FOIA request prompts Army to restore Internet library

The largest online library of U.S. Army manuals and publications will restore public access to its site within the next two weeks, after it was put behind a password-protected firewall Feb. 6.

A major from the U.S. Army said in a Feb. 21 e-mail to the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) that service to the Reimer Digital Library will resume to the way it was before Feb. 6 when a system security upgrade was installed.

FAS filed a Freedom of Information Request Feb. 13, stressing that the documents the Army blocked were records that had been specifically declared open. Steven Aftergood, the director of the FAS’ Project on Government Secrecy, said the e-mail was a direct response to the organization’s records request.

“If it comes to pass, it will be a great testament to the power of the Freedom of Information Act,” Aftergood said.

The Army said in the e-mail that its intent was to protect sensitive information, not to block public access to the site.