WASHINGTON – The Pentagon has issued new rules to make it harder for the US military to discharge gay personnel, an interim step to ease enforcement of the existing “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy while Congress considers repealing it.
Defence secretary Robert Gates said the directives were the result of a 45-day review of what the Pentagon could do in the short term within the confines of existing law to allow implementation in a “fair and more appropriate manner”.
He said the goal was to bring “a greater measure of common sense and common decency to a process for handling what are difficult and complex issues for all involved”.
President Barack Obama called for the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” in his State of the Union address in January, putting a spotlight on a controversial issue before congressional elections in November.
Many gay activists were frustrated last year that Mr Obama had not moved quickly to carry out a promise to overturn the policy, which bars homosexuals from serving openly in the military. Gays and lesbians strongly backed Mr Obama during his 2008 presidential campaign.
The directives from Mr Gates, who has repeatedly voiced caution against moving too quickly, raised the rank of those allowed to launch investigations against suspected violators of “don’t ask, don’t tell”.
He also raised the level for what constitutes “credible” information to start an inquiry and curbed the use of testimony from medical professionals, lawyers and clergy members in discharge proceedings.
To limit expulsions of servicemen and women “outed” by third parties, the directives require their information to be given under oath. The use of “overheard statements and hearsay” will also be discouraged.
“These modifications will take effect immediately and will apply to all open and future cases,” Mr Gates said.
Critics say the Pentagon has been dragging its feet in response to Mr Obama’s call to repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell”. Mr Gates defended the Pentagon’s pace and warned against “risky” efforts advocated by some lawmakers to implement a moratorium or an outright repeal of the policy before the Pentagon completes a fuller review by December 1st.
While the top US military officer Admiral Mike Mullen has supported a repeal, several prominent officers and lawmakers have questioned lifting the ban at a time when the US military is stretched by wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
“There are a lot of unanswered questions in terms of the implementation of this,” Mr Gates told a news conference. “Doing it hastily is very risky and I think does not address some of the concerns that have been expressed.” – (Reuters)