Don't+ask+Don't+Tell

 President Obama… signed a certification of Congress "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy banning gay men and women from serving openly in the military, setting the stage for the Clinton-era policy. Obama… undermines our military readiness and violates American principles of fairness and equality. The policy will not be formal… until September 20 because the legislation passed by Congress late last year requires a 60-day waiting period between the certification by Mr. Obama and military leaders... Both Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen also certified that the military was prepared... The certification follows a review period in which the military engaged in training and regulatory review and assessed the impact of implementation on readiness. In his statement, the president commended civilian and military leadership "for moving forward in the careful and deliberate manner that this change requires, especially with our nation at war." "As Commander in Chief, I have always been confident that our.. women in uniform would transition to a new policy in an orderly manner that preserves unit cohesion, recruitment, retention and military effectiveness," Obama said. "... As of September 20, service members will… be forced to hide who they are in order to serve our country. Our military will… be deprived of the talents and skills of patriotic Americans just because they happen to be gay or lesbian."

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