FREEP Drudge, ask him to remove Disgraceful Al Jazeera pix

me ^ | March 23, 2003 | FO

[FairOpinion]

I apologize for this vanity post, my first.

But I think Drudge overstepped the boundaries of decency by publishing on his front page a picture from Al Jazeera, showing what is purported to be a picture of an American POW.

The Washington Post has an article on it, in case anyone is not familiar with what happened. So far all American Media has refrained from showing pictures of the Al Jazeera video. For Drudge to put up a picture reduces him to well, I rather not say.

Drudge's EMAIL: DRUDGE@DRUDGEREPORT.COM

Arab TV Shows Captured American Troops http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14406-2003Mar23.html

To Moderator: If you think my post is inappropriate, I apologize and obviously please remove it.

[clintonh8r]

I tend to agree. Ignoring the character of our enemy (which can only be fully realized when viewing what he is capable of) does nothing to help us overcome our adversaries. The pictures may be disturbing and gruesome, but turning our heads in disgust is the wrong reaction. The proper reaction is to stiffen our resolve to kill the enemy with ferocious and unrelenting hyper-violence.

[RAT Patrol]

We don't show media pictures of crime victims. We get verbal descriptions and that is graphic enough. We don't need to revictimize the person and their family and friends. It is just so disrespectful to our soldiers, imo.

[goodnesswins]

Loose lips sink ships....LOOSE PICTURES SINK FAMILIES!

[RobFromGa]

I am usually in agreement with your views, but I disagree with your position on this one. Saddam Hussein is the EVIL one, not Drudge.

[ican'tbelieveit]

Per even liberal CNN, the pentagon is now in the process of notifying the family. As usual, your ASSUMING is making an ASS OF YOU.

[FairOpinion]

Forget the Geneva convention.

How about HUMAN DECENCY?

Is there none of THAT left?

[PhiKapMom]

Been a lot of that on here that I don't agree with! Nothing should be shown without the approval of DoD or CENTCOM releasing it IMHO! I would be thoroughly disgusted if I found out even at a later time the rumor monger Matt Drudge showed pictures of my family member on his website before I was notified.

Note to Freepers: Will some of you people put yourself in the place of family. How do you know when they hear something on TV they don't immediately come on the Internet to find additional information? You don't and neither do I!

[Reagan Man]

This is war and war gets real ugly at times.

Your anger should be aimed at Iraqi TV for filming this and to Al Jeezzra for airing it. America is a free and open society. Outrages like these should be shown to the American public. The truth should always be on display, even in time of war.

[RobFromGa]

AMERICAN OUTRAGE is a good thing.

We need to expose animals as animals.

Do you think that the WTC 9-11 Live coverage should have been pulled off the air to spare the families of those who were inside or close to the scene?

[litany_of_lies]

No Al Jazeera, no Drudge, then maybe no POW's shot in the head for propaganda purposes.

You could just as reasonably argue that an open media gives them more of a incentive to keep them alive, to parade prisoners before the cameras with false confessions and the like.

Now they have the worst of both worlds. They have US ANGER at the executiongs and sympathy/motivation to do everything possible to win the war and get the prisoners back.

On balance, I'll take the unrefined truth, including the imagery, and let the chips fall where they may.

As to the families, I can only speak as a father. I would be appalled, angry, and furious at Iraq for killing my son/daughter and at Al-Jazeera for facilitating the propaganda, but once it's public domain, I surely wouldn't be mad at a Drudge for running what's out there. In fact, I'd be mad at the press for not running it, because the world needs to see the Iraqi regime for what it is.

[FairOpinion]

So, would you like the families to visit Drudge and try to guess, whether it's their loved one shown there?

[halfdome]

Spanish newspapers have a picture on their front page of dead Iraqi soldiers, carrying a white flag, who were shot while trying to surrender. I don't see what the difference is. I'm not trying to disrupt, but I don't see why it's OK to show dead Iraqis, but not this.

[F16Fighter]

Quite frankly, the pictures displaying dispicable treatment of a savage Iraqi regime only further illustrate the heroism and committment to freedom of the American military.

There is however, a fine line between exploitation for sensationism's sake, and the facts of the matter. We know CNN, Jennings, Blitzer, and Rather will exploit it for propaganda and ratings values.

In any case, Iraqi TV should be knocked off the air.

[RightOnGOP]

With all due respect for the families........

Couldn't agree more about the need for more people to get even angrier.........the only way to remember is to see what we are up against. My contention about 9/11 and not showing the jumpers is that people should be forced to remember how horrible it was.

The media will be "against" showing controversial images, but then will take advantage of any opportunity to show one of them for ratings reasons. Furthermore, they never miss an opportunity to CHOOSE FOR US what to show us. Why can't WE decide for ourselves?

These images should be shown. We must never forget.

[swheats]

Has it been proven that these soldiers shown now are from this conflict? Or from previous wars. I just logged on so I haven't seen the images.

[wizzler]

After considering the various insights bandied about here, I think I tend to agree with posters such as ConservativeConvert, who emphasize the need to not downplay the horrors of war.

I think some amount of discretion is advisable, yes, particularly before families are notified. But ultimately, I think that self-censoring these images would whitewash reality. And that's not a good thing, for reasons well-expressed by others on this thread.

[RobFromGa]

and also the purpose of Iraq showing these pictures is for propaganda reason

If they think this is helpful to their cause, then once again they have TOTALLY MISUNDERSTOOD the thinking of Americans.

[wimpycat]

Done.

[FairOpinion]

"Let the peace protestors see the people that they are defending"

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Actually they use just the opposite way, to justify their demands that we withdraw our troops immediately.

Did you forget Somalia? It was after the pictures were shown, we withdrew. So Saddam thinks that it will work again. We don't need to do his propaganda work for him.

[RobFromGa]

Or did you forget that we pulled out of Somalia virtually immediately after those horrible events happened and pictures were shown.

Those pictures are the only thing that most Americans remember about Somalia, and they remember it with outrage. Maybe we at least learned a lesson there.