Military Bans Photos Of Afghanistan War Dead

Editor & Publisher:

The U.S. military in eastern Afghanistan recently changed its media embed rules to ban pictures of troops killed in the war.

"Media will not be allowed to photograph or record video of U.S. personnel killed in action," says a ground rules document issued Sept. 15 by Regional Command East at Bagram Air Field.

Read the whole story: Editor & Publisher

Comments

[falco]

05:48 PM on 10/15/2009

Showing the pictures will end the war. Period.

[Tim303]

05:44 PM on 10/15/2009

Oh good grief.

[Yermammy]

02:13 PM on 10/15/2009

Why, because the people don't have the right to view reality? Too demoralizing? Afraid there will be mass outrage?
Yeah, that's what I thought...

[Mekarri]

06:03 PM on 10/15/2009

No Yermammy, because the FAMILY OF THE DEAD SOLDIER ASK THEM NOT TO SHOW THE PICTURE AND THE AP IGNORED THE FAMILY. I don't care which side you are on, the person family is the ONLY one who has the right to decide if they want this. Not you and not me. If the paper are going to behave like children then they need to be sent to the kiddie table. The paper was disrespectful to the family of the man who gave his life. There is no way around it. I have a child and I would not want her last moment to be used as a way to make money or a point. As a parent I am not sure I would ever want to see those pictures. AP behavior was disgusting and unforgivable.

[Sumocat]

01:12 PM on 10/15/2009

Maybe some of you could try reading the whole story before forming moronic opinions...

"The change occurred after the wide distribution of a photograph of a dying U.S. Marine. On Sept. 4, the Associated Press released a photo of a mortally wounded Marine in Afghanistan.

The image, which was shot August 14 by AP photographer Julie Jacobson, was released as part of a package of stories and photos about the death of Lance Cpl. Joshua M. Bernard. Both U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Bernard’s family had asked the AP not to release the photo. Few newspapers published the image, but it was widely circulated online."

Yeah, the family asked that the photo not be released, but it went out anyway. AP disrespected the wishes of a fallen soldier's family, so the rules changed. You can't honor a fallen troop by dishonoring his family.

[Yermammy]

02:15 PM on 10/15/2009

BS.
That was wrong, but one wrong doesn't preclude denying the truth of the matter. There wasn't any secrecy for hiding the dead when I was in and it fueled outrage for THAT senseless war, too.

[EHarold]

03:46 PM on 10/15/2009

The moment you sign up with any branch of the Military you become theirs..So they can use you in their mass marketing ads to get more kids to become body bags, but they can't use your photo if you actually get injured/killed? Hmmm how strange.

[Mekarri]

06:12 PM on 10/15/2009

Eharold, you must be smoking something, because I am a mother and my child belong to me, and nothing you or anyone else can do to change that. So blow it out of your @$$. My child is not property and nor will she ever be. She is MY baby and I would like to see anyone try to take her from me and that includes the military. Don't mess with moms when it comes to our children because I promise you would not live to regret it, because you would be joining her sooner rather than later if anything happen to her. She is my reason for living.

[thinkingwomanmillstone]

09:06 AM on 10/15/2009

Let's not stop the war. Let's just make the people who cause these valuable, loved human beings to be maimed and killed more comfortable. Yeah, that makes sense. Bring them home now and we won't need photographers or prosthetics or rehab or coffins or widows pensions or...or...or.

[Kelly Laraia]

08:10 AM on 10/15/2009

This is the decent thing to do. The soldiers and their families are entitled to some privacy and not having to see a dead son/daughter/spouse on the front page. The families suffer enough, give them their privacy and respect their wishes.

[EHarold]

03:47 PM on 10/15/2009

No, I pay for this war I want to see what my money is paying for.

[ThankGodhesgone]

04:15 AM on 10/15/2009

Why - let the American people see what they are paying for. This is not some kind of War games that end at the end oif a quarter. This is real life. If you could see what our troops are going through without any reason or exit strategy, you'd see that this is all worthless.

Read the article from the father whose son was photograghed having his leg blown off. Stan, the leader in charge won't allow the soldiers to engage the enemy. Why should we send more troops to be targets?

[terribyte]

02:34 AM on 10/15/2009

I don't care for the idea that we can somehow sanitize war.
Part of the big push against Vietnam was due to the footage coming back to the states, and being shown during the nightly news.
War is a messy, bloody business, and the American people need to be reminded of that fact constantly.
On the other hand, I can't think of anything that would be more devastating to an already grieving parent.

[LastTexasRose]

01:36 AM on 10/15/2009

The media did it to themselves, this is the reaction to the publishing of a picture which was shot August 14 by AP photographer Julie Jacobson, and was released as part of a package of stories and photos about the death of Lance Cpl. Joshua M. Bernard. Both U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Bernard’s family had asked the AP not to release the photo.
Bernard's family begged that the picture not be released and Robert Gates added his plea to theirs, however, AP released the photo anyway.

[Changein2012]

01:04 AM on 10/15/2009

How do the code-pinkers like this???

No pics of Obama's war de-ad.

[twilight druid]

02:47 AM on 10/15/2009

Show the pictures. Let everyone see what W got us!

[blimie]

12:04 AM on 10/15/2009

These soldiers are so brave and sacrificing so much. What they are going through should not be hiddent from the American people. This is all about keeping the image of Obama untainted by the images of soldiers who died on his watch.

[twilight druid]

12:11 AM on 10/15/2009

Obama?

Excuse me. Bush invaded two nations and got us into this.

Stop revising history.

There will come a time when this does become "Obama's war" if he doesn't end it soon. But we are not there yet. If the 2012 election cycle comes around and we are still in two war zones then Obama is to blame. But that doesn't take away what Bush did.

[blimie]

12:35 AM on 10/15/2009

American men and women and innocent Afghanistans are dying on Obama's watch and under his command. He may not allow them to be seen because photographs of the dead are now censored. The deaths are real, but if you doubt it, why don't you ask the soldiers what president they are fighting under.

[Changein2012]

01:06 AM on 10/15/2009

Let's live in 2009. Stop crying over spilled milk.

[JazzSax UT]

12:00 AM on 10/15/2009

This does NOT deal with coffins, it deals with the actual dead bodies. I personally have no problem with this. It gives the soldier some dignity. If they ban the photographs of flag draped coffins, then I'll have a problem.

[NeoconGal]

11:31 PM on 10/14/2009

More of that change thing. Thank you Mr. President.
Instead of honoring the ultimate sacrifice of these people we act like we are ashamed of them.

[Mekarri]

06:20 PM on 10/15/2009

Your name say it all Neocongal, what are you giving thanks to the President, because he is trying to clean up the mess your boy bush/psychopath chaney left. They did all they could to destroy America and came very close but since they are white, I guess it is alright.

[DingoDave]

11:29 PM on 10/14/2009

Kaffee: "I want the truth!"
Jessep: "You can't handle the truth...You don't want the truth!"
-'A few Good Men'

[yippiekiaay]

10:26 PM on 10/14/2009

"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain."