Restrictions Yes, No Restrictions

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Coast Guard denies CNN Anderson Cooper's report on media restrictions

Strange --- That's what I call the Unified Area Command - Deepwater Horizon Response to my previous blog post about the media restrictions and 65 feet exclusion zone imposed by the command on the media.

I met Anderson Cooper once and have followed his coverage during Hurricane Katrina and during the entire BP oil gushing volcano disaster. I will say one thing about Cooper --- He is not prone to making things up or exaggeration in his reporting. I know from both personal experience and watching his reporting for several years that Cooper has the highest level of reporting integrity and accuracy.

I was shocked to hear CNN's Anderson Cooper reporting on severe media restrictions imposed by the Unified Command. I personally followed up with colleagues who are back in the gulf coast who verified that the restrictions Cooper reported are in place.

Listen again to Cooper's report and read the Unified Area Command - Deepwater Horizon Response's response and my response to them. Note that the Unified Command responded in a post to the comments section of my blog.

CNN'S ANDERSON COOPER REVEALS FULL MEDIA RESTRICTION AND ACCESS BY COAST GUARD

Official response from Unified Area Command - Deepwater Horizon Response

I am serving at the Unified Command as part of the Deepwater Horizon Response effort.

A few weeks ago, we announced that boom vandalism was becoming a significant issue in our on-water effectiveness http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doc/2931/671091/.

The response we received from the general public was positive, with many sharing our PSA on social networks.

Unfortunately, vandalism of boom has not stopped. Action was required to ensure our operations achieve maximum effectiveness. As a result, the Coast Guard introduced a safety zone around boom to prevent vandalism and to protect the members and equipment of the response effort by limiting access to, and through, deployed protective boom.

Here is the URL to the release that announced the safety zone: http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doc/2931/726955/.

I want to be clear - media has NEVER been denied access.

Petty Officer Rachel Polish Unified Area Command - Deepwater Horizon Response

My response to Petty Officer Rachel Polish:

Petty Officer Rachel Polish, Unified Area Command - Deepwater Horizon Response

Dear Petty Officer Polish,

I'll call my media colleagues at CNN and inform them of your rationale. Would you be so kind as to reach out AC360 producers David Doss and Charles Moore or better Anderson Cooper himself? When you schedule a segment w/ Anderson, could you send out a media advisory? I am sure Mr. Cooper would be thrilled to have you.

At this point, there is NO evidence that there is NO media blackout. I am still waiting for the results of my FOIA request also.

Yours truly,

Yobie Benjamin