Obama Reviewing Ban On Photos Of Flag-Draped Coffins

Defense Secretary Robert Gates ordered a review Tuesday of a Pentagon policy banning media from taking pictures of flag-draped coffins of military dead, signaling he was open to overturning the policy to better honor fallen soldiers.

At least two Democratic senators have called on President Barack Obama to let news photographers attend ceremonies at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware and other military facilities when military remains are returned to the United States. Obama told reporters Monday he was reviewing the ban.

"If the needs of the families can be met, and the privacy concerns can be addressed, the more honor we can accord these fallen heroes, the better," Gates told reporters at a Pentagon news conference Tuesday. "So I'm pretty open to whatever the results of this review may be."

Gates said he initially asked for the ban to be reviewed a year ago, and was advised then that family members might feel uncomfortable with opening the ceremonies to media for privacy reasons or pressure to attend them despite financial costs.

"I think that looking at it again makes all kinds of sense," Gates said. "And we will do so, and I've put a fairly short deadline on that effort."

Shortly after Obama took office, Democratic Sens. John Kerry of Massachusetts and Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey also asked the White House to roll back the ban that was put in place in 1991 by President George H.W. Bush.

However, some exceptions to the policy were made, allowing the media to photograph coffins in some cases, until the administration of President George W. Bush and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In a Feb. 9 letter to Obama, Lautenberg said the Pentagon should develop a new policy to allow "respectful" media coverage while protecting the privacy of the victims and their families. Generally, the remains in the caskets are not publicly identified.

Story continues below

advertisement

"I respectfully urge you to work to bring an end to the misguided policies of the past that seek to hide the sacrifice of our soldiers and the public recognition and pride that should accompany it," Lautenberg wrote.

He said the George W. Bush administration "effectively censored images of flag-draped caskets from appearing in media coverage."

A leading military families group says the policy, enforced without exception during the administration of President George W. Bush, should let survivors of the dead decide whether photographers can record their return.

John Ellsworth, president of Military Families United who lost a son in Iraq in 2004, said the survivors should be able to decide whether the coffins should be photographed.

"We don't necessarily think it should be banned. I think they could modify it to give a little latitude to the families," Ellsworth said several weeks ago. "Some people want to celebrate the lives of their fallen, and share their fallen hero with the American people, while others want to hold them a little closer to the vest and keep it private. We should respect that.

"It shouldn't be up to the government to hide these images to the public," he said. "But at the same time, I don't know that we can allow the press to overstep the bounds of good taste in some of these instances."

A University of Delaware professor who unsuccessfully sued to force the government to release pictures of flag-draped coffins returning home said taxpayers should see the cost of war.

"Of course we respect the families, but none of these caskets is identified in any way and there's no invasion of privacy in the first place," said Ralph Begleiter, a professor at the University of Delaware and a former world affairs correspondent for CNN.

The fallen troops "died for all of us _ they died for the nation, they died for the cause," Begleiter said in a January interview. "It's a right for all Americans to pay their respects for those who made the sacrifice. It is not a right held exclusively for the families themselves."

___

Jakes reported from Ottawa, Canada.

Comments

[jackson1015]

We're often in denial about the life and death sacrifices we ask of our military. Photos make that sacrifice more real, less abstract. I think it's something we need to see and acknowledge.

[curlyfries]

Being a vet and my husband active duty, I seriously wonder why the governement doesn't ask the military members if they would want their coffins shown around the world on television. It has nothing to do with the military families, it should be up to the actual military members. I know that my family would want to see a picture of my coffin if it was coming back from war, but personally I wouldn't dare allow it. If that were me in that coffin, I would come and haunt whoever allowed it to happen. As I said, my personal feelings about it, but I am no longer active and I think it should be up to the military members themselves. I think that they should have a vote within the military only on this matter. After all, they are the ones making the ultimate sacrifice, not you.

[Texas Blue]

When they deploy, we embrace them with our love, and we hold them in our hearts.

As witness to their sacrifice, we should do no less upon their return to the country they loved.

Semper Fi,
Marine Mom

P.S. - I encourage you to watch a Sundance Film called "Taking Chance" airing on HBO on 2/21.

http://www.hbo.com/films/takingchance/

[LadyCroom]

It's not just about information. It's about standing up and honoring the men and women who died for us. In public. Out loud.

[Retrofuturistic]

All censorship is wrong. Bad things grow in the dark....

[grf67]

Lift the ban on casket photographs. The current ban dishonors the soldiers and their families. It is time that the country understood what these brave men and women are doing and understood the price of the Bush War.

[Aesthete]

The very first time I saw a flag-draped coffin, it contained the remains of a grade-school classmate's older brother, killed in Korea, and was flanked by a color guard. I had gone to the visitation to comfort my classmate but got yet another very real glimpse of the sacrifice of war. As a toddler, I had seen World War II veterans who had been blinded or were missing limbs on street corners or in front of shops whenever I was taken on an excursion downtown with my parents. Witnessing the fate of my classmate's brother brought home the reality of loss of young life in war.

[MaxxEliot]

Obama’s answer was very disappointing. What is there to review? The current policy to not allow media coverage is un-American and should be overturned. Period.

[wineandjazz]

You know, all of you have so many "demands" on this man it's insane. The very ones critizing every thing he says or does because it's not something that YOU would do are the very people that sat back quiet as a mouse when it came to Bush and all of his antics. Now you're catching up for staying silent for 8 years. Pack you patience people!

