LOL, Veil of Secrecy. The policy of not allowing pictures of caskets goes
back to when Clinton was in office.



"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
Finally, the American public can see the price of Bush's folly...photos
of the caskets of soldiers killed in his war.

Here's a followup to the Seattle Times story that broke through the
Pentagon veil of secrecy about our new generation of disposable
soldiers. There's also a website with dozens of similar photos.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...coffin22m.html


I think it outrageous the military thinks it appropriate to conceal the
cost of war from the citizens of this country. Screw the hypocrisy of
the military establishment.





Woman loses her job over coffins photo

By Hal Bernton
Seattle Times staff reporter

A military contractor has fired Tami Silicio, a Kuwait-based cargo
worker whose photograph of flag-draped coffins of fallen U.S. soldiers
was published in Sunday's edition of The Seattle Times.

Silicio was let go yesterday for violating U.S. government and company
regulations, said William Silva, president of Maytag Aircraft, the
contractor that employed Silicio at Kuwait International Airport.

"I feel like I was hit in the chest with a steel bar and got my wind
knocked out. I have to admit I liked my job, and I liked what I did,"
Silicio said.

Her photograph, taken earlier this month, shows more than 20 flag-draped
coffins in a cargo plane about to depart from Kuwait. Since 1991, the
Pentagon has banned the media from taking pictures of caskets being
returned to the United States.

That policy has been a lightning rod for debate, and Silicio's
photograph was quickly posted on numerous Internet sites and became the
subject of many Web conversations. Times Executive Editor Michael R.
Fancher yesterday appeared on ABC's "Good Morning America" news show
with U.S. Rep. Mike Castle, R-Del., who supported the Pentagon policy
prohibiting such pictures.

As a result of the broader coverage, The Times received numerous e-mails
and phone calls from across the country — most of which supported the
newspaper's decision.

Pentagon officials yesterday said the government's policy defers to the
sensitivities of bereaved families. "We've made sure that all of the
installations who are involved with the transfer of remains were aware
that we do not allow any media coverage of any of the stops until (the
casket) reaches its final destination," said Cynthia Colin, a Pentagon
spokeswoman.


Tami Silicio's photo fueled a debate over a U.S. policy on casket images.

Maytag also fired David Landry, a co-worker who recently wed Silicio.

Silicio said she never sought to put herself in the public spotlight.
Instead, she said, she hoped the publication of the photo would help
families of fallen soldiers understand the care and devotion that
civilians and military crews dedicate to the task of returning the
soldiers home.

"It wasn't my intent to lose my job or become famous or anything,"
Silicio said.

The Times received Silicio's photograph from a stateside friend, Amy
Katz, who had previously worked with Silicio for a different contractor
in Kosovo. Silicio then gave The Times permission to publish it, without
compensation. It was paired with an article about her work in Kuwait.

Silicio, 50, is from Edmonds and previously worked as an events
decorator in the Seattle area and as a truck driver in Kosovo. Before
the war started, she went to work for Maytag, which contracts with the
Air Mobility Command to provide air-terminal and ground-handling
services in Kuwait.

K
In Kuwait, Silicio pulled 12-hour night shifts alongside military
workers to help in the huge effort to resupply U.S. troops. These
workers also helped transport the remains of soldiers back to the United
States.

Her job put her in contact with soldiers who sometimes accompanied the
coffins to the airport. Having lost one of her own sons to a brain
tumor, Silicio said, she tried to offer support to those grieving over a
lost comrade.

"It kind of helps me to know what these mothers are going through, and I
try to watch over their children as they head home," she said in an
earlier interview.

Since Sunday, Silicio has hunkered down in Kuwait as her employer and
the military decided her fate.

Maytag's Silva said the decision to terminate Silicio's and Landry's
employment was made by the company. But he said the U.S. military had
identified "very specific concerns" about their actions. Silva declined
to detail those concerns.

"They were good workers, and we were sorry to lose them," Silva said.
"They did a good job out in Kuwait and it was an important job that they
did."

Landry, in an e-mail to The Times, said he was proud of his wife, and
that they would soon return home to the States.

