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February 3, 2007

Lt. General Odierno To New York Times: 'This soldier and his family deserved better'

Topics: Iraq

On Thursday of this week I wrote that The New York Times has proven itself over and over again to be the most anti-American, anti-military, anti-administration print media in the nation, and has probably single handedly done more to compromise the safety and security of our citizens than most spy agencies of our enemies. I also said that this time the NYT has gone far beyond the pale and reached to the deepest depths of depravity, inhumanity, and compassion, and violated standard ethical constraint when it broadcast the video of an American Marine being shot, and reported his death without officially contacting his family.

Early this morning Michelle Malkin received the following letter from Multinational Corps - Iraq regarding the NYTimes' unspeakable violation:

I am writing to express my profound disappointment in The New York Times's decision to publish a photograph of a mortally wounded American soldier in its Jan. 29 issue and Web site posting.

Not only are the photograph and video offensive, the clear depiction is also directly counter to the written agreement made by the reporter and the photographer before publication.

The article that accompanied the photograph and Web site video, " 'Man Down': When One Bullet Alters Everything," by the reporter, Damien Cave, and the photographer, Robert Nickelsberg, was a story of soldiers operating in and around Haifa Street in Baghdad.

This story can and should be told. That is not in question. What is disturbing to me personally and, more important, to the family of the soldier depicted in the photograph and the video, is that the young man who so valiantly gave his life in the service of others was displayed for the entire world to see in the gravest condition and in such a fashion as to elicit horror at its sight.

This photograph will be the last of this man that his family will ever see. Further, it will cause unnecessary worry among the families of other soldiers who fear that the last they see of their loved ones will be in a New York Times photograph lying grievously wounded and dying.

To achieve a mutually agreed upon standard of working together, all reporters and photographers are required to sign the Multinational Forces-Iraq News Media Ground Rules. In it, they agree to the following:

"Media will not be prohibited from covering casualties provided the following conditions are adhered to: (a) Names, video, identifiable written/oral descriptions or identifiable photographs of wounded service member will not be released without the service member's prior written consent."

No such consent was sought or provided.

All of us bear a responsibility to provide for the dignity of our service members in combat. This soldier and his family deserved better.

(Lt. Gen.) Raymond T. Odierno
Cmdr., Multinational Corps-Iraq
Camp Victory, Iraq, Feb. 2, 2007

In my opinion, the general is far too kind to the Time in his letter, but I do understand that given his position, he might feel constrained to say more. However, General Odierno's letter is a thorough dressing down of the organization that I described in my introduction here as the most anti-American, anti-military, anti-administration print media in the nation, and one that has probably single handedly done more to compromise the safety and security of our citizens than most spy agencies of our enemies. To now go so far as to harm the families of our troops and use the death of a Marine to sell newspapers is to yet again set a new standard for going beyond the pale.

Posted by Richard at February 3, 2007 9:04 AM

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• Lt. General Odierno To New York Times: 'This soldier and his family deserved better' - Feb 03, 2007