Posted on 01/14/2007 12:06:38 PM PST by RedRover
Gruesome photographs of dead Iraqis, allegedly killed by US Marines in Haditha, will soon be made public. That is, if the leaks keep coming and the anti-war crowd has its way.
The photos were given to the Washington Post by the enemy within. An unnamed "defense official". He or she gave the Post the entire Naval Criminal Investigation Service report into the incident at Haditha.
On January 7, the Post published, Marines' Photos Provide Graphis Evidence in Haditha Probe. "Among the images," according to the article, "there is a young boy with a picture of a helicopter on his pajamas, slumped over, his face and head covered in blood. There is a mother lying on a bed, arms splayed, the bodies of three young children huddled against her right side. There are men with gaping head wounds, and a woman and a child hunkered down on their knees, their hands frozen around their faces as if permanently bracing for an attack....Post editors decided that most of the images are too graphic to publish."
An equally good reason not to publish the photographs is that they may not be legitimate evidence. They may have been posed by the pathological liars who are our enemy in Iraq. A terrorist who would behead an infidel would have no qualms about shooting a corpse in the head.
No matter. The anti-war crowd is salivating over photographs that could turn the stomach of Americans, and turn more people against the war.
The leader in this effort is the blog, All Spin Zone (the kind of blog where the Bush Administration is called "the regime"). In an entry from January 8 entitled, When the Media Gags Itself, Richard Blair leaps to the conclusion that the photos are evidence of a My Lai-style massacre and wants them published now. He gave the e-mail and phone number of the Washington Post ombudsman, Deborah Howell, so that the Moonbats could shriek their demands at her.
The Washington Post responded today in a piece by the ombudsman, Covering Death, Here and in Iraq. Ms. Howell writes:
Scores of readers wrote -- probably driven by a blogger -- to ask that The Post run more photos from Haditha, the city where several Marines are accused of having killed civilians, many of them women and children. Military reporter Josh White obtained Naval Criminal Investigative Service reports, as yet unreleased, so The Post alone has the photos.
Tim Collier of Gardiner, Maine, wrote: "A newspaper is more than just a vehicle for entertainment and commerce. Its highest purpose is news: to inform on important issues of the day. There are iconic photos from previous wars, such as the shot of the Vietnamese police commander executing the captured VC guerrilla in Saigon during the Tet offensive, that are widely recognized as making a major contribution to public discourse simply by virtue of their publication."
Two other pictures were mentioned frequently -- one of a little girl running from napalm and the picture of the dead after the My Lai massacre. The Post ran versions of all on Page 1.
Five Haditha photos were published, the most newsworthy a Jan. 6 Page 1 photo of dead bodies near a taxi, showing that the victims did not appear to have been fleeing, as some claimed.
Photos of the bodies of accident or crime victims are not run -- unless "there is a clear journalistic purpose" -- out of concern for the "dignity of the deceased," Downie said. The rest of the photos did not meet that criteria, he said. I viewed those photos and agree with him. They were not iconic photos. They were just gruesome and sad.
The photographs will be introduced as evidence at the courts martial of the Haditha Marines. In the meantime, the leaker still has copies. How long will it take for them to be displayed at an anti-war rally near you?
Actually, it shows nothing of the kind. The bodies may or may not have been moved.
The original caption in the Post read: "A photo contained in a Naval Criminal Investigative Service report obtained by The Washington Post shows a Marine inspecting a roadside scene near Haditha, Iraq, where five unarmed civilians were killed Nov. 19, 2005. Earlier that day, Marines stopped the white taxi in which the men had been riding, then allegedly shot them after a bomb exploded nearby. The incident was the first on a day of violence in Haditha that left 24 civilians dead, among them women and children. Four Marines have been charged with murder. (AP Photo/U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service via The Washington Post)."
Nice of the the Post to share the photo credit with the NCIS.
Let jazusamo or me know if you want on the Haditha Marine Ping List.
Thanks for the post. The lefty antiwar crowd won't be satisfied until every last piece of supposed evidence is revealed before the Article 32 hearing or courts martial.
Thought you'd be interested in this piece by the WaPo ombudsman. She also covered their juxtaposed pictures of the funeral of President Ford and Saddam's hanging.
Hi RR - thanks for bringing to my attention.
Regards, Governs
Can they name the Marine in the photo?
Very good question
Unless they've got videos of our side doing what they claim, they have NOTHING. Pictures of bodies tell us nothing about how they died, what they were doing before they died, or who did it. The WaPo is doing a Nifong in this case.
(My own emphasis added.)
""Among the images, there is a young boy with a PICTURE OF A HELICOPTER on his pajamas, SLUMPED OVER, his face and head covered in blood. There is a mother lying on a bed, ARMS SPLAYED, the bodies of THREE YOUNG CHILDREN HUDDLED AGAINST HER RIGHT SIDE. There are men with GAPING HEAD WOUNDS, and a woman and a child HUNKERED DOWN ON THEIR KNEES, their hands FROZEN AROUND THEIR FACES AS IF PERMANENTLY BRACING FOR AN ATTACK."...Post editors decided that most of the images are too graphic to publish."
Why publish the photos when you put it in words so well. This is right out of the Qana playbook in my opinion.
The Left (includes the WaPo) wants a prosecution to prove how evil the war (and George Bush) is; in some ways, I think SOME in the military and/or politics want a prosecution to prove how "even handed" we are to the Iraqis. In the middle are some guys who quite possibly did nothing wrong--except for being picked to be the goats. I'm currently very disappointed and disgusted with how we treat our own.
Lt. Kallop has an attorney though...Richard McNeil....remember there could be pending charges. You'd think he would be tossed into the pot with the others charged.
Miz,
You found the winning group to be with in your disgust!
Wonder how much longer the leaker will give an exclusive to Post reporter Josh White? I won't be surpised if the photos show up somewhere else soon.
Washington Post ombudsman, Deborah Howell and reporter Josh White should be locked up
with insurgents.
Sorry I can't be more compassionate, but when I read this from my son's autopsy, well, you decide:
"...1.B. BILATERAL ECCHYMOSES AND RUPTURED EYEBALLS...
... 2. B. AVULSED, NEARLY AMPUTATED LEFT ARM AT ELBOW....
...3. SUBENDOCARDIAL HEMORRHAGE OF LEFT VENTRICLE..."
Nevermind the skull fractures and brain lacerations, etc.
War is hell, get used to it! I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but I'm getting more active. Point me in the right direction, eh?
POP. We have no business being compassionate with those who wish us harm. There isn't another thing I can say that doesn't sound stupid.
This looks like the place, but I would think the accused families' attorneys would need to initiate. One would think THOSE ATTORNEYS SHOULD FREAKEN KNOW IT.
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/crim/faq.htm
It simply requires contact with the local FBI office.
Those disposed to buy into "the marines did it", will do so with little or no urging.
Rational people know better.
That muslims love to stage photos and make outrageous claims is neither new nor rare.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.