DoD Blocks Afghan War Book

Afghan war book delayed over 'classified' material

10 September 2010 - A former Army intelligence officer's attorney is questioning whether a new Defense Department security review of his client's memoir on the Afghanistan war is a retaliatory move that has forced a delay in the book's publication.

Anthony A. Shaffer's book "Operation Dark Heart: Spycraft and Special Ops on the Frontlines of Afghanistan -- And the Path to Victory" was to be released by St. Martin's Press on Aug. 31. Shaffer's lawyer, Mark Zaid, says the Army Reserve cleared the manuscript for publication before it went to press.

However, Zaid says the Defense Department rescinded the approval shortly before publication, claiming the text contained classified information. About 9,000 copies of the book now sit in a warehouse.

A cleared version is back on press with sections blacked out by defense officials. Its publication date is unclear. {read more}