email inboxes," it concludes. "Just keep in mind that the government systems are for official use only."