Arlington Cemetery Trying To Impose New Restrictions On Funerals Of Iraq War Dead

The ghost of Rummy is proving difficult to exorcise.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has tried to sweep out the symbols of his predecessor's capricious reign, firing acolytes of Donald Rumsfeld and bringing glasnost to the Pentagon.

But in one area, Rummy's Rules still pertain: the attempt to hide from public view the returning war dead.

When Gina Gray took over as the public affairs director at Arlington National Cemetery about three months ago, she discovered that cemetery officials were attempting to impose new limits on media coverage of funerals of the Iraq war dead -- even after the fallen warriors' families granted permission for the coverage. She said that the new restrictions were wrong and that Army regulations didn't call for such limitations.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[Radarman]

I'll bet most of you folks on the left just can't wait for that glorious standard question to be asked on camera of a grieving family member, "Well Mr Smith now that your son is dead in the ground how do you feel about the President?" That question is repeated in all its' forms by the left loving media over and over again, "Now that your house burned down in the brush fire because the lefty Enviro Group wouldn't let the under brush be cleared don't you think its' Bush's fault? "Now that your child was killed by a repeat offender because the lefty Parole Board thought he had a bad childhood, don't you think its' Bush's fault? Now that the levee's failed after 60 years of the Democrat government in Louisiana pocketing all the repair money, don't you think its' Bush's fault? Now that Pres Clinton has signed NAFTA and your factory closed costing you your job, don't you think its' Bush's fault? I cannot wait for Obama to be elected so that Nancy and Harry and Obama can lead us all into the glorious future where the, the terrorists no longer attack us on US soil, unemployment down to 5%, the stock market is up, taxes are low.... Wait a minute that has already happened and don't you know, its' Bush's fault.

[darthdarcy]

They should be buried at Halliburton or Exxon Mobil Headquarters in Texas, that's who they died for...!

[Meah]

Why in the world would the military support the Bush administration. Has anyone in America shown them more disrespect?

[Berettasskeeter]

Yes, the Left has shown only that respect which fools the fools on the Left. The military is not fooled by the sham concern expressed by the Left!
Semper fi

[Radarman]

Yeah, Bill and Hilary. Like when officers were made to serve drinks at White House functions. Of course the feeling was returned by most of the military. I remember being told we could not post any political cartoons up in our office because after all he was the Pres.

[kkuate]

The Washington Post Date: August 27, 2002 Author: Dana Milbank

Vice President Cheney argued today for a preemptive attack on Iraq's Saddam Hussein, declaring there is "no doubt" the dictator has weapons of mass destruction and is preparing to use them against the United States and its allies.

The vice president's remarks, to a Veterans of Foreign Wars meeting in Nashville, provided the most detailed and passionate case the administration has made for action against Iraq, and it gave the issue new urgency by implying that hostilities could not wait long.

"Deliverable weapons of mass destruction in the hands of a terror network or a murderous dictator, or the two working together, constitutes as grave a threat as can be imagined," Cheney said.

[danoj]

Good these fine American heros who gave it all deserve the respect the media will not give them.

[Moshe]

Every one of these young men and women were someone's son, daughter, father and/or mother, and every one of them had their life needlessly cut short in an unnecessary war. A war that was sold based on lies and motivated by a desire for profiteering and as an excuse for an unconstitutional expansion of power. That is obscene and criminal, and it must be stopped:

U.S. MILITARY DEATHS (IRAQ): 4,116
U.S. MILITARY WOUNDED (IRAQ): 30,333
IRAQI CIVILIAN DEATHS: 151,000
'EXCESS' IRAQI DEATHS: 655,000
ESTIMATED COST TO U.S. TAXPAYERS: $3 Trillion deeper in debt

[NYC07]

An excerpt for the Republican Neo- Con book on how to kill people for your own profit and get away with it:

Don't show the dead, too depressing, Don't institute a draft, just keep sending back the same people or just don't let them come home, Don't tax anyone to pay for it, just put the expense on the big USA/China/Saudi credit card, let future generations pay for it, try to get the MSM not to cover it, it's not really that important anyway to waste news time on, and if anyone does notice, just keep saying everything is going fine..... And maybe, just maybe people won"t even know we're at war and no one will care.

[jerrypenguin]

"Don't show the dead, too depressing, Don't institute a draft,...."

Let's not forget how efficiently this is handled. A significant part of the war is privatized. Many of the privatized forces are not of US origin. They have merely been trained at the School of the Americas, Blackwater, and associated entities.

This approach is more expensive than the citizen soldier route. However, other than a few bodies hung and burned, there is little media exposure. This reduces the number of US troops killed and wounded (the new media term for "wounded" is "injured"). Unfortunately, most people in Iraq do not distinguish between US mercenary and US enlisted military.

[tbone99]

Don't forget high on the list....KIll Journalists

[UltraClassic]

Having performed casualty calls and helped families with funerals, I have seen what jackals the media and other "issue groups" can become at these sad events. In so many instances, the "issue group" or other media with an ax to grind turn the funeral into their own platform. I've seen rag tag so called veterans groups, dressed in ratty cammies turn funerals of Iraqi war dead into everything from demanding increased bennies to agent orange events. Note to any group or media, it's not about you, your group or your issue, it's about the dead serviceman and his family.

