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?
Love you, too, ma. You inspire me more than you'd ever imagine.
Well, lily, someone should plan to bring a mop for the floor and a bathtowel for my nose in case I start crying again ; )
All the evil in the world doesn't stand a chance against this Love. Or me crying. Where ARE Noah's blueprints?
Speaking of Noah.... how strange. Mount Ararat/Ark, and all that reminded me. Something POP said this morning got me going and the next thing I knew, I was knee deep in the computer. Did anyone know that the seven churches mentioned in the Book of Revelations are all in Turkey? Interesting, eh?
I watched the President's interview and then the Duke mess on 60 minutes. Sometimes I want to put my boots on and kick the President. I know what he's saying, but the common idjeet doesn't. Anyhoo. Be on your guard, I think Mike Nifong is going to be contacting the JAGs for a job application. Unless, of course, the JAGs find themselves in the same boat. Cue the picture of New Orleans.....
Let's go make a citizen's arrest.
Don't you dare. Where's the damn bathtowel.
2nd platoon gave me a couple of "up close and personal" pics of a carload of would-be bombers. The bomb was intact. They were a little worse for the wear. Graphic? You bet.
You all better not tell me your vegetarians. I live in Kalifornia but I gotta draw the line somewhere! By the way Red, Schezwan beef! (Hey, I never said I coud spel.)
I know what your thinking...Sapporo...they lost the war but make a decent beer. Oops, just read it's brewed and canned in Guelph, Ontario Canada. What the....(I am NOT kidding!)
My last post was for YOU! I only had one. (I am NOT kidding.) Spare me the lightweight jokes!
I'll eat anything except the crap the MSM tries to feed me : )
Well, I see ya'll got a regular party going here, thanks for the pings.
Like Pop said, freema, that never stopped me from posting either, I think it's the thought that counts. :-)
Thanks for the help this morning and your help in getting me to learn some of that HTML. The first time you sent me some of that stuff I had no idea in the world what it was. LOL! That's what forced me to learn it, I didn't want to let you know how ignorant about it I was.
Anyway, this is a great group, hope everyone has a great evening.
Good on 'em!
O.K. woman! I know you saw Steel Magnolias! "Laughter threw tears" is the best!
"Laughter THROUGH tears" is best. (Spare the lightweight jokes.)
Does Denny's serve alcohol?
I feel terrible about the "O.K. Woman" address. Too informal for a great lady! Sorry.
I had a hard time getting going, too, jaz. 'til someone helped me and I was pretty much the same, didn't know what to do with it : )
I used to ping Zacs Mom when I needed a pic, and she was always there for me. She just passed. Got down to 40 + pounds with cancer. She went fast. She's on the Marine Ping list, with LadyX, and they're they'll stay until my last post. Losing both of them at this point in my life has been pretty rough. And Tonk being at the end isn't helping matters any. I'm afraid I can pick the day and the hour he slips his surly bonds.
The crazy thing is, they still give me strength and inspiration, as does a (DARE I say darling) young man by the name of Karl Linn.
What a day this has been.
Only to Marines I think.
LOL! If you only knew some of the names I've been called. And I've a strong suspicion I don't know the half of them. I can give as good as I get, and many times, I give better. Mama says I really need to watch it. She never said I had a mouth like a sailor, and if she did, I think it would be an insult 'cause it's probably more like a Marine ; ) so watch it, bud. LOL!
Alright, all. I'm going to hit the hay. Sweet dreams, sleep tight, and don't let the lefties bite.
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