Los Angeles Times via Jim Roberts
The Los Angeles Times published graphic photos in print and online this morning of U.S. soldiers posing with Afghan corpses.

Eighteen such photos were provided by an anonymous soldier in the 82nd Airborne Division, David Zucchino reports, though only two images were published. Both appear with the story online, and the same two appear in print, Zucchino told me, one of them on today's front page (see below). The soldier who provided the images served in Afghanistan and "said the photos point to a breakdown in leadership and discipline that he believed compromised the safety of the troops."

Pentagon officials say the images are over two years old; the paper reports they are from a yearlong deployment of the 4th Brigade Combat Team from Ft. Bragg, N.C., "which lost 35 men during that time, according to icasualties.org, a website that tracks casualties. At least 23 were killed by homemade bombs or suicide bombers."

U.S. military officials asked the Times not to publish the photos, but they did.

Times Editor Davan Maharaj said, "After careful consideration, we decided that publishing a small but representative selection of the photos would fulfill our obligation to readers to report vigorously and impartially on all aspects of the American mission in Afghanistan, including the allegation that the images reflect a breakdown in unit discipline that was endangering U.S. troops."

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