|
NOVEMBER 30, 2003 –
Media Headlines
Blare "54 Insurgents Killed." Reality is, 1) another American
died Monday, bringing the total to 16 coalition partners killed since
Bush's turkey run, including 5 Americans (in only 3 1/2 days); 2)
eyewitness accounts of the insurgent battle say at most 8 or 9 were
killed; 3) as reported by MSNBC, warning shots were fired into the air
when journalists tried to approach to cover the situation, ensuring
accurate information could not be obtained.
What we see here is
what you can expect to see through the next election. President
Bush's strategy, undertaken recently, is that when the American and
coalition deaths start getting too many headlines, start launching
assaults or claim massive victories to
shift headlines. Even Iraqi police on our side say the numbers
are trumped up for PR purposes. As CNN reports:
"Iraqi
police disputed the U.S. casualty information about the attackers,
saying that only eight bodies were in the morgue, including two
elderly Iranian pilgrims, and that none wore Fedayeen clothing. Police
said 50 people were wounded.
(U.S. Army Col.
Frederick) Rudesheim conceded that some of the insurgents reported to
be dead may actually have been wounded, because of the method that
U.S. forces used to collect information about the firefight."
Our own allies
there say our press is being lied to. On top of that, tell me, even if
it was a good victory that stopped two insurgent attacks, how does
that suddenly warrant dropping coverage of well over a dozen
coalition-side deaths completely?
The Iraqis are
claiming some of those killed were civilians who were out defending
themselves after American troops started firing indiscriminately.
Whether this is true is irrelevant - what is relevant is one thing and
one thing only: all that matters is what is the exit plan and
plan for actual victory? Enough with the President's stupid PR war,
lies about Jessica Lynch, providing PR cover for people dying by the
handfuls each day now with explosions and us firing back - it does not
bring back the people who died on our side that day.
We need a President
who puts actual success and safety of our troops over PR success and
safety of his re-election chances. You can't hide that people
are dying, and shouldn't want to. These are our brothers and
sisters.
But we have him as
our President for at least another year, so expect this next year to
follow the same pattern - bad news will be responded to not with
condolences to the families, not with bringing in international help,
but with covering gunfire and tales of great exploits - and, of
course, turkey runs. |
