NEW YORK - The government is demanding that the American Civil Liberties Union turn over a classified document that the civil rights group said would be embarrassing to the government and pertains to the war against terrorism.

The ACLU filed papers under seal in U.S. District Court this week seeking a judicial order letting it keep the 3 1/2-page document, issued in December 2005, which it said "provides a set of general policy guidelines on a matter of long-standing concern to the ACLU."