Why is Bush afraid of the 'Dover Test'?

[Rokenn]

Time to take the Dover test

WASHINGTON (Creators Syndicate) -- At Harvard on January 19, 2000, then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Hugh Shelton provided a valuable standard, both to determine whether the United States ought to send the nation's warriors into combat and to enlist "the support of the American people as well as the Congress" needed to sustain that involvement. In Shelton's judgment, such a grave decision :

"(M)ust be subjected to what I call the 'Dover test.' Is the American public prepared for the sight of our most precious resource coming home in flag-draped caskets into Dover Air Force Base in Delaware -- which is a point entry for our Armed Forces?

This is an issue, I think, that should be raised early on. It should be discussed, and it should be decided by our political leadership before any operation begins."

In the invasion and occupation of Iraq, the Bush administration chose instead to duck Shelton's "Dover test." The scene so familiar to older Americans -- of the military honor guard in white gloves, respectfully accompanying from the aircraft to the waiting loved ones the remains of the fallen warrior in the coffin covered by Old Glory, often with a military band offering an appropriately solemn piece -- was simply banned. George W. Bush's war against Iraq could not flunk the Dover test because there would be no Dover test.

One of the most enduring criticisms from Bush's fellow conservatives of those Americans, especially liberals, who opposed the U.S. war in Vietnam was that , as a consequence of that vocal opposition, no parades or bands or celebrations were held to honor and welcome American veterans returning from that war.

Today's Bush press blackout deprives the deceased hero and his -- yes, or her -- family of that most special moment and indelible memory when a grateful nation expresses its condolences and its respect.

The president of the United States is not simply the commander in chief. He is also be the comforter in chief. Which is exactly what President Ronald Reagan was on January 28, 1986, after the shocking explosion of the Challenger space shuttle and the loss of its crew when , quoting from a sonnet written by World War II pilot John Magee, he said: "We will never forget them nor the last time we saw them , this morning, as they prepared for their journey and slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God."

After 241 U.S. servicemen, mostly Marines, were killed in a terrorist attack on their Beirut barracks, Reagan went to Camp Lejeune not simply to console the grieving, though console them he did, but to do what President Bill Clinton would later do so memorably after the deadly attack on the USS Cole and the murder of U.S. diplomatic personnel in Nairobi -- to give voice to the national sense of grief and offer meaning to the ultimate sacrifices made.

Where is the outrage on the part of the press? Are we lapdogs? The administration in full spin control insists that the reality on the ground in Iraq is much more positive than the press reports. Yet the administration denies reality at home -- the reality of the recent heroism of this nation's fallen sons and daughters.

By official government policy,. there is no band to welcome them home. No honor guard to present the folded flag to their widow and orphan, to make certain the family knows that their loss is also their country's loss, that they do not weep alone. It is a cruel and ugly policy that robs the patriot of the glory and public honor he has earned and deserves.

The time is long past in 2003 to take the Dover test.

[ 12-31-2003, 12:37 PM: Message edited by: Rokenn ]

[Cerek the Barbaric]

That's an interesting article, Rokenn. Unfortunately, it is also blantantly biased and extremely misleading. How so? While it lists several incidents where Reagan and Clinton "comforted" the troops or the nation, NONE of those incidents were the result of "armed conflict" - they were all the result of terrorist attacks. And President Bush's record is just as stellar as both of these predecessors in that area.

President Reagan addressed the nation and spoke of national grief after the Challenger. President Bush gave an equally poignant address when the Columbia disintegrated during re-entry in February of this past year.

President Clinton consoled the servicemen after the terrorist attack on the USS Cole and spoke of national grief after the murder of diplomatic personnel in Nairobi. President Bush consoled the entire nation in what was perhaps his most shining moment as he spoke from the site of the World Trade Center. President Clinton and Bush both promised to go after the person(s) responsible for the attacks, but President Bush is the only that actually delivered on that promise.

