WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- The Bush administration is being accused of trying to muzzle a former senior U.S. National Security Council official's writings on Iran policy.
The allegations came from Flynt Leverett, a former CIA analyst who became a senior director for Middle East policy for the National Security Council before quitting in 2003.
Leverett told The Washington Post he wrote an article critical of U.S. President George Bush's approach to Iran several weeks ago for the Century Foundation. The item was cleared by the CIA as not containing classified information.
Most recently, he wrote an opinion piece for The New York Times he said was a summary of the earlier piece but it was censored for containing classified information.
"The White House is using the rubric of protecting classified information, not to protect classified information but to limit the dissemination of the views of someone who is very critical of their approach to Iran policy," Leverett said.
NSC spokesman Gordon Johndroe denied there was political censorship at play but rather the CIA had erred by clearing the first paper, the Post said.
