Controversy Rages as TV Show Lists U.S. War Dead
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Veteran U.S. journalist Ted Koppel devoted his "Nightline" program Friday to broadcasting the names and photographs of 721 American soldiers killed in Iraq, sparking outrage from conservatives who called it anti-war propaganda.
But Koppel said the ABC show, extended to 40 minutes from its normal half-hour to accommodate all the names, was a politically neutral way of honoring those who had died.
"Our goal tonight was to elevate the fallen above the politics and the daily journalism," he said at the end of the program. "The reading of those 721 names was neither intended to provoke opposition to the war nor as an endorsement."
Koppel said he was not opposed to the war in Iraq, launched in March 2003 to oust Saddam Hussein.
"I am opposed to sustaining the illusion that war can be waged by the sacrifice of a few without burdening the rest of us in any way. I oppose the notion that to be at war is to forfeit the right to question, criticize or debate our leaders' policies," he said.
The show was broadcast on the eve of the anniversary of Bush's May 1, 2003, "mission accomplished" declaration from the deck of an aircraft carrier that major combat in Iraq was over.
Since then a guerrilla war waged by a range of anti-U.S. groups has intensified and 134 Americans were killed in April alone -- the bloodiest month for U.S. forces since the war began.
The program was inspired by a June 1969 edition of Life magazine that carried the names and pictures of all the American soldiers killed in a single week in the Vietnam War.
That issue of the magazine was credited with fueling public sentiment against the war in Vietnam and conservative commentators accused Koppel of trying to encourage similar opposition to the war in Iraq.
BARRED FROM THE AIRWAVES
A media company whose executives have been strong supporters of President Bush, Maryland-based Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc., barred its ABC-affiliated stations from airing the "Nightline" broadcast, calling it a political statement that failed to give all sides of the story.
Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican and Vietnam veteran, condemned Sinclair's decision "to deny your viewers an opportunity to be reminded of war's terrible costs." He called it a "gross disservice to the public" and the U.S. armed forces.
"It is in short, sir, unpatriotic," McCain said.
Sinclair company president David Smith responded that ABC "has adopted a strategy employed by numerous anti-war demonstrators who wish to focus attention solely on the cost of war." He said Sinclair stations would replace "Nightline" with "a balanced report addressing both sides of this controversy."
Koppel rejected Sinclair's criticism. "We do context every day. Today was just one program when we decided we would honor the dead. Period," he told Reuters in a telephone interview.
ABC News said it would make a special feed of its tribute available to radio and television stations in markets where the program was preempted by the Sinclair Broadcast chain.
A poll by The New York Times and CBS News reported this week that American support for the war in Iraq had eroded substantially in recent weeks and Americans were increasingly critical of how Bush is handling the conflict.
A spokesman for the Veterans of Foreign Wars group, Jerry Newberry, told ABC News he approved of the "Nightline" broadcast.
"We need to memorize those faces, know their names. Americans should get down on their hands and knees and give thanks to them," he said.
Koppel quoted the Pentagon as putting the latest American death toll in Iraq at 737, including two Marines killed on Friday. He said the show had not been able to confirm 16 of the names.
THE SOURCE
Hmmm, I saw nothing wrong with the airing of this show. I watched with tears rolling down my face. Why should we turn our backs on the Fallen Heroes?
Perhaps, Bush would prefer we abandon Memorial Day, as well!
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Barbara Bush: "Why should we hear about body bags and deaths. Oh, I mean, it's not relevant. So why should I waste my beautiful mind on something like that?"- Barbara Bush on ABC's "Good Morning America" on March 18, 2003.
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It was a good show and it was done to Honor the Fallen Heroes of the war in Iraq. What's so wrong with that?
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Veteran U.S. journalist Ted Koppel devoted his "Nightline" program Friday to broadcasting the names and photographs of 721 American soldiers killed in Iraq, sparking outrage from conservatives who called it anti-war propaganda.
But Koppel said the ABC show, extended to 40 minutes from its normal half-hour to accommodate all the names, was a politically neutral way of honoring those who had died.
"Our goal tonight was to elevate the fallen above the politics and the daily journalism," he said at the end of the program. "The reading of those 721 names was neither intended to provoke opposition to the war nor as an endorsement."
Koppel said he was not opposed to the war in Iraq, launched in March 2003 to oust Saddam Hussein.
"I am opposed to sustaining the illusion that war can be waged by the sacrifice of a few without burdening the rest of us in any way. I oppose the notion that to be at war is to forfeit the right to question, criticize or debate our leaders' policies," he said.
The show was broadcast on the eve of the anniversary of Bush's May 1, 2003, "mission accomplished" declaration from the deck of an aircraft carrier that major combat in Iraq was over.
Since then a guerrilla war waged by a range of anti-U.S. groups has intensified and 134 Americans were killed in April alone -- the bloodiest month for U.S. forces since the war began.
The program was inspired by a June 1969 edition of Life magazine that carried the names and pictures of all the American soldiers killed in a single week in the Vietnam War.
That issue of the magazine was credited with fueling public sentiment against the war in Vietnam and conservative commentators accused Koppel of trying to encourage similar opposition to the war in Iraq.
BARRED FROM THE AIRWAVES
A media company whose executives have been strong supporters of President Bush, Maryland-based Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc., barred its ABC-affiliated stations from airing the "Nightline" broadcast, calling it a political statement that failed to give all sides of the story.
Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican and Vietnam veteran, condemned Sinclair's decision "to deny your viewers an opportunity to be reminded of war's terrible costs." He called it a "gross disservice to the public" and the U.S. armed forces.
"It is in short, sir, unpatriotic," McCain said.
Sinclair company president David Smith responded that ABC "has adopted a strategy employed by numerous anti-war demonstrators who wish to focus attention solely on the cost of war." He said Sinclair stations would replace "Nightline" with "a balanced report addressing both sides of this controversy."
Koppel rejected Sinclair's criticism. "We do context every day. Today was just one program when we decided we would honor the dead. Period," he told Reuters in a telephone interview.
ABC News said it would make a special feed of its tribute available to radio and television stations in markets where the program was preempted by the Sinclair Broadcast chain.
A poll by The New York Times and CBS News reported this week that American support for the war in Iraq had eroded substantially in recent weeks and Americans were increasingly critical of how Bush is handling the conflict.
A spokesman for the Veterans of Foreign Wars group, Jerry Newberry, told ABC News he approved of the "Nightline" broadcast.
"We need to memorize those faces, know their names. Americans should get down on their hands and knees and give thanks to them," he said.
Koppel quoted the Pentagon as putting the latest American death toll in Iraq at 737, including two Marines killed on Friday. He said the show had not been able to confirm 16 of the names.
THE SOURCE
Hmmm, I saw nothing wrong with the airing of this show. I watched with tears rolling down my face. Why should we turn our backs on the Fallen Heroes?
Perhaps, Bush would prefer we abandon Memorial Day, as well!
----------------------------------------------
Barbara Bush: "Why should we hear about body bags and deaths. Oh, I mean, it's not relevant. So why should I waste my beautiful mind on something like that?"- Barbara Bush on ABC's "Good Morning America" on March 18, 2003.
----------------------------------------------
It was a good show and it was done to Honor the Fallen Heroes of the war in Iraq. What's so wrong with that?