[MaxxEliot]

It is very American to be able to voice disagreement when one disagrees. If you have a problem with that too bad.

[marlainWA]

Obama if you don't want to hide the war from the public you must let them come back in the open. Were not asking for it to be on the 24 hr news, just not hiding from us. Bush brought them back with shame. You need to bring them back with respect.

[TaylorB95]

I think it should be up to the military families. It's an easy answer if you've never lost a loved one in the service, but I've read that some military families feel that they want the right to accept or decline...since the photos could be used exploitatively.

[meko]

I think that as long as there is no personally identifying information (which there isn't with photo of a flag-draped coffin). There's no reason not to make the photos available.

This is the cost of war and all Americans are responsible for these deaths.

[MNTom]

This is a no brainer. Just do it Obama.

[zeotrope]

Our neo-con government in Canada tried banning pictures of fallen Canadian soldiers. They quickly changed their minds over the public outcry. As they should, how dare they.
The reason was not to protect families but their own sorry asses. You want to stop something; make lots of noise.

[MJinCanada]

True enough.

I think every Canadian soldier who's fallen in Afghanistan has been named on national television.

[lunchlady]

The comments on this story really make me realize how divided this country is. I am especially appalled that someone told me that I shouldn't go volunteer at the VA because I might expose the patients to my "anti-American point of view because I disagreed that "support the troops" is somehow property that Democrats can't share.
I still plan to go volunteer at the VA, still not planning to get on my soapbox over there. I will now pay close attention to how many Democrats are helping at the VA, especially the volunteers. I will also pay close attention to how many self-congratulatory Troop Supporters are doing nothing but blather about it.

[VeroucaSalt]

That's very inspiring, lunchlady. You'll undoubtedly experience the occassional broken heart from what you witness, but kudos for your willingness to volunteer!

[LaurieAnn]

I encourage and support you in your efforts to volunteer at the VA, lunchlady. The big war supporters where I live only hang out on street corners with signs and shout to passers-by. They are not at the VA doing the hard work with our war survivors and their broken lives. Yes, you may have your heart broken by what you see; but most of what's happened to our troops is deserving of a broken heart. You and those you serve will be stronger for it.

[openhand]

See the stark difference of how Canada respects their war dead.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1R8qLAmkLU&feature=related

[SimJack]

If they were brave enough to serve, then we should be brave enough to see the consequences of what we asked them to do for us. If it disturbs us, good, maybe the people of this nation and its leaders will use better judgment and consideration before making the ultimate decision to send troops into battle.

[Aabby]

well said.

[LaurieAnn]

Here, Here! The American public should not be shielded from the very real loss of life to our soldiers nor from the loss of life to the Iraqi's. We need to remain conscious of the fact that people are suffering and dying due to our foreign policy. It is possible to still "support the troops" and respect the truth.

[PatA]

I believe that Bush's ruling about photographs of the coffins concerned his image more than anyone else's. He didn't want us to see the heart-wrenching photographs because it would keep the subject
of his "war" on our minds.
Personally, I want to see the flag-draped coffins (photographed respectfully) because I also honor
that person by a prayer and thoughts to the families. Now that the death of the soldiers is delegated to
the third or fourth page of our newspaper, it is difficult to know when someone is killed.
War is killing. That is all this is about. Please allow the citizens of the United States to take a moment
to honor the dead.

[tsewydoow]

If the families of the fallen want to release the photos of their loved ones that is their right. Don't think you are entitled to see these photos. You can honor and pray for them without the photos that some want to exploit for political benefit. Give the families the privacy and respect they deserve. They made the sacrifice, you didn't.

[emily00011]

Read below, m or on. THe families aren't even allowed the pictures. It's a slap in the face to all that died serving the country not to even get to be acknowledged by the public.

This was just another example of bush's stick your head in the sand, pretend nothing bad is happening leadership.

[AGoldStarMom]

On Memorial Day 2004, I was notified that my only child was killed in Iraq. I requested a photograph of his body being returned to Dover because I wanted to see that my son was treated with dignity and respect on his final journey home. The Army refused my request stating "it is against Army regulations" and it is for "the privacy of the families". Although I made that request several more times waiting for the return of my son's body, I never received a photograph.

These caskets are not identified in anyway and as Ralph Begleiter says, "It's a right for all Americans to pay their respects for those who made the sacrifice" It is also a responsibility that Americans must see the human cost of war. Our nation should grieve the loss of life for these young men & women who served their country.

I strongly support a change in the policy on the ban of photographs of flag covered caskets.

[greatlardini]

Absolutely. I offer you our heartfelt condolences, and our gratitude for your son's supreme sacrifice. Many of us who do not have children in the military have no other way to honor our fallen troops unless we see pictures. Take care and God bless you.

[openhand]

Sorry for your loss, you should check out this link. Doing the right thing is not so difficult, what Bush/Cheney has done shows a corrupt heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1R8qLAmkLU&feature=related

[lunchlady]

That is very sad and I am glad you are able to speak publicly about this.

[rustygriswold]

Forgive me if I'm a little suspicious about this story. A new poster with only this one comment?

[greatlardini]

Questioning a post from a Gold Star mother? Unforgivable.

[emily00011]

I agree. It feels like we are trying to pretend they don't exist by refusing the photos. They exist! And the people need to know that the cost of war is far heavier than just the wasted money.