On Sunday the Seattle Times published a photograph of flag-draped coffins leaving Kuwait International Airport. Today the paper reports that the photographer, Tami Silicio, has been fired by her employer, a military contractor resupplying troops in Iraq. Taking such photographs, it turns out, violates Pentagon policy. In fact, according to government policy, the news media are forbidden to show any image of dead American soldiers. The Pentagon guidelines warns, “The prohibition includes…the movement of remains at any point” (quoted in USA Today).
Despite the chilling aura of censorship surrounding this case, I was delighted to find that the war-profitering contractor, Maytag Aircraft, is in no way related to Maytag Corporation, makers of my washer and dryer (and probably yours) and home of the affable Maytag Repairman.