Photog Kicked Out of Iraq Embed For Showing Photo of Dead Marine

[Newsjock]

Source: Editor & Publisher

Only about a dozen reporters are currently embedded with U.S. forces in Iraq -- a shockingly low number. The latest is Scott Hadly of the Ventura County (Ca.) Star, who arrived in-country on Thursday, along with a freelance photographer.

Awaiting his first mission, he sent back from Baghdad a blog posting to his paper about another freelance photog, Zoriah Miller, who has been kicked out of his own embed after he published on his blog a photo of a dead U.S. Marine. The military says this violated embed rules. Miller says he took every step possible to guarantee that the Marine could not be identified in any way, and that left him within the rules.

... The Marine commanders who saw the photograph were not happy, saying it violated a "trust" between the military and journalists.

Zoriah was immediately "disembedded" from a Marine unit and barred from working with the military in Anbar.

Read more: http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003824876

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. You see, the truth is...

That those kids aren't really dying over there. No! The war is just like Battlefield2 and you respawn in a few seconds!

Or so Dear Leader would have you believe.

[gratuitous]

2. Free press? Nevermind

Can't be reporting on matters contrary to Maximum Leader's best interests.

[Muttocracy]

3. free speech = feel free to reprint our press releases, forget the rest. nt

[ChairmanAgnostic]

12. how true it is. McCain is doing the same on his plane

[saigon68]

4. Keep the sheep happy

Watching NeckCar and other lame sports

[wtmusic]

5. Think what it would do to morale if people actually comprehended

what was going on over there. :shrug:

[Indy_Thinker]

6. So typical...

of this administration's attempts to 'sugarcoat" this war. Worse, it's done under the guise of "out of respect for the families" so that pics of the flag-draped coffins are not even permitted. Name me one war the US was involved in that wouldn't allow the photos of dead soldiers. It's not that we necessarily want to see this, but in fact, we have to see it. War is ugly and unpleasant to look at, which is all the more reason it should be splashed on the front pages of every newspaper, so that we can truly understand that we're sending young Americans to their deaths. Perhaps if this war were just, and necessary, we would tolerate the scenes of corpses, but in typical Bush cowardice, he shields us from what's happening because he knows in this case, the site of mangled American bodies will make it impossible for him and his henchmen to continue to sell this war.

I'm a bit surprised that some in the media aren't trying a bit harder to take those important photos and get them out there, but in this corporate-centered environment created by Bush Co., the mega-media corporate news outlets don't want to lose their access (which equals profits) so they give in and accept such rules, while allowing this administration to put their portrayal of the war on the air, and not the grim horror that gets people maimed, killed or scarred for life.

So Mr. Bush, if your war is so just, then allow Americans to see it, warts and all and let us decide if it is necessary. After all, these are our kids lives, not yours.

[daleo]

7. Support the troops

Pretend they don't die.

[tuckessee]

8. It only took 14 months during WW2.

The first KIA's shown to the US public during WW2 were the maggot infested GI's on Buna Beach in a photo by George Strock that was published in the 15 Feb 1943 issue of Life Magazine.

Most of the delay was due to the publishers' own hesitations and not necessarily due to gov't censorship. The Life editors sat on the now famous Strock "Maggot Beach" pic for 2-3 weeks before finally running it.

Yet, here we are seven years into the GWOT and still the powers-that-be feel that the public is not ready to see such images.

[jaspatk1701]

22. All-Secretive Media & Blackout Policy Show Iraq War Motives & Methods Are Tainted

Now it is all too plain since the revelation of this administration's implementation of Chinese Communist torture methods, that the rogue Bush-Cheney administration has also been following totalitarian methods in their opposition to dissent, free speech, and with respect to most of their constitutional and legal positions. Whether by purposeful design, even down to adherence to a totalitarian manual adapted from Mao, Hitler, or someone of the same ilk -- or simply because the impulses common to despots beat in their breasts-- I do not know. But the results are the same: the aggrandizement of "unitary" power unto the executive, the necessity for extreme secrecy to protect their works from seeing the light of day, the practice of oft-used devices like blackouts, etc., etc. It seems clear that the difference in the documentation of WWII and the present conflict reflects the difference in motives and deeds found at the top, where both wars were executed. While FDR and his were reacting to an attack, Bush and Cheney are the agressors; while photos formerly promoted the bravery of U.S. soldiers in the just cause of preventing world domination, the present administration hid the bald photographic facts for fear of stirring up the sense the American people about why and how this war was started, conducted and continues. As a Vietnam vet and ardent defender of the Constitution, I must speak out about the blackout of seeing our war dead returned to us and the role of the generalship and others at the top in this fiasco. To see life and war as it has really been waged, coffins and all, and the role of malfeasance played by the top military brass, visit my blog, http://www.wrathofmcgrath.com

[Lithos]

27. You are right

But the real statement is that the Bush Administration is not ready for the public to see such images, not that the public is ready to see them.

[uppityperson]

9. It is an incredible piece of writing/photography.

http://zoriah.net/ is his main page. There is a blog post there that you must click on to go to the graphic journalism.

Support the troops, pretend they aren't dying? Bull. puckey.

[psychopomp]

20. More specifically

...here

[uppityperson]

26. Yes that is the direct link, GRAPHIC WARNING

I didn't want to post the direct link due to that, and to let people see what he wrote about writing about it. But thank you. For those who want to go right there, there it is. These images, while not easy to look at, need to be out there since this is the reality of what is happening. Not "20 killed in suicide bombing" but guts and body parts and unrecognizable people.

[sourmilk]

10. OMFG! Doesn't this guy know that there is a WAR on?

:sarcasm:

[barbtries]

11. this really goes to show

how far the administration and the military will go to make sure the american people have no real idea of what goes on in iraq and afghanistan. because if they knew, it would end.

[happygoluckytoyou]

13. Dont ASK dont TELL..... people are dying out there.....

[kpominville]

14. How could the gov and media pretend Iraq is "getting better"

How can they pretend "the surge is working" unless they hide all the evidence that proves otherwise?

[pberq]

15. They are fighting for our freedoms? nt

[Christa]

16. K & R

I see all the photos are removed when go to his photo link ...

[LynnTheDem]

17. We're #53! We're #53!

USA, #53 in freedoms of the press. Right up there with Botswana, Croatia and Tonga!

:eyes:

When will Americans get tired of being duped, tricked and conned by their government & their government's propaganda arm media?

[bdamomma]

18. I would love to see the reenactment of V on our shores.

[marias23]

19. Here is what I sent to my list about these photos

Dear Friends,

Highly regarded photographer, Zoriah had his embed in Iraq canceled for publishing pictures of dead Marines - even though you cannot identify them. One can only wonder how long this war would last if more people could see these kinds of images.

Warning: They are very disturbing.

If you feel you can, forward these to your list (and suggest they do likewise) - the more Americans see the consequences of what their government is doing in their name the better.


http://www.zoriah.net/blog/suicide-bombing-in-anbar-.html

[kmac3]

24. Every US citizen needs to view & read this coverage . . .

All I can say is UNBELIEVABLE!

Per Bush and McCain "The surge is working, all is peacful and everyone is happy. One can now stroll in the markets and enjoy shopping".

[Imagevision]

21. Back in Viet nam days the media showed wounded and killed Marines, I guess that's the point, they

have learned from the mistakes of showing war footage when the war isn't going well. Originally this was Rove's comment to Rumsfeld about stoppiong the press fro covering the dead soldiers returning to Andover.

[mitchum]

23. Stenographers Wanted: Apply Now

[Canuckistanian]

25. Welcome to the New War™

It's sanitized for your protection. Now Lemon-scented!