Papers, Ignoring Pentagon Plea, Mark 2,000th U.S. Death in Iraq

[IChing]

By E&P Staff

Published: October 26, 2005 11:00 AM ET
NEW YORK Going against the expressed wishes of the Pentagon, several top U.S. newspapers treated the tragic arrival of the 2,000th American military death in Iraq as a major milestone Wednesday. The New York Times even used that officially disapproved phrase in a headline at the top of a page. USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post all carried special features.

On Tuesday, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Steve Boylan, a military spokesman in Iraq, wrote in an e-mail to reporters, "The 2,000 service members killed in Iraq supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom is not a milestone. It is an artificial mark on the wall set by individuals or groups with specific agendas and ulterior motives."

But on Wednesday, the Times ran a front-page story marking the 2,000th fatality -- plus four pages of photos of the dead inside. The gallery covered every death since the paper last performed this service, at the 1,000 mark in early September 2004.
>>>>snip

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001390217

[villager]

1. our rightwing local "Daily News" had a *list* of the 2,000 on pg. 1

Of course, the blurb was that they "gave their lives for freedom" -- as opposed to giving it for a lying, cowardly sociopath's obssession -- but I have to think that the list was more powerful than the RW spin...

[rodeodance]

9. too too much kool-aid.

[villager]

10. and yet they published the full list, not realizing its kool-aid thinning

...effects...

[Downtown Hound]

2. Not a milestone my ass

At least the media didn't jump like they usually do when they get a request from the military to censor the cost of this atrocious war.

[leQ]

3. i jus don't know what to make of the times these days

everytime i wanna say "yah, go get'em editors" when i see something 'truthful' in the times, i get clobbered with the RW spin of the day on the next page. i'm confused.

[Orsino]

4. "It is an artificial mark on the wall...

...set by individuals or groups with specific agendas and ulterior motives."

Gee, sounds a lot like the war in Iraq, the elections, and the War on Terr in general.

I call bullshit.

[IChing]

5. When is one American death not a milestone for an illegal war.

let alone 2002.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

11. I felt the same way about the first unnecessary death in NOLA.

When talking about unnecessary deaths, one is the benchmark by which my outrage is triggered.

Be it war, natural disaster or poor econimic policy.

[TheCowsCameHome]

6. Are we advocating censorship of sorts, Col. Boylan?

[efhmc]

7. I think that every death is a somber sign of the failure of our government

and its citizens to see how wrong this war is. I will light my candle tonight to commemorate the 2000 dead but I think that we need to be doing this every night until this evil action stops. This "milestone" is a way to bring this tragedy home to those Americans who only respond when some number is reached. If that is what it takes to get into their programed thoughts, so be it.

[rodeodance]

8. can't believe the Pent even tried. what a bunch of dopes.

[cliss]

14. I agree. What the hell could they use as their argument?

Pentagon to newspapers around the U.S.: "Please do not print the new milestone of US troop deaths."

US newspapers: "Why not"

Pentagon: "We don't want people to know about it"

Newspapes: "They already know. It's their sons and daughters"

Pentagon: "That's true, but we don't want you reminding them"

---------------

What the hell can they use as their argument here? It stinks to high heaven.

By the way, I walked past a newspaper box in Portlan. On the front page, in huge letters, it said: "2,000 US TROOPS DEAD IN IRAQ"

[hadrons]

12. I wonder is Boylan going to use this line to inform the next of kin KIA

Your loved one is now an artificial mark on the wall set by individuals or groups with specific agendas and ulterior motives.

[ECH1969]

13. Good for them

[Voltaire99]

15. Come, enlist in and die for an institution...

...that doesn't want your death discussed.

Talk about "specific agendas and ulterior motives"!