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04/22/2004 Archived Entry: "Memory Hole gets those Forbidden Pictures."
Memory Hole gets those Forbidden Pictures.
No, not the ones of Alan Colmes with a goat. Not the ones with the White House press corps with dead girls and/or live boys. The ones of coffins coming into Dover AFB. 361 of 'em.
Since March 2003, a newly-enforced military regulation has forbidden taking or distributing images of caskets or body tubes containing the remains of soldiers who died overseas.Immediately after hearing about this, I filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the following:
All photographs showing caskets (or other devices) containing the remains of US military personnel at Dover AFB. This would include, but not be limited to, caskets arriving, caskets departing, and any funerary rites/rituals being performed. The timeframe for these photos is from 01 February 2003 to the present.
I specified Dover because they process the remains of most, if not all, US military personnel killed overseas. Not surpisingly, my request was completely rejected. Not taking 'no' for an answer, I appealed on several grounds, and—to my amazement—the ruling was reversed. The Air Force then sent me a CD containing 361 photographs of flag-draped coffins and the services welcoming the deceased soldiers.
Score one for freedom of information and the public's right to know.
Who knew the FOIA still worked? Will they fire Ashcroft now?
Update: Memory Hole seems to be getting hammered. News From Babylon has mirrored the pics. Thanks, B.
Replies: 14 people speak up
i was just going to tell you about that site... of course, you beat me to it. anyway, just wondering when our "liberal media" will get some of those photos on the evening news.... they are chilling, and so sad. i don't get the pentagon policy. why whitewash the fact that there are indeed bodies that have to come home to coincide with the casualty numbers?
Posted by cathcatz @ 04/22/2004 04:49 PM NY
jesus, there's still a freedom of information act? you're shittin me? next thing you will tell me that this is still a democracy.
damn moving pictures though
Posted by justin @ 04/22/2004 05:31 PM NY
do you think that memory hole is actually down because of traffic? i suspect more sinister motives personally, but then again, i always do...
it seems like the site went down right after it made the cable news... that could support either theory.
damn, and i just sent that link to a dozen or so people, hope its back up before they check their email...
Posted by justin @ 04/22/2004 05:44 PM NY
If it made the news then yeah it was probably that they were gettign HAMMERED. A server can handle only so much load at once, and something like THIS hitting the news very likely hosed their server for awhile until the peak subsided.
Posted by Jason @ 04/22/2004 06:11 PM NY
it was just one of those "right before the commercials" blurbs, and they didnt mention the website, they just said that a private citizen was able to get the pictures using the freedom of information act, and then they showed a couple of the more benign pictures. your right though. everything is probobly not ALWAYS a conspiracy. even so, if i ran the memory hole, i would watch my back
Posted by justin @ 04/22/2004 07:18 PM NY
and stay away from small aircraft too...
Posted by justin @ 04/22/2004 07:19 PM NY
Does this make it a double standard for Tami Silicio? Seems the Air Force can take all the photos it wants, but not a private citizen. And this is not about national security George.
Posted by Demeur @ 04/22/2004 07:38 PM NY
Send that Memory Hole some Turkee... This is a coup for the Truth.
Tony B.
Posted by Monkeyfister... @ 04/23/2004 12:35 AM NY
send it quick. i wouldnt expect them to be around long... "watch your back" is the operative phrase. there are powers out there who obey no laws, know no limits, and have no conscience, and we know they are not on OUR side... america as we thought we knew it is very much OVER...
Posted by justin @ 04/23/2004 10:30 AM NY
by the way, the memory hole is still down... i hope there havnt been any suspicious "suicides"
or do you think it's still just traffic?
Posted by justin @ 04/23/2004 11:10 AM NY
This opportunity to view these pictures is a chance for me to grieve with the families who have lost loved ones. It is better to see it in all its stark reality. All those young people, now flagged draped, join the ranks of those Americans who followed orders, as was their duty, and served their country. But the government who gave the orders was dead wrong. As the song goes, when will they ever learn?
Posted by Carol @ 04/24/2004 11:21 AM NY
I think that requesting the pictures just to see if you can get them is not a legitimate reason for doing this. I am a US soldier and i know that i wouldn't want pictures of my(knock on wood)coffin and ceremony broadcast over the internet. This is truly a disgrace.
Posted by Brandon @ 04/24/2004 05:34 PM NY
As a former member of the army, it absolutly essential that these pictures be seen by the piblic. Bush wants to downplay the fact that people are actually dying.this fact can not be overlooked.Everyone in one of those caskets is someones son,father, brother,etc...
Posted by Ricardo michel @ 04/25/2004 01:44 PM NY
As a former member of the army, it absolutly essential that these pictures be seen by the piblic. Bush wants to downplay the fact that people are actually dying.this fact can not be overlooked.Everyone in one of those caskets is someones son,father, brother,etc...
Posted by Ricardo michel @ 04/25/2004 01:44 PM NY
