Reader email with Col. Boylan (1 of 2)
Dear Mr. Greenwald,
For your information. You're more than welcome to use/publish any of it, but I'd ask that you remove my name and email address.
It's deeply disturbing to me that this man has nothing better to do than correspond with me while Iraq burns. Thanks for bringing his strange behavior--which I sincerely hope will be curbed as a result of the publicity--to light.
Best regards,
xxxx xxxxx
________________________________
-----Original Message-----
From: xxxxx, xx
Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 7:14 PM
To: Boylan, Steven COL MNF-I CMD GRP CG PAO
Cc: Petraeus, David GEN MNF-I CMD GRP CG
Subject: Your improper behavior
Colonel Boylan,
First, a reminder that I am a U.S. citizen and taxpayer, and that I
therefore subsidize your salary. As such, I expect you to keep your
political biases to yourself. You are charged with the protection of all
Americans, and if you don't like it, you should retire immediately.
I am the granddaughter of two Colonels (one Air Force and one Army), so
I am familiar with the conduct required of officers. In what is either
your deeply inappropriate, highly political, unsolicited communication
with journalists like Glenn Greenwald with whom you disagree or a
failure on your part to investigate the misuse of your email address--a
very serious matter, indeed--yours falls well outside of the acceptable
range.
Since you appear to need a reminder, you should be focusing your energy
on our war with Iraq, not your own personal war with American
journalists. You evidently need also to be reminded that the Alien &
Sedition Act was repealed quite some time ago, and that in America,
speech--especially by the press, who serve as a check on what would
otherwise be unfettered government power of the sort we are purportedly
in Iraq to fight against--is protected. I am deeply troubled by the
recent, disturbing tendency on the part of so-called "patriots" in our
country to flout the Constitution, and I can't imagine that any action
short of dismissal is appropriate in your case.
As your employer, I ask that you either stop behaving in such a
blatantly political way or step down immediately. I have no faith
whatsoever in your ability to do the job I'm paying for adequately. You
clearly disagree with American values generally, and as such, have no
place in a role of such importance in our military.
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald//index.html
With great disgust,
xxxxxx xxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxx, xxx
________________________________
From: Boylan, Steven COL MNF-I CMD GRP CG PAO
[mailto:steven.boylan@iraq.centcom.mil ]
Sent: Tue 10/30/07 11:08 AM
To: xxxx, xxxxx
Cc: Petraeus, David GEN MNF-I CMD GRP CG
Subject: RE: Your improper behavior
Dear Mx. xxxxxx,
Thank you for taking the time to express your concerns.
As I have explained to Mr. Greenwald over the past couple of days, I did
not send him the email and my first contact with him since the
mid-summer was when he sent an email to me asking for authentication. I
explained to him that I had not sent the email.
In fact, based on the date/time on the email that he sent to me, it was
while I was not in my office or even at work since it was a Sunday
morning early. Since we do not have an early morning briefing, which is
the one day that I can take a little bit longer to get into the office.
The email that was sent also has errors concerning my career which also
indicates that whoever sent it if in fact it was really ever sent and I
have my doubts, does not completely know my career timeline.
Lastly, I do not read Mr. Greenwald's postings as I find that they are
just that, his opinions and therefore would not have any reason to email
him.
I can assure you that I am completely focused on the duties here in
Baghdad and also am very removed from the political discussions and go
to great lengths to ensure that remains the case.
Again, thank you for your letter and concern.
Respectfully,
Colonel Steven Boylan
________________________________
From: xxxxx, xxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 8:25 PM
To: Boylan, Steven COL MNF-I CMD GRP CG PAO
Cc: Petraeus, David GEN MNF-I CMD GRP CG
Subject: RE: Your improper behavior
What you continually refuse to address, Col. Boylan, is the extremely
serious proposition that if you did not, as you claim, send the email in
question, someone else must have. That should raise a rather loud alarm,
don't you think? I know it does for me, given the heightened risk at
which we find ourselves as the result of our misplaced aggression in the
Middle East.
I can only assume, evidently, that you are doing the right thing and
ensuring the forging and/or abuse of a U.S. military email address--that
of an officer in Iraq, no less--is investigated and that the perpetrator
is brought to justice.
____________________________________
From: Boylan, Steven COL MNF-I CMD GRP CG PAO [mailto:steven.boylan@iraq.centcom.mil]
Sent: Tue 10/30/07 11:35 AM
To: xxxxxx, xxxxx
Cc: Petraeus, David GEN MNF-I CMD GRP CG
Subject: RE: Your improper behavior
Mx. xxxxx,
I can assure you that I am taking this seriously, but do not feel that
it is appropriate to discuss with those not here and especially those
that are posting to a blog site.
Again, I have my serious doubts that any of what has been said is real
and I have no reason to engage Mr. Greenwald. I am checking into this
matter. I have been called many things over the years and when those
that do not agree with the information we (I) have provided in the past,
the blogosphere is a venue that is used to go after those that they set
their sights upon.
Respectfully,
Colonel Steven Boylan
-----Original Message-----
From: xxxxxxx, xxx
Sent: Tue 10/30/07 12:07 PM
To: Boylan, Steven COL MNF-I CMD GRP CG PAO
Cc: Petraeus, David GEN MNF-I CMD GRP CG
Subject: RE: Your improper behavior
Mr. Greenwald is a lawyer and, though perhaps not by you, a well-respected journalist. Yet you have doubts that he's telling the truth about the email he received? What on earth would his motivation be?
It should be simple for IT professionals in the military to examine its servers and determine whether there has indeed been a security breach in the hijacking of a military officer's email address. I wouldn't expect for a moment that you would discuss such an investigation with me or anyone outside the military, but as an American citizen, it's important to me that you are taking such a potential breach seriously. That you mistrust Mr. Greenwald should not prevent that.
Thank you for your responses and for your consideration of my concerns.
posted by Glenn Greenwald | 7:47 AM
<< Home