Political Crossfire Forums

[Timmytour]

Chingu wrote: Wouldn't it be nice if the media were actually doing it's job in Iraq and elsewhere?

We see article after article from all manner of media that gives us glimps's and snapshots of the most sensational violence in and around Baghdad. I'd post a few through links - but we all see them every day in our papers, on the network news, on the cable channels and from AP and Rueters etc.

Wouldn't it be nice if there were a "State of Iraq" regular weekly report coming from the troops of journalists over there?

They could - if they were serious about reporting the news accurately, report on the state of affairs across the IRaqi nation rather than focusing entirely on IED's and Secular violence.

The following is an example of what I am talking about.

"Iraq, this week saw more violence in Sad'r City where shiite and Sunni militias were responsible for seven car bombs, two roadside IED blasts and three suicide bombings that took the lives of over two hundred Iraqis.

No American troops were reported killed in the weeks violent incidents.

Ten bodies were found in a sandy field outside Baghdad. They were the victems of assassination all found with single or double bullet wounds to the backs of their heads. Shiite militia loyal to Al Sadr are thought to be responsible.

Iraqi Police in Fallujah report that they have captured three Sunni radicals who they have charged with building improvised explosive devices.

In Takrit, Iraqi military units accompanied by a US Marine Contingent engaged a pocket of Al Qeada terrorists. A firefight erupted and twelve Al Qeada were killed, three captures. One Iraq Army Sargent was wounded. No Americans were wounded or killed in th brief skirmish.

Iraqi intelligence uncovered a weapons cache complete with a bomb building one room factory in a remote village in teh anbar province. The small deserted building had been in recent use. Apparently, the operators of the facility evacuated before the Iraqi military units moved in.

In Northern Baghdad, Iraq, seven new middle schools were completed in the ongoing reconstruction efforts. Iraqi Security forces were stationed in a perimeter to ward off possible sabotuers or Al Qeada who have been responsible for earlier killings in the area.

In Southern Iraq, children, ages five through seventeen are now going to school on a regular schedule in greater numbers than they had prior to the war in Iraq. There was no reported violence in the Iraqi region South from Baghdad to the borders.

The Kurdish region of Iraq continues to flourish without violence.

The ministry of Oil said wednesday that output from the recently reconstructed northern Tikriti oil fields has been ramped up to the highest level in over twenty years and that Security forces have encountered no threats from Al Qeada or other Saboturs as they had at other reconstructed and operation oil facilities in the north central region of Iraq known as teh Sunni Triangle."

And so forth and so on.

Wouldn't that be nice?

What's distressing it that the situation in Iraq has got so bad that someone wants anything that even resembles normality to be presented as news :shock:

Quote: In Southern Iraq, children, ages five through seventeen are now going to school on a regular schedule in greater numbers than they had prior to the war in Iraq. There was no reported violence in the Iraqi region South from Baghdad to the borders.

I think reporting this as "news" will actually makes things worse.

I think some people may have imagined that kids all over Iraq had for sometime been going to school in greater numbers than before the invasion and the story would have them questioning even more what the purpose of going in the first place was.

And as for the "NEWS...no violence today!" that's just ridiculous. Does a "news" item for a US city ever triumph the fact that there were no murders the previous night?

And the reality of the situation? If the press started to jump up and down about how great it was that so many kids in southern Iraq were going to school...you know what would happen next!

That's the really depressing thing :(

[leftneckredwing]

The Kurdish region is safe because it was oil that could be protected for a long time now. For the 12 years between the wars, the US was protecting oil that was lining pockets in France. Glad to be of service. We can cheer that in spite of the fact that Iraq is a very fine mess of our prodding. Our biggest contribution to world stability, middle east stability and safety and security at home is a fast paced war of attrition, kidnap and revenge. Rah rah.

Stupid wars. Stupid people that start them, evil people that push the right buttons to squeeze money for a stupid cause. All lining their pockets for death and from death.

