'Nightline' Devotes Show to Reading War Dead Names
Tue Apr 27, 2004 07:27 PM ET
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A U.S. television news program is to dedicate an
entire broadcast to a reading of the names of American servicemen and women
killed in action in Iraq.
Ted Koppel will read aloud the names of those killed since the March 2003
start of the Iraq war on the Friday edition of ABC News "Nightline," the
network said on Tuesday. The reading will be accompanied by a photograph of
each person named.
While "Nightline" and other U.S. TV news broadcasts have reported regularly
on those killed in Iraq, "Nightline" executive producer Leroy Sievers said:
"We realized that the casualties were on their way to becoming just
numbers."
"'The Fallen' is our way of reminding our viewers -- whether they agree with
the war or not -- that beyond the casualty numbers, these men and women are
serving in Iraq in our names. and that those who have been killed have names
and faces," said Sievers.
Due to time constraints in the 30-minute program, "Nightline" will limit its
reading to the approximately 523 U.S. troops killed in combat since the
start of the war. Another 201 have died as a result of accidents, friendly
fire or suicide.
The planned broadcast follows the controversial publication in the United
States last week of hitherto restricted pictures of dozens of flag-draped
coffins returning home with the bodies of U.S. troops.
A "Nightline" spokeswoman said ABC's decision was not related to the
publication of the photos, and there was no political intent behind ABC's
decision to read out the names of those killed in the war.
"It is purely a tribute," she said, adding that "Nightline" had been working
closely with the Army Times Publishing Company which has a database of names
and photographs of troops killed in action.
ABC is owned by the Walt Disney Co.
© Reuters 2004. All Rights Reserved.
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