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Newspaper drops backing of Pentagon 9/11 event

WASHINGTON — The Washington Post, concerned that an event organized by the Pentagon to remember victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks could become a political rally for the war in Iraq, said Tuesday it has dropped its sponsorship.

The newspaper noted in a Tuesday article that it had told the Defense Department it would no longer provide free advertising for the event. Instead, the paper said, it would donate to a special fund for a two-acre memorial honoring the 184 people who died in the attack on the Pentagon.

"As it appears that this event could become politicized, the Post has decided to honor the Washington area victims of 9/11 by making a contribution directly to the Pentagon Memorial Fund," said Post spokesman Eric Grant. "It is the Post's practice to avoid activities that might lead readers to question the objectivity of the Post's news coverage."

The Pentagon's "Freedom Walk" from the Pentagon to the National Mall, to take place on the fourth anniversary of the attacks, was announced by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld at an Aug. 9 briefing. It is scheduled to culminate in a concert by country singer Clint Black, whose recent recordings include the pro-war anthem "I Raq and Roll."

The Pentagon said in a statement, "It is unfortunate that the Washington Post has made this decision not to support the Freedom Walk, but we welcome their donation to the Pentagon Memorial Fund. Everyone in America will pay tribute and commemorate this important day in different ways."

"This is not a statement about the war in Iraq or about any policy decisions," Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for internal communications and public liaison, had said previously. "This is a statement about, 'We remember we came under attack, and we're grateful for our men and women in the military who volunteer to serve our country.' "

The Post's decision came after days of heated discussions at the newspaper, culminating in the adoption of a resolution by Post representatives to the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild protesting the newspaper's involvement.

"Post news employees are subject to disciplinary action for participating in political activities that may be perceived as revelatory of personal opinions or bias," the resolution stated. "The Washington Post should be held to the same high standard.

"The Guild supports the Post's stated intention of honoring the nation's veterans, including those who served in Iraq. But the Post undermines this goal by lending its support to a political event that links the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks to the war in Iraq — a link that the Post, in its reporting, has shown to be false."

Growing opposition to the war in Iraq has prompted antiwar musicians to organize "Operation Ceasefire," a plan for a 10-hour music festival on the Washington Monument grounds as part of a three-day war protest beginning Sept. 24.

Scott Shepard's e-mail address is sshepard(at)coxnews.com.