A BBC story on Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai has some troubling observations about the Afghan national government's commitment to freedom of the press.
An excerpt:
... This week there was another sign of a government on the defensive, as media restrictions were the talk of Kabul.
The media has thrived in Afghanistan in recent yearsA list that could have been taken straight from a Soviet handbook of press manipulation was delivered by the country's intelligence agency to the majority of broadcasters and publishers.
It may have been shrugged off as unofficial, but this was not some maverick intelligence official pushing his luck - it's pretty clear this came from above.
Whether it was just testing the water, or a way of intimidating the free press, which has thrived over the past few years, it was a clear indication the government is shaken by the reports of the numbers of dead and injured coming from the south.
Taleban commanders have been interviewed and there are scenes of violence - bombs and bodies - on the news most nights. This is affecting "the national morale", as the press advice put it.
"Terrorist acts should not lead news bulletins," was one rule; another was not to present the military as weak.
Mr Karzai was given the chance to reject the press restrictions out of hand, but didn't, instead choosing to support freedom of speech as a pillar of democracy, while adding that national security was the most important factor for the media to consider.
An aide commented on how the Chinese media were severely restricted during the president's trip, but it wasn't altogether clear whether he was condoning it, or admiring the system.