U.S. to allow photos of war dead's coffins

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has decided to rescind a long-standing prohibition against media coverage of returning war dead, allowing families to say whether news organizations may photograph the arrivals, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday.

All U.S. service members killed overseas are flown to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. But photographs have been prohibited since 1991. George W. Bush's administration rigorously enforced the ban, preventing pictures of troops killed in Iraq or Afghanistan from appearing in the media.

The new plan will leave it up to the families of slain service members to decide whether to allow the media to photograph their return to Dover.

"My conclusion was, we should not presume to make the decision for the families. We should actually let them make it," Gates said.

In 2004, Tami Silicio, an Everett woman working in Kuwait on cargo aircraft that flew fallen soldiers to Dover, took photographs of flag-draped caskets that were published by The Seattle Times, drawing attention to the Pentagon policy and resulting in Silicio's firing.

Some veteran and family groups favored keeping the ban in place and others wanted to give families the options of allowing the media in, said Joyce Raezer, executive director of the National Military Families Association.

"We are hoping whatever comes out of this new policy accommodates a variety of wishes," she said.

Gates has assigned a group of Pentagon officials to work out details. Unanswered questions include what to do if a flight is carrying remains of several service members and families are divided over access, or what services will be provided for those who want to be present.

If Dover is opened to families meeting arriving flights, Raezer said the military needs to be prepared to help with chaplains, counselors and lodging.

Military Families United said a survey of military families showed that 84 percent opposed changing the policy. "We are pretty disappointed in the president's decision to overturn the ban," said John Ellsworth, the group's president, whose son was killed in Iraq in 2004.

Gates said he has been opposed to the ban and first considered dropping it a year ago.

Information from The Seattle Times archive is included in this report.