Friday, October 16, 2009
The U.S. military has been banning media traveling with soldiers in eastern Afghanistan from taking photos or video of American soldiers killed in action. The change in policy was quietly implemented in early September following the controversial publication of a dying Marine by the Associated Press which prompted criticism from Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Reporters who embed with U.S. military units must agree to follow certain ground rules, including: “Media will not be allowed to photograph or record video of U.S. personnel killed in action.”
Senators Carl Levin (D-MI) and John McCain (R-AZ), the ranking members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, were surprised when they heard of the new policy and plan to ask Pentagon officials about it. “My reaction is I’d like to talk to the commander and I’d like to talk to the secretary of defense,” Levin told CQ Politics.
It is unknown if the new policy applies beyond the eastern region of Afghanistan to the rest of the country, or inside Iraq.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Afghanistan Command Confirms Policy Against Images of U.S. Dead (by John Donnelly, CQ)
Media Information Packet (page 3) (U.S. Army) (PDF)
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