Photos shown of soldiers coffin arriving in U.S. for first time in 18 years

Not since the first Bush administration in 1991 have members of the media been allowed to photograph the arrival of fallen U.S. service members. Today, Sgt. Philllip Myers was the first soldier killed overseas to be photographed as his coffin was ceremoniously carried off an Air Force transport plane in Dover, Delaware. 

Video of Sgt. Myers' arrival.

Today's events are a result of a shift in Pentagon policy, introduced by Defense Secretary Robert Gates. In February, Gates ordered a change in the policy that would allow media access to homecoming ceremonies with the consent of that soldiers family. 

Many believe the ban was instituted following a PR blunder by George H.W. Bush in 1989. In a press conference following the U.S. victory ousting Manuel Noreaga in Panama, Bush happily addressed the media. News outlets nationwide broadcasted the press conference simultaneously with the arrival of caskets at Dover, Delaware. The result was the perception that the President seemed to be making light of the situation, as images of the arrival of men and women killed in combat were being shown.

Check out this piece CNN did on the debacle in 1989 and some of the arguments for and against showing these types of images:

What do you think? A picture is worth a thousand words... Should images like these be shown or not? Such images sparked protests and fiery debates during the Vietnam War. In 2004, a military contractor was fired after her photo of flag-draped coffins appeared in the Seattle Times. Critics say that media coverage is only used to politicize the war, while proponents claim the images humanize the war and its costs. 

Sgt. Myers was awarded a Bronze Star in March, 2008 for his service in Iraq. A roadside bomb claimed Sgt. Myers' life on Saturday, April 4 in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan. 

North Korea flexes its muscle again

North Korea has placed its military on standby and has threatened war if anyone attempts to shoot down what appears to be a test firing of a long range missile.

The North Korean government also cut off a military hotline that it uses to communicate with the South Korean government. This move has stranded hundreds of S. Korean workers who cross the border regularly to work in Kaesong, an industrial city near the DMZ.

The North Korean govt. has also announced plans to launch a communications satellite, which many believe is a front for a long-range missile of reaching Alaska...Uh oh Sarah Palin. 

The missile test firing and the 'communications' satellite launch both violate U.N. Security council regulations that bar North Korea from any kind of ballistic activity.

President Obama's special envoy to N. Korea has already encouraged the N. Korean government to not fire the missile, and has called the launch an "extremely ill-advised move."

PS. The United States currently has 28,500 troops in S. Korea, and 26,000 of those troops along with S. Korean soldiers & a U.S. aircraft carrier began a series of war games today. The military claims these games are not tied in any way to any political or real world event...

Something to keep an eye out on.