The U.S. military in eastern Afghanistan recently changed its media embed rules to ban pictures of troops killed in the war.“Media will not be allowed to photograph or record video of U.S. personnel killed in action,” says a ground rules document issued Sept. 15 by Regional Command East at Bagram Air Field.
[...]
The change occurred after the wide distribution of a photograph of a dying U.S. Marine. On Sept. 4, the Associated Press released a photo of a mortally wounded Marine in Afghanistan.
And soon there will be many more possible.
In my recent post titled Escalating Afghanistan, I quoted Glenn Greenwald as saying “Obama deserves some credit for at least refusing to capitulate immediately to the military's demands without taking time to consider alternative options. “ My response was “I don’t think that’s deserving of credit without knowing that he is actually debating the decision and not simply postponing it. “ It appears I may have been awfully close to the truth (which, of course, does not mean he did not consider alternatives).
As The Daily Telegraph reported last week, a total of 1,000 more British soldiers will go to Helmand province.[...]
President Barack Obama's administration is understood to have told the British government that it could announce, as early as next week, the substantial increase to its 65,000 troops already serving [in Afghanistan].
[...]
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs dismissed the claims, after President Obama met with his war council for the fifth time to map out a new strategy in Afghanistan.
"I would not put any weight behind the fact that a decision has been made, when the President has yet to make a decision," he told reporters in Washington.
[...]
Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, the Chief of the Defence Staff, said: "I don't want to put words in the mouths of the Americans but I am fairly confident of the way it is going to come out."
Yeah, me too.
Gibbs will insist when the announcement is made that it hadn’t been decided until just that moment.
....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.
Sir Jock Stirrup? That should qualify for WIIAI's nom du jour.
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