No one who has followed the Jamil Hussein story, or DeCapiGate will be astounded by this interview by Michael Yon of a Iraqi AP stringer:
To see what the AP might have by way of reliable, mainstream, news resources, on the morning of 07 July, I asked Talal, an Associated Press stringer in Baqubah, if he had heard about the Al Hamari murders, and our conversation went something like this:
“Yes,” answered Talal.
“How many had been killed?” I asked.
“35,” answered Talal. Not “about 35”, but precisely 35.
“How do you know?” I asked.
“A medic at the Baqubah hospital told me,” Talal said.
“What was the medic’s name?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” answered Talal.
“You didn’t ask?”
“No,” he said. Talal said a doctor told him the same thing, but that he did not know the doctor’s name. He had not asked. Besides which, Talal said, the doctor and the medic were afraid to give their names.
“How were the people killed?” I asked.
“They were shot,” answered Talal as he motioned shooting with a pistol.
“Did you tell someone at AP headquarters in Baghdad?” I asked.
“Yes,” answered Talal.
“Who did you tell?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” answered Talal.
This is the type of reporter who is giving the AP 90% of their Iraqi news and they report it with no questions asked.
Why bother to ask questions when the news he gives you just reinforces the message you want to send to the American people? That message being that we are losing Iraq. Just like Tet the MSM is turning a victory into a defeat before our very eyes.
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My first thought was “NARF!”, but then when I went to type, and deeper thoughts hit the keys, it switched to “BARF!”
Iraq has become a pipedream for all with spin and dreams and distortions so prevelant that the cold reality of the war is a mere candle next to the spotlight of BDS. All that’s left now is the full on race to declare victory and excuse withdrawal next spring. Will Democrats scream, “WOOHOO! We ended the war” as Iraq collapses into chaos, genocide, and full on civil war? Will Republicans scream, “WOOHOO! We stood fast and won, now we can leave” while Iraq collapses into chaos, genocide, etc.?
History is a river. It flows unabated, and we are inescapably on a boat for the ride. Sometimes we can steer around the rapids and go down a placid tributary instead. Other times, no one stands up to lead the rowing, and we go over falls. Re Iraq, we’re left with three hazards in the path ahead:
1) the surge will end, and forces will drawdown
2) people will declare victory for their political gain
3) when forces leave, unless the surge is truly successful, Iraq will collapse and be immensely worse than today (Baghdad does not at all look like Stalingrad, or Beruit and Kabul of the 80’s, or Sarajevo and Mogadishu of the 90’s, but it will.)
So, will we steer around the hazards or will our (cough) steadfast members of Congress stand tall leading the American people to success in Iraq regardless of the waters’ roughness?
Hmmm, 2008 elections will be decided between now and 2/5/08 as will the Iraq War….how steadfast will the politicians be? Hmmmm?