BREAKING: Secretary Gates lifts ban on media coverage of war dead

By GottaLaff

MSNBC is reporting that Secretary Gates is allowing media coverage of the war dead arriving at Dover AFB.

However, families will be consulted first.

Bill Would End Ban on Photos of Returning Military Dead

By GottaLaff

It's about time. No more covering up the deadly results of a fraudulent, unnecessary war/occupation. And check out who introduced the bill. Yes, that Walter Jones:

The Department of Defense would be required to grant journalists access to ceremonies honoring fallen military personnel under a bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The legislation is significant because it would, for the first time since Vietnam, let photojournalists capture the powerful images of flag-draped caskets arriving on American soil during wartime.

This week the bill won the endorsement of the National Press Photographers Association.

The Fallen Hero Commemoration Act, or H.R. 6662, was introduced July 30 by Rep. Walter B. Jones (R-N.C.), a member of the House Committee on Armed Services.

I love it when they sneak over to our side once in awhile.

Jones voted to authorize the Iraq war, but he later supported a timetable to withdrawal troops and opposed the troop surge in 2007. Jones has spoken frequently in support of veterans' interests and displays a poster outside his office showing the photos of fallen service members from the Marine base in his district, according to his Web site.

His bill has six co-sponsors: Rep Wayne Gilchrest (R-Md.), Rep. Solomon Ortiz (D-Texas), Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas), Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-N.H.) and Rep. Gene Taylor (D-Miss.). [...]

In the five years of the Iraq war, during which more than 4,100 U.S. troops have died, photos of military caskets have leaked out on at least three occasions.

Honor the dead, but hide them first. Hopefully that will come to an end now.