February 24, 1991: The ground war begins. Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney announces that press briefings in Washington and Saudi Arabia will be suspended until further notice to protect the troops. The New York Times describes the move as "the latest, and possibly most troubling, example of Defense Secretary Dick Cheney's efforts to control the flow of information from Washington." With the ground war progressing faster than expected, the Pentagon lifts the news blackout the following day.