'Don't ask, don't tell' is back in US military

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Defense Department declared Thursday that the so-called "don't ask, don't tell" law once again is the military's law of the land but set up a new system that could make it tougher to be removed from the service for being openly gay.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates ordered that all dismissals under the 1993 law must now be decided by one of the four service secretaries in consultation with the military's general counsel and his personnel chief.

Defense officials said the change was not intended to slow down the rate of discharges. In his memo, Gates wrote that the purpose of narrowing down those in charge was to "ensure uniformity and care in the …