Military Caskets Arriving at Dover -- What Bush Doesn't Want Reported

I had heard (but really didn't believe) that Bush ordered the military at Dover AFB to block any photos/information about coffins arriving with the bodies of our dead from Iraq. The sources I'd seen the report on were somewhat iffy.

However, Drudge does have some investigative report photos on this:
drudgereport.com...

(looks like about 20 coffins)

Other news reports say that one woman was fired for taking pictures of the coffins in Kuwait:
www.signonsandiego.com...

This isn't the first time that Bush has done this. I remember about 8 months ago, I heard the same thing.

From the second link:

Under a policy adopted in 1991, the Pentagon bars news organizations from photographing caskets being returned to the United States, saying publication of such photos would be insensitive to bereaved families. Critics say the public is being denied information by not being able to see photos of coffins coming back from Iraq.

I didn't realize this policy was initially established under Bush I's presidency.

It is all about avoiding bad publicity for the ongoing war. Always talk about how many of 'them' we kill, but do your best to hide the number of 'us' that are being killed.

The first thing I saw in the news this morning was about the casket so I went looking for those picture, As a mother and wife the first thing it came to my mine was thats to many of them and it could be my husband or son out there, sorry if I sound to silly but thats is what I felt may be thats the reaction that the government does not want us to feel now after that they have been showing the happy return of the 4th infantry division, bets me! I guess the death will be kept secret, I am really upset.

Why do we need to see the pics of the caskets landing at Dover if the newspapers are placing photos of the deceased in the papers?

I fail to see the difference between seeing a picture of a flag draped casket and the picture of a person that accompanies the article about how they were killed.

Don't they both show the same thing, that another service member has died for his or her country?

Originally posted by Byrd
(looks like about 20 coffins)

Other news reports say that one woman was fired for taking pictures of the coffins in Kuwait:
www.signonsandiego.com...

That's affirmative on the firing. Her husband was fired also, which is just plain vindictive.

This administration is so afraid of people seeing the truth, it's pathetic. Let the people see! Then let them fire the bastards that got us into this mess.

I gave the thread a 10, btw. This subject NEEDS to be discussed.

The reason the whole Vietnam War fell apart was b/c Americans were fed up w/seeing footage of the carnage on tv every night. That's where the policy stems from. Let the truth be known! The body bags are flowing home - as well as our hundreds and hundreds of maimed soldiers, male and female alike.

I disagree they are diying on another peoples country for the big corporations in this country hunger for oil under the lidership of a retarded chief in comand, I dont want my son or daughter to die for this reason, they will die for this country defending this country in our soil, I will die too, if I have to, but not for the reason they are diying now, sorry I hate this war and the inocent that is paying for it, our husbands and childrens.

As a life-long conservative Republican and former soldier, I am appalled by what this administration has done/doing to our foreign policy and military. Sheer destruction and mayhem in the name of unadulterated greed. They've got to go!

Hang in there marg6043. We can only hope things will get better after the '04 election.

[Edited on 19-09-2003 by EastCoastKid]

Thanks, my eyes just water everytime I see the news and the way the news gives more attention to other vane things that the bodies of our soldiers in caskets, they tried no to show the grieving families but just the happy ones when their love ones come home, I am very openminded person and I have very liberal views but was going on is eating my hart and it hurts. I have a friend that when she was a child and was living in Panama, she said that when the ships returning from vietnam with the death soldiers passed across the canal she could smell the stench and when she asked her mother what was that smell her mother will tell her (that's the smell of the death's returning home to USA.)

www.thememoryhole.org...

www.thememoryhole.org...

www.thememoryhole.org...

Expect that site to take a "hit"; usually, things going opposite to the Junta have a way of going up into the ether.

as a former funeral industry professional, I can attest that it's much harder for the families to see the casket of their son or daughter than it is to see their pictures- it seems the casket drags up the memories of how they may have died- which i would imagine is especially true in a war time situation, where the death was probably brutal and horrific- but to see a picture of their son or daughter in their finest moment- receiving an award, being with family- actually helps with the grieving process.

I don't agree with the blocking of photos, because of the freedom of press, etc... but they shouldn't be publicized widely or anything.

oh yea, I gave the thread a 10 also.

it's definitely a topic that should be talked about more often.

Take heart in knowing not even the seemingly all powerful mainstream media/Bush junta can suppress the truth forever. As more bodies come home and the maimed become something that CANNOT be hidden, they will have no choice but to acknowledge what is actually happening.

It was courageous for the lady to snap those pics and forward them, knowing full-well that her job could be in jeapardy. I applaud her.

I saw the pictures, when my husband was in desert storm (he is a retaired marine) he brougth home pictures from iraq, the pictures were from iraqis like body parts scatered all over the place. I still have them.

[Edited on 22-4-2004 by marg6043]

Originally posted by COOL HAND
Why do we need to see the pics of the caskets landing at Dover if the newspapers are placing photos of the deceased in the papers?

I fail to see the difference between seeing a picture of a flag draped casket and the picture of a person that accompanies the article about how they were killed.

Don't they both show the same thing, that another service member has died for his or her country?

Yeah...but those stories only show up in the hometowns of the soldiers. So when you hear of 2-3 local deaths (in all of Dallas) it doesn't have the same impact as realizing that thousands of soldiers have been wounded (and this is being kept rather quiet) and well over 100 have died just this month.

Think of the impact of seeing not just one coffin but of 100 of them lined up. Or of 20, knowing that these were from the news report you saw last week. We're visual animals and it's one thing to say the number 20 and quite another to look at the line of coffins.

Originally posted by marg6043
I saw the pictures, when my husband was in desert storm (he is a retaired marine) he brougth home pictures from iraq, the pictures were from iraqis like body parts scatered all over the place. I still have them.

[Edited on 22-4-2004 by marg6043]

Semper Fi, Marg. I was there, too. Give him my best.

I say, if this administration has so much faith in what it's doing, let the caskets be seen. I mean, what are they afraid of? Hmmm?

There is a Difference though in Bad PR and Hiding the Bodies for more sinister reasons (Higher body count than being told etc). The one for PR while not great is one thing. I hope its the one for PR and the Body count isnt higher.

Any one here think that maybe this is done out of respect for the dead and there loved ones? Think about it, most people don't want a picture of mangled bodies of their son/dad/brother/uncle on TV and in the newspapers. This isn't a conspiracy - it is a matter of respect.