Pentagon lifts ban on news coverage of coffins carrying killed troops

2009-02-27 05:25:55

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) --

The Pentagon said on Thursday that it has lifted a long-time ban on news coverage of the coffins carrying troops who were killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Under the new policy, made by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, news media will be allowed to take picture of the coffins when they arrive by plane at the Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

However, the news coverage must be approved by families of the dead troops, according to a written statement issued by the Pentagon.

The ban on news coverage began under former President George H.W. Bush during the first Gulf war in early 1990s.

Sixty-seven percent of those questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released on Thursday say they think the government should allow the public to see photos of caskets of U.S. troops at an air force base.

Editor: Yan

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