Pentagon dismisses top editors from its newspaper 'Stars and Stripes'

The Pentagon has dismissed editor-in-chief Eric Slavin, publisher Max Lederer, and Middle East correspondent Lara Cortez from 'Stars and Stripes'. Journalists believe the dismissals were triggered by critical reporting on the Middle East situation and the difficult conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, which spent a record nine months at sea. Slavin said he was fired for a CBS interview in which he stated he works for the newspaper, not the Pentagon, and does not accept censorship, calling the situation a 'shame for the department and service members'.