Banning Photos Added to Public's 'Distrust' of Bush Regime

[AGENDA21]

WASHINGTON—Over the past three years, more than 2,500 U.S. military coffins have returned home to this country and not a single arrival ceremony has been captured by a media outlet.

But despite the policy of U.S. President George W. Bush, now apparently being mimicked by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, hundreds of such photos are available at the click of a computer key and have been published on the front pages of U.S. newspapers. Ultimately, it's done nothing to desensitize Americans to the death toll in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The battle over the rights of American citizens to see the price of foreign-policy decisions made by their government have resulted in epic battles over freedom-of-information legislation, cost two defence contractors their jobs, and produced countless newspaper editorials.

Still, it is not clear if Bush benefited from the policy and his unpopular war in Iraq appears destined to become his presidential legacy.



http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0426-05.htm