It would be nice if people would see this scam for what it is.

[beachbum bob]

leftneckredwing wrote: The Kurdish region is safe because it was oil that could be protected for a long time now. For the 12 years between the wars, the US was protecting oil that was lining pockets in France. Glad to be of service. We can cheer that in spite of the fact that Iraq is a very fine mess of our prodding. Our biggest contribution to world stability, middle east stability and safety and security at home is a fast paced war of attrition, kidnap and revenge. Rah rah.

Stupid wars. Stupid people that start them, evil people that push the right buttons to squeeze money for a stupid cause. All lining their pockets for death and from death.

It would be nice if people would see this scam for what it is.

the majority of the world knew the consequences before the first cruise missile was launched and americans are now seeing it too....US can't be a world police force or sharper of governments...

neither one works

[The Newb]

Richard Owl Mirror wrote: Wouldn't it be nice if the media were actually able to leave the Green Zone without benefit of a military escort?

imagine the possibility of them not flocking to the green zone

Richard Owl Mirror wrote: Wouldn't it be nice if the media were actually able to walk freely anywhere in Iraq without fear of being killed ?

they can in areas that chingu was talking about they flock to the green zone for the "big scoop" on bad news

Richard Owl Mirror wrote: Wouldn't it be nice if the media were actually able to go to these reconstruction sites you speak of?
One would think if that were possible, the US Military would provide them with the opportunity.

they can, the military is actually building in some spots imagine that

Richard Owl Mirror wrote: Wouldn't it be nice ?

Unfortunately, the media inside Iraq needs to be embedded with military personnel going out on patrol.
And so forth and so on...

only in areas that are "hot spots" they would be safe in southern iraq, and kurdish ares, remeber the war? there were reporters, all over the country, some were only guarded by kurds in the north, yeah i know its hard to remember that far back due to the fact of the constant bombarding of bad things yet it truely is not that bad in some areas, why do they not report it?

[Richard Owl Mirror]

The Newb wrote: Richard Owl Mirror wrote: Wouldn't it be nice if the media were actually able to leave the Green Zone without benefit of a military escort?

imagine the possibility of them not flocking to the green zone

Richard Owl Mirror wrote: Wouldn't it be nice if the media were actually able to walk freely anywhere in Iraq without fear of being killed ?

they can in areas that chingu was talking about they flock to the green zone for the "big scoop" on bad news

Richard Owl Mirror wrote: Wouldn't it be nice if the media were actually able to go to these reconstruction sites you speak of?
One would think if that were possible, the US Military would provide them with the opportunity.

they can, the military is actually building in some spots imagine that

Richard Owl Mirror wrote: Wouldn't it be nice ?

Unfortunately, the media inside Iraq needs to be embedded with military personnel going out on patrol.
And so forth and so on...

only in areas that are "hot spots" they would be safe in southern iraq, and kurdish ares, remeber the war? there were reporters, all over the country, some were only guarded by kurds in the north, yeah i know its hard to remember that far back due to the fact of the constant bombarding of bad things yet it truely is not that bad in some areas, why do they not report it?

Answer me this, why is Our Military buuilding anything ?
Is it a military function to rebuild schools, factories, hospitals ? NO
Perhaps if Our military were actually doing what they were intended to do,
which is fighting this war would not have lasted so long?
I'll tell you why the military is doing such, it's due to the constant violence.
All this reconstruction is similar to welfare, which we have learned only leads to dependancy.
If the Iraqi people were in charge of their own reconstruction,
do you not believe they would defend their hard work from attacks?
If these area's you speak of have so little violence, why are Our military there rather than fighting?

[The Newb]

Richard Owl Mirror wrote:
Answer me this, why is Our Military buuilding anything ?

we have military engineers for what?

