‘Nightline’ to air list of war dead

“Nightline,” which stirred up controversy last year with its decision to read the names of the 721 U.S. military personnel who had lost their lives in the Iraq war, is going to do it again.

The ABC late-night news program said Tuesday that it would devote its Memorial Day broadcast on Monday to reading the names and showing the photos of more than 900 service members who have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan since May 1, 2004.

“Too often we simply report casualties in terms of numbers,” said Tom Bettag, executive producer of “Nightline.” “ ‘The Fallen’ is our way of reminding viewers, regardless of their feelings about the war, that the men and women who have given their lives in our behalf are individuals with names and faces.”

The “Nightline” broadcast of April 30, 2004, drew fire from some critics who saw it as a politically motivated act aimed at undermining support for the U.S. effort in Iraq. ABC executives and anchor Ted Koppel argued that they were simply honoring the American troops.