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Asking for your opinion on war dead photos wads - 23/04/2004 08:21:38 AM

it's been elsewhere, but.....from the BBC....


Pentagon fury at war dead photos


The Pentagon says the ban is to protect soldiers' families
The Pentagon has reacted angrily to the publication on US websites of photos of America's war dead arriving home.
Defence officials had banned publicity of the return of bodies from Iraq, but were forced to release images after a freedom-of-information court action.

Photos of coffins at the main military mortuary appeared on the web, prompting a Pentagon information crackdown.

Meanwhile, a US cargo worker has been fired after her photo of flag-draped coffins was used by a US newspaper.

Tami Silicio, 50, was dismissed by military contractor Maytag Aircraft Corp after she sent the photo to a friend who, with her permission, gave it to The Seattle Times for publication.

Since the beginning of the war, the media has been banned from Dover Air Force base in Delaware - the US military's largest mortuary - where the coffins of American soldiers have been arriving.

But photographs of flag-draped coffins were released last week to activist Russ Kick, who filed a Freedom of Information Act request to receive the images.

Renewed ban

After Mr Kick posted more than 350 photographs on his website, the memoryhole.org, the Pentagon barred further release of the images to media outlets.

"The photos will not be released through Air Force channels," said Air Force spokeswoman Lieutenant Colonel Jennifer Cassidy, who added that requests for their release could be made under the same act.

"They're not happy with the release of the photos," said Dover Air Force base spokesman Col Jon Anderson of the Pentagon.

Defence officials said the purpose of the ban was to protect the privacy of soldiers' families.

"Quite frankly, we don't want the remains of our service members who have made the ultimate sacrifice to be the subject of any kind of attention that is unwarranted or undignified," John Molino, a deputy undersecretary of defence, was quoted by the Associated Press as saying.

But the practice is widely criticised.

"We need to stop hiding the deaths of our young," said Jane Bright of California, who lost a son in combat last year. "We need to be open about their deaths."


I must admit that I don't understand this. It smacks to me of being far more like censorship than anything else. Protecting victims families? Who knows who is in the coffin anyway? I really do tend to believe it has far more to do with trying to keep war support up and less to do with any concern for the families of the soldiers. However, I would like to hear other opinions on this. Perhaps I am missing something.


wads

Onwards the Aussie Spam Invasion!
TwoWongs rocks my world
campaiging for vitamin S
Quai Master is my muffin

here it is




here it is
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Asking for your opinion on war dead photos - 23/04/2004 08:21:38 AM 276 Views
No, I agree with you... - 23/04/2004 08:32:25 AM 37 Views
ummmmm....what's the problem? - 23/04/2004 08:46:15 AM 32 Views
no problem - 23/04/2004 08:54:32 AM 37 Views
ummm........ - 23/04/2004 09:02:46 AM 28 Views
to add one thing..... - 23/04/2004 09:12:15 AM 23 Views
I did.. I agreed with you. - 23/04/2004 09:22:48 AM 25 Views
Re: no problem - 23/04/2004 09:08:12 AM 25 Views
Re: no problem - 23/04/2004 09:13:25 AM 18 Views
Re: no problem - 23/04/2004 09:34:03 AM 21 Views
How many soldiers? *NM* - 23/04/2004 09:39:24 AM 5 Views
Re: How many soldiers? - 23/04/2004 09:49:06 AM 17 Views
850 I believe. - 23/04/2004 05:34:53 PM 9 Views
I'll answer as well, seeing as every one else is - 23/04/2004 09:50:56 AM 21 Views
It is baffling. - 23/04/2004 10:21:37 AM 18 Views
Very much so - 23/04/2004 10:24:38 AM 16 Views
Extremely so - 23/04/2004 10:32:09 AM 16 Views
The reason is simple. - 23/04/2004 10:18:46 AM 20 Views
It affects me... - 24/04/2004 01:50:29 AM 4 Views
Hmmm... - 23/04/2004 10:05:35 AM 21 Views
well - 23/04/2004 10:19:11 AM 13 Views
Yes - 23/04/2004 10:29:07 AM 12 Views
It's this sort of reminder... - 23/04/2004 11:38:56 AM 9 Views
Re: well - 23/04/2004 11:55:19 AM 11 Views
Re: well - 23/04/2004 11:58:27 AM 7 Views
Re: well - 23/04/2004 02:48:32 PM 8 Views
Re: well - 24/04/2004 05:29:03 AM 6 Views
American politics is world politics. It affects the world. - 23/04/2004 05:32:05 PM 6 Views
I agree : censorship - 23/04/2004 08:59:23 AM 15 Views
I am also baffled... - 23/04/2004 08:59:37 AM 16 Views
Sticking one's head in the sand. - 23/04/2004 09:17:52 AM 12 Views
Most likely... - 23/04/2004 10:03:58 AM 14 Views
They showed Diana dying. - 23/04/2004 10:16:00 AM 24 Views
What did they show of Diana? - 23/04/2004 02:10:37 PM 9 Views
This may be controversal...it may not. - 23/04/2004 12:32:41 PM 29 Views
Doubtfully. - 23/04/2004 12:49:38 PM 16 Views
And - 23/04/2004 12:53:46 PM 11 Views
Oh, and also. - 23/04/2004 12:56:18 PM 11 Views
That sounds like a very right wing speech, justifying anything - 23/04/2004 12:59:45 PM 16 Views
That's because it is one. - 23/04/2004 01:04:10 PM 12 Views
I agree - 23/04/2004 02:50:01 PM 9 Views
I don't think you can prejudge what families would think - 23/04/2004 03:26:05 PM 15 Views
I think its been policy since WWI *NM* - 23/04/2004 11:02:47 PM 2 Views
Seeing those coffins makes me more likely - 23/04/2004 04:29:39 PM 8 Views
I agree with you. That's a very transparent excuse for censorship. *NM* - 23/04/2004 05:26:25 PM 2 Views
The photos can be viewed both ways, I know that. - 23/04/2004 05:29:26 PM 11 Views
They are trying to hide the cost (and horror) of war - 24/04/2004 06:46:42 AM 4 Views