Richard Owl Mirror wrote: Is it a military function to rebuild schools, factories, hospitals ? NO you are correct yet they can help, the iraqis may need to learn to build in a more modern format gee what a concept
Richard Owl Mirror wrote: Perhaps if Our military were actually doing what they were intended to do,
which is fighting this war would not have lasted so long?

they are, and also helping train, build, teach, and many other projects, of the 150,000 sodliers in iraq, not all are considered combatants, many of the support troops help iraq in ways that they have been trained to do

Richard Owl Mirror wrote: I'll tell you why the military is doing such, it's due to the constant violence.
All this reconstruction is similar to welfare, which we have learned only leads to dependancy. good look at reality, the violence is not all over iraq, and well....no it does not create a dependency, if you involve the iraqis as well.....
Richard Owl Mirror wrote: If the Iraqi people were in charge of their own reconstruction,
do you not believe they would defend their hard work from attacks?
If these area's you speak of have so little violence, why are Our military there rather than fighting?

yup and guess what they are like i stated before, they are being taught to build in a safer, more modern concept

[bob.appleyard]

Fisk claims that there are two kinds of reporting in Iraq. The kind where the reporter sits in a hotel room in the Green Zone the whole time, and the kind where they rush into some other part of Iraq, take a few shots, then leg it.

Neither is particularly effective.

[Richard Owl Mirror]

The Newb wrote: Richard Owl Mirror wrote:
Answer me this, why is Our Military buuilding anything ?

we have military engineers for what?

Richard Owl Mirror wrote: Is it a military function to rebuild schools, factories, hospitals ? NO you are correct yet they can help, the iraqis may need to learn to build in a more modern format gee what a concept
Richard Owl Mirror wrote: Perhaps if Our military were actually doing what they were intended to do,
which is fighting this war would not have lasted so long?

they are, and also helping train, build, teach, and many other projects, of the 150,000 sodliers in iraq, not all are considered combatants, many of the support troops help iraq in ways that they have been trained to do

Richard Owl Mirror wrote: I'll tell you why the military is doing such, it's due to the constant violence.
All this reconstruction is similar to welfare, which we have learned only leads to dependancy. good look at reality, the violence is not all over iraq, and well....no it does not create a dependency, if you involve the iraqis as well.....
Richard Owl Mirror wrote: If the Iraqi people were in charge of their own reconstruction,
do you not believe they would defend their hard work from attacks?
If these area's you speak of have so little violence, why are Our military there rather than fighting?

yup and guess what they are like i stated before, they are being taught to build in a safer, more modern concept

Quote: we have military engineers for what?
For building things such as bridges for our troops to utilize during military campaigns ???
Quote: the iraqis may need to learn to build in a more modern format
Civilization and construction technics were born in Iraq !
You think they are backwoods hunter/gatherers or something? :gdgf:
Quote: no it does not create a dependency, if you involve the iraqis as well.....
Problem is they haven't involved the Iraqi's, that is why unemployment is so high leaving young men with nothing to do but sign-on with the insurgency to make money to support their families.
Quote: being taught to build in a safer, more modern concept
Welcome to the new Common Contingency Contract System!
https://www.rebuilding-iraq.net/pls/portal/url/ITEM/20085C0875140511E040A8C01E815579
https://www.rebuilding-iraq.net/pls/portal/url/ITEM/07251F2EFBCA801DE040A8C00B0741F5
https://www.rebuilding-iraq.net/pls/portal/url/ITEM/0C604A2EBCD76FE8E040A8C01E8103C8
https://www.rebuilding-iraq.net/pls/portal/url/ITEM/0C8FA2A2F80E3D94E040A8C01E813405

[Vexillum]

Wouldn't it be nice if we didn't have freedom of speech or of the press, so that the media would have to be a propaganda arm for the government. Wouldn't if be nice if we didn't have freedom or if the US troops could indiscriminately kill Iraqis for the government's stated purposes of establishing an Iraqi democracy. Wouldn't it be great if Hitler wasn't killed in WWII but was our leader today, growing exponentially wicked as he aged?