Upon the return of the thirty SEALS and Air Force special operators and the Chinook flight crew killed last week in Afghanistan to Dover AFB on Tuesday, the Pentagon imposed a blackout of all media coverage at the request of at least nineteen of the families. This immediately incensed major media in America and they began bellowing aloud about how president Obama had lifted the ban on them filming the caskets of our dead returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan.
The media squealed that this decision concerning these most recent war dead, was a violation of the president's edict and prevented them from 'covering the story.' The military command and the Pentagon immediately countered and put out a statement that the reason the arrival of these honored dead was placed off limits, was reasoned. It was due to the fact that the remains had not been identified and that barring the family members being able to identify their individual deceased and thus give permission for the filming and photography, the Military could not allow filming absent the permission of family requirement of the president's previous edict. The Pentagon later clarified and stated that nineteen of the families had requested that no media be allowed at the ceremony.
Everyone will note that president Obama made no move to overrule the military decision, but he did choose to cancel a low level meeting that day, so that he could take Marine One down to Dover to be there with Secretary of Defense Panetta (and others) when the dignified transfer of the remains occurred.
Had it ended there, I believe that nothing could have or would have been said concerning the president's visit to supposedly pay tribute to these service members and their families. But it didn't end there. Having banned the general media from taking photographs of the arrival and dignified transfer of bodies, the White House decided to permit special dispensation for the White House photographer to snap still photos of the arrival and transfer. Had it ended there and the photos been filed away for posterity, I believe that nothing would have been said. But it didn't end there.
One of the photos taken by the White House photographer, aside from being a clearly staged photo as opposed to a candid shot, was immediately distributed to a number of major news networks and media for release and publication. On the surface, based upon reactions and reports by the media, they immediately felt mistreated and voiced their objections to having been excluded from the ceremony once again.
But more importantly in my humble opinion, is what the photograph represents. The White house in later responses and in defense to the photograph, was quick to point out that none of the flag draped coffins were visible in the photograph. Well certainly they weren't. That wasn't the purpose behind the photograph to begin with. There was no need to actually show the caskets, only the necessity of showing a silhouetted president Obama, holding his Faux slaute.
He was front and center to take credit for the SEAL team mission involving Osama Bin Ladin and at Dover yesterday, he was front and center for a photo op that his administration insured was choreographed and delivered to the media. A photo clearly staged. So while the media feels left out and slighted for not having been allowed into the most solemn of moments these families could have endured, they made no mention what so ever of the content of the photograph and how it was staged to obviously represent president Obama in a positive light.
Yes, if a picture is worth a thousand words, then Barack Obama certainly got his teleprompter full on this occasion in my opinion. I just wonder how some of the families of these honored dead feel and felt about the president turning the arrival of their dead sons and husbands and fathers and brothers into a White house Photo op.
You decide. I already have come to my own conclusion.
White House photo sparks protest
A White House photographer was allowed to take and widely distribute a photo from the ceremony Tuesday for the return of the remains of 30 American troops killed in a weekend helicopter crash in Afghanistan despite the Pentagon's claim that any public depiction of the scene would violate the wishes of bereaved families.
News media coverage of the ceremony had been banned by the Pentagon over the objections of several news organizations.
Pentagon officials had said that because 19 of 30 of the American families of the dead had objected to media coverage of the remains coming off a plane at Dover Air Force Base, no images could be taken. In addition, the Pentagon rejected media requests to take photos that showed officials at the ceremony but did not depict caskets.
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