Lara Logan and Michael Ware both commented what would happen if real pics were released of the war..

[Blackhatjack]

Not only does this Administration keep a complete blackout over soldiers and their coffins returning to the US(they even denied Sen Joe Biden access last week), but this Administration totally censors any kind of pictures of the maimed bodies and dead soldiers in Iraq, not to mention those of the Iraqi citizens.

Without those pictures the average American can never understand how Iraqis are inclined to support the insurgency in their country.

I believe it was Lara Logan who stated that if the 'real pictures' of the maimed, dead and dying soldiers were shown in the US the war would be over in a matter of weeks, and the public would demand the soldiers be brought home.

[Blackhatjack]

1. Lara also stated she would rather have needles stuck in her eyes than do social fluff stories ....

... her superiors wanted her to do about Iraqi women.

She is one real journalist still alive and kicking with journalistic ethics still intact.

[acmavm]

2. The pictures of the dead always bring reality home. Expecially when the

dead are lying in ditches, are missing their heads and limbs because they've been blown apart, are burnt beyond recognition, have bullet holes in their heads. Like WWII. Like Viet Nam.

That's why no pictures were allowed in Gulf War I. That's why no pictures now.

[Blackhatjack]

3. I was surprised by all the film of dead bodies in Ken Burns' "The War" on PBS...

In an interview promoting his documentary on WWII, he said researchers were surprised by all the film in the archives(much of it in color) that had never been shown in the US regarding the actual fighting, death and destruction in WWII.

When the government decided to allow some selected footage to be shown in newsreels at the movie theatres the response was shocking. It encouraged those at home to do everything they could to bring the war to an end as soon as possible.

However, the fear that people might see this explicit footage resulted in it being stockpiled in the national archives.

No war can continue once the people back home see the actual carnage, which stips the 'glory of war' of its romantic aura.

[Felinity]

10. That came to my mind, too.

I was thinking, the Government wanted the public to know exactly what their loved ones were facing. Or, they didn't control the media very well back then, did they?

I do not understand how the government has the right to prevent publication of these photos. Isn't there some sort of Amendment that says we have the right to show what we see, tell what we know, and publish what is true?

Maybe I'm hallucinating again.

[Orsino]

4. A Democratic president lacking the courage to end the war...

...could end the censorship, and get the necessary public outcry.

[pretzel4gore]

5. too bad Iraqi's/anti war types never heard of internet

and cameras etc.
Hey, it's also too bad Saddam never had the sense to tell (Putin, China, the pope, NRA?) or so on that he had 'ordered elections asap for the country'- or was 'seeking asylum in Paraguay', or was fleeing Iraq, or ahem ... was dead oh dear! and upset bush apple cart!
But NOOOOOO!
Not when it comes to the public interest!
Or perhaps ONE US SENATOR voted with the Congressional Black Caucus to deny bush the presidency in 2k, as mentioned in F911...just one (even Sen Wellstone?) but NOOOOOO!
Not when the public interest is involved!
These kinda common sense things just don't happen in this God glorifying fukking world, i guess
(Why hasn't ONE major league newsman of peter jennings/dan rawther/sam donaldson/Tim Russert/Babwa wawa or even walter cronkite stature come out and said enough of this bloody reagan- we are too heavily armed by world standards, our media is too privately controlled, and had the 2k election been fair there no need for bush to lihop/mihop 911 etc? just ONE!)
But NOOOOOOOO!

[Blackhatjack]

11. Walter Cronkite did come out with a statement against the war in Iraq n/t

[pretzel4gore]

15. yep, i recall....

Johnny Carson too, before his death couple years ago, was becoming very upset at the way bush/cheney were getting away with murder etc. Them old guys knew...so it's obnoxious for me to demand sacrifice from Walter (it sure seems the giddy fates look out for bush though) in light of how the fates are acting, but.....the pigmedia pretend they respect such newsmen as Murrows and Reasoner, Brinkley etc.. Cronkite had credibility few in the media had, and...well the giddy fates said he would not upset bush's apple cart (shitwagon, nore like it) and now it's too late even if Walter was to try

[Drum]

6. Highly recommended.

This is a pivotal issue, and not dependent upon the timid Congress. If only the Press flexed their muscles more, exhibited a little courage, we could really right some ongoing wrongs....

[Vincardog]

7. I thought 72% of Americans were already demanding the soldiers be brought home.

Or was that peace rally in DC just a dream?

[mudesi]

8. Here you go

Warning: EXTREMELY GRAPHIC PICTURES OF THE REALITIES OF WAR, COURTESY OF MR. GEORGE W. BUSH AND MR. DICK CHENEY

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/uncensored

[Fridays Child]

14. These prove that it's not just a Bushco blackout. The corporate media are their partners in crime.

[progressoid]

18. War doesn't do as well in the ratings as Britney and Paris.

What a fucked up world.

[TacticalPeek]

9. K&R

:kick:

[Blackhatjack]

12. When the MSM accepted the terms of being 'embedded' Govt control of the news became absolute...

I remember thinking at the time that 'embedded newsreporters' were announced that this guaranteed we would never get an impartial true picture of the war.

We have had independent news reporters threatened by US soldiers, had their cameras confiscated, denied access to ALL military personnel if they wrote anything even remotely critical of the US strategy in Iraq.

While I do not subscribe to Al Jazeera being a credible and reliable news source, you have to acknowledge that they are the first source of news for Iraqis and the Middle East --and they have been running graphic, explicit pictures of Iraqis maimed, dead and dying FOR YEARS. They also are the the preferred outlet for Osama video releases. Our MSM does not have to show everything they show, but we sure would understand better the Iraqi mindset and their support for the insurgency against the US if we saw what they have been seeing and hearing.

This truly is the most tightly managed news covered war in the history of the United States.

An uninformed electorate leads directly to a dysfunctional democracy.

[Disturbed]

13. The embedded bargain was struck before the Gulf War.

The Govt. under Bush 1 told the Media Corp. that they had a choice. They would get no access to the battle field or accept embedded Reporters. The Corp. Media caved. Only coverage that was allowed by the US Military was reported. There were a few rare reports by rouge Reporters. Now the situation is even more censored.

[Olney Blue]

16. The numbers of the dead are not enough

to end the war?

[Unrepentant Fenian]

17. Lara Logan kicks ass!!!!!

That is all................