But as long as we are talking about the "Dover Test" - and realizing that it applies to "armed conflict" - then where were the honor guard and band to welcome home the dead from Bosnia, Mogadishu, and Panama. They weren't there for the men and women who died in those conflicts either.

[Chewbacca]

Originally posted by Cerek the Barbaric: ....but President Bush is the only that actually delivered on that promise.

Off Topic:
This is statement I have quoted is misleading and inaccurate.


On topic:

The first Bush installed the ban on ceremonies for the returning dead in Gulf War I.

It was and still is a big ole PR ploy so the American people do not have to see the real spoils of war every night on TV.

Death.

[ 01-01-2004, 11:09 PM: Message edited by: Chewbacca ]

[Cerek the Barbaric]

Originally posted by Chewbacca: quote: Originally posted by Cerek the Barbaric: ....but President Bush is the only that actually delivered on that promise.

Off Topic:
This is statement I have quoted is misleading and inaccurate.[/QUOTE]How is it misleading and inaccurate? What efforts did President Clinton take to find and capture Osama bin Laden after the attack on the USS Cole? He did fire a few missiles into suspected terrorists camps, but that effort appears "half-hearted" at best compared to the efforts taken by President Bush.

Still, I will retract the statement if you can show that Clinton did take more focused actions to capture Osama than the public has been made aware.

Originally posted by Chewbacca: On topic: The first Bush installed the ban on ceremonies for the returning dead in Gulf War I. It was and still is a big ole PR ploy so the American people do not have to see the real spoils of war every night on TV. Death.

Any evening news program you care to name has diligently reported the death toll from Iraq and continues to do so - so I'm not sure how the American people are being prevented from seeing it.

And if it really is just a "big ole PR ploy" by President Bush, Sr - then President Clinton had 8 years to repeal that policy, yet chose not to do so. So again, the blame cannot be placed solely on the shoulders of the Presidents Bush.

[Chewbacca]

Originally posted by Cerek the Barbaric: quote: Originally posted by Chewbacca: quote: Originally posted by Cerek the Barbaric: ....but President Bush is the only that actually delivered on that promise.

Off Topic:
This is statement I have quoted is misleading and inaccurate.[/QUOTE]How is it misleading and inaccurate? What efforts did President Clinton take to find and capture Osama bin Laden after the attack on the USS Cole? He did fire a few missiles into suspected terrorists camps, but that effort appears "half-hearted" at best compared to the efforts taken by President Bush.

Still, I will retract the statement if you can show that Clinton did take more focused actions to capture Osama than the public has been made aware.

Originally posted by Chewbacca: On topic: The first Bush installed the ban on ceremonies for the returning dead in Gulf War I. It was and still is a big ole PR ploy so the American people do not have to see the real spoils of war every night on TV. Death.

Any evening news program you care to name has diligently reported the death toll from Iraq and continues to do so - so I'm not sure how the American people are being prevented from seeing it.

And if it really is just a "big ole PR ploy" by President Bush, Sr - then President Clinton had 8 years to repeal that policy, yet chose not to do so. So again, the blame cannot be placed solely on the shoulders of the Presidents Bush. [/QUOTE]As for your second point, Clinton did not generally prohibit news coverage at Dover. And hearing a death toll on the news does not have the same impact, either intellectually or emotionally as seeing the flag draped caskets being unloaded from airplanes. In a way, denying the Dover test is an anti-PR stunt, rather than a PR stunt.

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/WNT/W...ls_031114.html

SNIP Previous presidents have taken the risk, allowing cameras at bases and even attending ceremonies themselves to honor the fallen soldiers. But in 1989 networks showed a split-screen of the first President Bush while caskets arrived from Panama. This angered the White House and by the time of the first Gulf War in 1991, cameras were banned from Dover. President Clinton made some exceptions for soldiers killed by terrorists, but before military action in Iraq began this year, the Pentagon reinforced that 1991 ban.

For your first point, the Clinton administration had developed a report and plan on Al Queda that was scrapped by the Bush administration when they took the reigns of power.

Link: http://www.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/08/05/wh.al.qaeda/