Diaries of Danger

Today, The National Post, a Canadian newspaper, did a front page feature on Canadian milbloggers, written by Seri Agrell.

Canadian milbloggers.....Now thats a rarity! Milblogging has not caught on with Canadian forces in general, and those that do exist, do not offer up the same kind of intense and evocative topics that American milblogs provide their loyal audiences with.

The story features Capt Martin Anderson's blog, written while he served in Afghanistan.

On July 28th, a message from a man called Tariq appreaed on his blog. While not directly threatening, the message included a comment that could be perceived as a "warning".

This, along with the potential security threat posed by blogging soldiers, prompted the Canadian Forces to order soldiers not to post sensitive information in blogs, emails, or online chats. Interesting to note that in Afghanistan, the computer access of Canadian soldiers is confined to a truck that can be shut down instantly, providing an element of control, not so readily available to American Commanders.

The article goes on to say that the USDef Dept has adopted different and less honour based system aimed a regulating what milbloggers say,which as we know includes having them register their blogs with their units, and making them subject to quarterly checks for OPSEC viloations.

This article also references the Wired piece, by John Hockenberry, Blogs of War, and quotes a recent entry by Neil Prakash, as well as a very recent entry by Capt Danjel Bout.

Ahh...fame grows!!! LOL!

While there is no official monitoring policy of Canadian milblogs, the new policy makes it clear that someone is listening! "We make the assumption that the enemy is smart and has the capacity, if not the willingness, to listen to what we're saying, whether it be in the e-mail I write my wife, or the phone calls I make back home", siad Lt-Col Anderson.(Not related to Capt Anderson)

The idea that a soldier could unintentionally tip off the enemy has Capt Anderson nervous. He feels its only a matter of time, before the Canadian Military also requires blogs to be registered.

It became very clear to the Canadian brass, as well as to Capt Anderson, that the enemy was reading what he was writing, and " he's reading what a couple of others are writing, and he's starting to put things together"

Milblogs are a much needed counterpoint to an all too liberal biased MSM, hellbent on allowing their hatred for Pres Bush, Republicans, and their myopic love of all dictators paint an unfair picture of the war on terror; but it would be prudent for both American and Canadian milbloggers to pay heed to Capt Anderson when he says " its never just what you've done, its what a collection of people have done, that provides the information that allows formulated plans to take shape".

We can't afford to have our milblogs turn into Diaries of Danger.