The editor of Stars and Stripes (the editorially independent newspaper serving US military personnel, partially funded by the Pentagon) has been fired, along with a Middle East reporter and the publication's publisher. Editor Terry Slavin and reporter Lara Korte say their dismissals, officially for insubordination, stem from an interview they gave to CBS last month, while publisher Max Lederer had announced his retirement citing fundamental differences with the Pentagon over the paper's mission. The firings have drawn sharp criticism from the National Press Club, whose president called it "another brazen attempt by the Pentagon to dictate coverage of the military," raising fresh alarm about press freedom at a time when the Pentagon has held no press conferences since May and has moved to restrict journalist access to its facilities.