The military is right to keep these people and groups at a distance unless the family wants them there. A funeral or the transportation of war dead is not some kind of media circus or public event.

[batgirl71]

It's about respect and honor. The media should abide by the wishes of the family. But the total government blackout of the war dead is not only propaganda; it is disrespectful to the men and women who have valiantly served this country.

About a month ago I was watching the British news network Sky News when it showed the flag draped coffins of five British soldiers being returned to England to be buried. I was deeply moved by the image, a reminder of the sacrifice and bravery of these men, and yes, for me, a reminder of the tragedy and criminality of the Bush (and Blair) administration.

The decisions of the Army have nothing to do with protecting and respecting the families of the dead. In fact, it is a position of disrespect. If Iraq is a war worth fighting, then it is a war worth fighting and our government should not fear a patriotic reminder of the sacrifice of Americans for their freedom and security.

[Tropiholic]

this is the flithy disgraceful reality of this war and americans have a right to see it! shame on all of you bush apologists,

[samandally]

Ultra, I totally agree with you.Media whores have no place using a funeral for their personal agendas unless invited by family.

[Mekarri]

You are wrong ultraclassic. The American people need to see these pictures and we need to see the pain of fellow Americans at the lost of a love one. This war is too sterile, too clean. The only people that truly feels the soldiers pain are their families. If people don't see the suffering then they can and will ignore it or at the very least tolerate it. It is sad that it takes seeing other people suffering to relate to what they must be going through. But this is nothing new. Nothing brought the Civil Rights movement home like seeing those police turn those dogs and hoses on women and children. It made most Americans say enough! It made our President pay attention. The corrupt bush administration knows this. This is why they don't want the dead being brought home to be for public consumption. They know the feelings this would stir up. So the family of our fallen soldiers have to suffer this alone.

[justobserve]

Agree!

[tbone99]

Time to request that families who are willing, take a last picture to share with the citizenry via the media , so that we can all share the pain that this administration is visiting upon he nation.

And Bush, who is doing nothing these days but building his gluts with long bike rides , should be attending EVERY funeral!

[midtown]

This is close to treasonous in my book. Military families deserve to have their fallen loved ones honored as much as possible, and we deserve to see the damage our indifference and inaction as a country has done.

[PharmBoy]

Treasonous? Like they way the left continues to try and loose the war?

Americans learned a valuable (and very costly) lesson from the anti-war left during Nam... propaganda can cause defeat if left unchecked. The only reason you want to see the bodies of our fallen heroes is to further your efforts to use the deaths of these brave soldiers as a propaganda tool.

Request denied!

[tbone99]

Thr left isn't losing the war - Bush did that for us!

[awcbuddy8]

Except you don't want these to be shown to "honor" the dead, do you? The liberals want them shown to hurt Bush, plain and simple. That has always been their game and will forever be their game. Using the suffering of others as a tactic to harm the Bush administration.

[notthistime]

Bush???? These soldiers are DEAD who gives a flying **** about Bush when their loved ones are being buried.

[UltraClassic]

It's so obvious, it's an insult in any reasonable person.

[wm1066]

I bet when Obama is president you'll want every funerals broadcast so you can use it against him. I bet you even say the Iraq war was started by liberals.

[CommonSenseRules]

Why are liberals obsessed with death? Why do liberals want to see soldiers' funerals? Do they think that the American public doesn't realize that our soldiers are dying in a war? What is up with this morbid obsession?

Sick, sick, sick.

[Meah]

Common sense? Not! Deaths are hidden. Wounded counted incorrectly. Soldiers treated like garbage. Lie and more lies. Now THAT is sick sick sick

[Mekarri]

The American public does realize that our soldiers are dying. But they need to see it day after day. The American public has the attention span of a two years old child. Call it morbid, sick or whatever else you can think of but this needs to be on TV all the time. It is the only way to help the soldiers get home.

[Berettasskeeter]

Why does the American public need to see it every day? As you say, to get the soldiers home more quickly. That's terrific, but it doesn't end the war at all! Roosevelt also had the numbers either hidden or held back for a later date. Neither the enemy, nor you on the Left, have a Right to the information.
Semper fi

[Mekarri]

The American public does realize our soldiers are dying but until they see it day after day they are too lazy to even care? Lets face it, the American public have the attention span of a two years old child.

[gwhizz]

"Do they think that the American public doesn't realize that our soldiers are dying in a war?"

Yes, exactly.

[sonicfilter]

Whine about the liberals. Not going to fly. The further blocking of the media is an oh so obvious attempt by GW to try to pull off a higher level of disassociation propaganda. Seems like they are going through a lot of trouble to ensure that things are going their way, even though everyone knows what the are trying to pull off. Now just exactly who is obsessed??? And why do conservatives not want to see funerals. Answer that one....

[samandally]

These families deserve their privacy no matter what you think, Go protest somewhere else.By the way I'm not a conservative, just someone who respect the rights of others.