FT: Bush accused of sanitising the Iraq war

[Say_What]

<clips>

America's war dead became the subject of an election year argument on Friday as John Kerry took issue with the Bush administration's bar on the publication of photographs of soldiers' coffins wrapped in the Stars and Stripes.
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"Truth is on the line in this election," the Democratic challenger told a meeting in Washington of the American Society of Newspaper Editors.

"We see the haunting images of our soldiers loading flag-draped coffins . . . Those images are paired with a story about a husband and wife who took photos to show the world the touching way we honour our fallen and they were fired for their openness and honesty."

President George W. Bush stood behind the Pentagon's order to prohibit any media coverage of the return of fallen US soldiers in Iraq.

"In all of this, we must pay attention to the privacy and to the sensitivity of the families of the fallen . . . and that has to be the utmost concern," said Trent Duffy, a White House spokesman.

More than 700 US soldiers have been killed in Iraq since the conflict began.

<http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1079420579698&p=1012571727162>

[pinto]

1. just heard a snip on Olberman's show (MSNBC) thought it was powerful and

to the emotional point....I'm mean, it rang true.

[JoFerret]

2. Language. Pay attention to language

start with fallen.

[Eric J in MN]

3. Say_What - where did you get that picture? (nt)

nt

[Say_What]

4. Circulated on another board...free to take--distribute far and wide :-)

:-) :bounce:

[Say_What]

5. Similar ones are popping up all over the place on DU

<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=1461815&mesg_id=1461815>

[yardwork]

6. The WH excuse is "privacy" for the families of the dead....

but the families say they aren't allowed to attend the arrival of the remains. The coffins are unloaded with only a few soldiers present. No families. No mourners. No president.

How can an image of dozens of identical flag-draped coffins invade anybody's privacy?

The privacy that is invaded is that of the White House, which is attempting to wage a war in secret.

Scalia says there is no guarantee of privacy in the Constitution. Apparently there IS a guarantee of privacy for our rulers, er, elected officials.

That's not my Constitution.

[Timefortruth]

8. Privacy is a red herring.

But the media won't call it what it is, censorship.

[54anickel]

7. I've noticed how most of the articles don't get into the history of the

media ban. Why do you suppose that is? I did find this one on mtv.com

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1486557/20040423/index.jhtml?headlines=true

snip>
The ban on media coverage of the returning remains of soldiers killed overseas began during the first Gulf War. "The current policy goes back to 1991," Deputy Under Secretary of Defense John Molino told reporters on Thursday. "It's a policy that reflects what the families have told us they would like by way of the treatment of remains of the loved ones who have made that sacrifice," a sentiment that has been supported by the National Military Family Association.

However, critics suspect that the ban has its origins in an incident involving the president during the first Gulf War. Television networks used a split screen to air footage of returning coffins during a press conference held in 1991 by President George Bush. The elder Bush was allegedly very angered, as he was seen laughing at one point as the other side of the screen showed the unloading of military coffins.
/snip>


I wonder what NMFA really thinks about this. There's nothing on their site http://www.nmfa.org/

[Say_What]

9. "split screen to air footage of returning coffins during press conference"

well, there you have it. Hope they do that with 43 as well, the POS

How about the deaths of Iraqi children? They try their best to censor how many civilians are dead too. Democracy NOW! on 4/12 said 1,000 dead in Fallujah!

[54anickel]

10. Wow! Now THAT'S a moving picture. Interesting site it came from as well

I'll have to spend some time on this one.
Thanks for posting.

[Say_What]

13. Letters from Military Families

http://www.mfso.org/

<clips>

Dear Mr. Bush,

In response to head weapons inspector David Kay's statement that he believes there are and were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq (Associated Press), you are quoted as saying, "There is no doubt in my mind that Saddam Hussein was a grave and gathering threat to America and the world is better off without him."

My beloved son Brian died for your red herring in the sand. He was an honorable, restrained, talented, caring man, and the world would be better off with him alive and well. He resigned his commission in the Illinois National Guard when assigned to duty in Iraq as a matter of conscience. He served nonetheless, and he bled for 1/2 hour in the desert sand before any help arrived, though the helicopter he was flying was only 5 minutes off the ground when it crashed, according to witnesses.

After his death, I received two letters from him telling me he hoped to be home in April, 2004. On Christmas day I visited his grave. He did not give his life. It was cruelly taken from him by your rush to war -- against the United Nations, old allies like France and Germany, western religions' "Just War Doctrine," the entire Arab world, and most civilized nations.

You inherited peace and prosperity and created murder, mayhem, and massive debt. According to the ongoing investigation of the helicopter crash that took Brian's and 15 other American lives, the Illinois National Guard aircraft were sent into the field without basic survivability equipment, to accommodate your "shoot and bomb first, think and investigate later" brand of foreign policy. We don't need a trigger happy president.

Finders keepers, losers weepers. While we who have lost our loved ones have only tears to fill the empty space where love and laughter lived, you and your Halliburton cronies have found the oil wells and will undoubtedly keep your blood stained gains. Our sorrow, your gain. Brian was conscientious; someone wasn't. Brian was faithful; someone wasn't. Brian was thoughtful; someone wasn't. Brian was considerate; someone wasn't. Brian was truthful; someone isn't. Brian wasn't sloppy. Someone is.

Sincerely,
Rosemarie Dietz Slavenas



MARIANE BROWN of South Haven holds pictures of her sons, soldier Michael Shepard and Robert Brown, in protest of the war in Iraq. Area residents gather weekly at the post office in South Haven to show their feelings in a peace vigil. Becky Burkert / H-P staff

[54anickel]

15. Wow, certainly a different group than what Shrub is hiding behind,

isn't it? These are real people instead of some bueracracy that seems more like a PAC or lobbyist.

[Say_What]

12. Military Families Speak Out--Demonstrated outside Dover in March

From a google search, not sure if the link will work, the the link to the Military Families Speak Out works and has great letters to Bush: http://www.mfso.org/

<clips>

Published on Monday, March 15, 2004 by Agence France Presse
Relatives of US Soldiers Killed in Iraq Protest Outside US Base

DOVER, United States - Some 600 protesters, many of them relatives of US soldiers killed in Iraq or currently on duty in the region, marched against the war outside Dover Air Force Base in the northeastern state of Delaware.

One of the marchers, Fernando Suarez del Solar, said that he was "very disillusioned" with the US government of President George W. Bush.

"Bush lies and who dies?" he asked. "My son, Jesus Suarez del Solar Navarro."

Marchers line up outside the north gate of Dover Air Force Base, Sunday, March 14, 2004, in Dover, Del. Marchers gathered to honor those killed and wounded in Iraq. The group planned to form a funeral procession to Baltimore on Sunday night, then march from Walter Reed Hospital in Washington to the White House on Monday. (AP Photo/Gary Emeigh)


The Marine lance corporal was killed in Iraq on March 27, 2003.

For Bush "to get involved in an illegal war and to play with the emotions of the American people with 9-11 (September 11, 2001) for politics is wrong," he said.

The march was organized by Military Families Speak Out, a group made up of people with relatives in the military, as well as the group Veterans for Peace.

The bodies of dead US soldiers are flown into Dover, a base that has the military's largest mortuary. The government however has been reluctant to let cameras record airplanes unloading coffins, and reluctant to let news reporters interview personnel wounded in Iraq.

Another marcher, Al McLaine, said he had 10 relatives in Iraq -- including his son, an army captain, who he said is "behind us 100 percent."

"What Bush calls the war on terrorism is an impossible war because terrori

<&imgrefurl=http://www.ccmep.org/2002_articles/Iraq/102702_pictures_of_anti.htm&h=300&w=224&sz=20&tbnid=ifFmwQ5RjfsJ:&tbnh=109&tbnw=82&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcoffins%2B%252Biraq%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8>

[54anickel]

11. NBC exec producer hits it on the head -

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=460252004

snip>

Steve Capus, executive producer of NBC news, commented: "It would seem that the only reason somebody would come out against the use of these pictures is that they are worried about the political fallout."

The government’s attitude to the photographs contrasted markedly with the return this week of the soldiers who captured Saddam.

The men from the 4th Infantry Division burst through the doors of a hanger at Fort Hood, Texas, in a cloud of dry ice, to be welcomed by family and friends.

It was the sort of stage-managed homecoming that the Pentagon and White House tend to prefer.

/snip>


I didn't catch the story on the return of the 4th Infantry.

[Say_What]

14. Political fallout indeed!!

and this quote was good too. By the looks of all the pix at the memoryhole site, the Iraq dead arrivals happen at night as well. Just a few in daylights.

During the Vietnam War, the Pentagon, in an effort to minimise the adverse impact such pictures might have on public morale, ensured that flights carrying the remains of dead servicemen arrived in the middle of the night.

[54anickel]

16. I haven't been able to get the memory hole site to come up for the

last couple of days. :-(

[Say_What]

18. There's a mirror site that I saw posted on DU earlier today.

Try this--it worked for me...

http://www.thememoryhole.org/war/coffin_photos/dover/

[54anickel]

19. Thanks! That works a little better, just had to hit refresh a couple of

times to get there.

[AlCzervik]

17. OK, the only ones besides

us and other normal americans that are saying this is the Foreign press. So far it's FT, the Independent and i think the guardian. Whats wrong with this picture?