NEW YORK -- As the U.S. military prepares for war overseas, its most troublesome personnel policy is under escalating attack at home.
Ten years after President Clinton proposed it, the "don't ask, don't tell" policy remains in place - an awkward compromise that allows gay men and lesbians to serve in uniform as long as they keep quiet about their sexual orientation.
Some conservatives yearn to reinstate the previous policy, which made clear that homosexuals were not welcome in the ranks. From the opposite flank, there is greater pressure than ever to allow gays to serve openly, as is the practice in most NATO countries.