John Smith wrote:

LOL, Veil of Secrecy. The policy of not allowing pictures of caskets goes
back to when Clinton was in office.

snip

Since 1991, the Pentagon has banned the media from taking pictures of
caskets being returned to the United States.

snip

POTUS George Herbert Walker Bush, 1989-1993

This was his put into effect during his daddy's watch.
--
__________m___~¿Ô___m____________________________

"John Smith" wrote in message
news:6OYhc.5486$_L6.641571@attbi_s53...
LOL, Veil of Secrecy. The policy of not allowing pictures of caskets goes
back to when Clinton was in office.



And there's absolutely nothing wrong with the policy.
The families can contact the press to cover the fallen soldiers funerals if
they so desire.

Joe wrote:

And there's absolutely nothing wrong with the policy.
The families can contact the press to cover the fallen soldiers funerals
if they so desire.

I didn't state anything was wrong with the policy.
I corrected what some are unable to figure out.

Since 1991, the Pentagon has banned the media from taking pictures of
caskets being returned to the United States.

POTUS George Herbert Walker Bush, 1989-1993

This was his put into effect during his daddy's watch.
--
__________m___~¿Ô___m____________________________

It might have been policy when daddy Bush was in office, but it was
reinstated in Nov. 1999 while Clinton was in office.

I for one agree that the display of the coffins should left up to the family
members.


"____m___~¿Ô___m____" wrote in message
...
John Smith wrote:

LOL, Veil of Secrecy. The policy of not allowing pictures of caskets
goes
back to when Clinton was in office.

snip

Since 1991, the Pentagon has banned the media from taking pictures of
caskets being returned to the United States.

snip

POTUS George Herbert Walker Bush, 1989-1993

This was his put into effect during his daddy's watch.
--
__________m___~¿Ô___m____________________________

Joe wrote:

"John Smith" wrote in message
news:6OYhc.5486$_L6.641571@attbi_s53...

LOL, Veil of Secrecy. The policy of not allowing pictures of caskets goes
back to when Clinton was in office.




And there's absolutely nothing wrong with the policy.
The families can contact the press to cover the fallen soldiers funerals if
they so desire.








bullship. It's manipulation by the pentagon, which doesn't want the
public to see the real cost of its wars.

From the Washington Post:

"A Pentagon spokeswoman said the military-wide policy actually dates from
about November 2000 -- the last days of the Clinton administration"



"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
Joe wrote:

"John Smith" wrote in message
news:6OYhc.5486$_L6.641571@attbi_s53...

LOL, Veil of Secrecy. The policy of not allowing pictures of caskets
goes
back to when Clinton was in office.




And there's absolutely nothing wrong with the policy.
The families can contact the press to cover the fallen soldiers funerals
if
they so desire.








bullship. It's manipulation by the pentagon, which doesn't want the
public to see the real cost of its wars.

"John Smith" wrote in message news:6OYhc.5486$_L6.641571@attbi_s53...
LOL, Veil of Secrecy. The policy of not allowing pictures of caskets goes
back to when Clinton was in office.

Yeah, didn't you know? EVERYTHING that has EVER happened in the world,
that doesn't make the republicans look good, is Clinton's fault?

"Harry Krause" wrote in message

.... the military thinks it appropriate to conceal the
cost of war from the citizens of this country.

Harry, stop being foolish. Concealing the cost of war has naught to do with
it. Showing such photos is nothing more than an overly emotional tool by
those who want to lobby against any military action. This country has had a
policy that goes back at least as far as WW II that, simply put, states
that the feelings and emotional well-being of bereaved families are more
important than the career advancement of some photographer, newspaperman, or
political hack. During WW II, it was late 1944 before a battlefield photo
that in any way included a killed GI was shown in a US paper -- and that
one, I believe, was in error.

From time to time there are photos of ceremonies at Dover, etc., but
pictures of war dead that serve no purpose other than the political or
monetary are generally not used. They help virtually no one, and hurt many.
Its simply a low-class thing, Harry -- exploiting the war dead and their
families for political or monetary purposes. I should think you would have
recognized this, being familiar with such things.

"basskisser" wrote in message

Yeah, didn't you know? EVERYTHING that has EVER happened in the world,
that doesn't make the republicans look good, is Clinton's fault?

There you go making things over-complicated again. Republicans have nothing
to do with it!! Your statement should read: "EVERYTHING that has EVER
happened in the world is Clinton's fault.".