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Aimstraight
Starlite Member
Username: Aimstraight
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 11, 2007 - 03:28 am: | 
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MAJ Greg C. Reeson, USA
There’s general agreement among Americans that when it comes to the subject of bias in the mainstream media, Republicans and Democrats hold very different views. The former often complain that the major news organizations slant considerably to the left, and the latter often counter that the media is generally neutral and sometimes favors the right. Nowhere is the difference in perception more obvious than in the reaction of Republicans and Democrats to media coverage of the war in Iraq.
According to a new survey released by the Pew Research Center, Republicans tend to trust the news they receive from the Pentagon and military spokesmen in Iraq, and distrust the reporting of the mainstream media. For Democrats, the opposite holds true, with most distrusting the information provided by American military leaders, choosing instead to rely on the media for what they consider accurate Iraq war reporting.
Many prominent GOP politicians have complained that the mainstream media’s depiction of the situation in Iraq is unfairly one-sided, and I have written before that most news organizations tend to follow the "If it bleeds, it leads" reporting strategy. Sensationalism sells and images of blown up military vehicles and downed helicopters capture the attention of an audience much more than video streams or pictures of school openings and hospital renovations.
The practice of looking for the next big bang, whether it comes from a suicide bomber in a market or from an ambush on coalition troops, conditions Americans to believe that there is absolutely nothing positive happening in Iraq. The whole place is going to hell and there’s nothing we can do to stop it, or so the mainstream mantra goes. Daily images of violence and chaos frustrate Republicans who support our efforts in Iraq and reinforce the preconceived notions of Democrats who want to get our troops home at any cost.
Such reporting also prevents stories of progress from getting to the American public. For example, Colonel Paul Funk of the 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division recently briefed from Iraq that the recent troop increases in Baghdad provided under the President’s plan had reduced the number of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in his sector of the city by forty percent. He also told reporters that Iraqi civilian murders in northern Baghdad, the sectarian violence that often dominates the mainstream media’s reporting and is frequently used to justify our departure from a "civil war" that we can’t mediate, were down from a high of about eight per month to just one or two per month since the initiation of the new security program. And that’s just in his sector, which comprises about 900 square miles and is home to 2 million Iraqi citizens. Where was this story on the national news circuit? What about the stories of reduced violence and improved security in other sectors of Baghdad ?
The good news from Iraq is available for those who want to find it. The problem is that Americans should not have to go looking for the truth from independent web journals or outside sources found in the rapidly evolving "new" or "alternative" media. Fair and accurate reporting could do much to change the public’s opinion of the war, merely by providing both sides of the story.
Imagine if the mainstream media devoted as much time to stories about the good things our troops are doing as they allow for the bombs and the blood. Perhaps Americans would be less skeptical about our prospects for success if they were able to tune in to the evening news and see a balanced approach to Iraq, one that provided a truer picture of what was happening on the ground. Perhaps then the calls for precipitous withdrawal would die down just a bit as the public realized that all wars involve both progress and setbacks, and not just the latter.
A change in perception could go a long way toward allowing the President, as the Constitutionally-designated Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, to focus on making his plan for Iraq work without attempts from the left to sabotage it before it is even fully implemented. Then maybe our military men and women could finish the task at hand and return home with the dignity and honor they deserve, and not as pawns pulled from the battlefield prematurely as part of a defeatist strategy that will surely come back to haunt us in the future.
Greg Reeson is an Army officer and freelance writer who lives with his wife and children in Fort Lee, VA. He is a frequent contributor to The New Media Journal and The Land of the Free, and his columns have appeared in several online and print publications, including The Army Times, The Veteran's Voice, The Washington Times, GOPUSA.com, and OpinionEditorials.com.
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Jennifer03801
Starlite Member
Username: Jennifer03801
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 11, 2007 - 05:05 am: |
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"The good news from Iraq is available for those who want to find it."
Iraqi civilian casualties are down from 8 per to 1 or 2 per month in one part of Iraq but US troop fatalities are up from 2.65 per DAY last month to 4.64 per DAY this month. Which part of that news is what Americans care most about, Mikey Mikey?
I just googled "good news from Iraq 2007" and have to tell you there really wasn't very much. Perhaps you could enlighten us, provide us with a daily update on all the good news. Post it right in this thread for everyone to read. I'll be checking in daily. Don't let us down, Mikey Mikey, we're counting on you to bring us the good news.
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Aimstraight
Starlite Member
Username: Aimstraight
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 11, 2007 - 10:11 am: |
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U98l7HuVc4M
This is old but the point is the same
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Usually the nonsense liberals spout is kind of cute, but in wartime their instinctive idiocy is life-threatening.
Ann Coulter
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Jennifer03801
Starlite Member
Username: Jennifer03801
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 11, 2007 - 11:13 am: |
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If you'd shut off Fox Noise and start reading news from international sources you'd soon see that calling the American MSM "liberal" is truly ridiculous. They are hundreds of important stories our there that you'll never hear about because the American MSM is too afraid of pissing off the Bush Administration. It's only recently that a few US news sources have dared to speak a little of the truth.
Now, Mikey Mikey, tell us, what is the "good news" from Iraq today that the Liberal MSM is suppressing? The only thing I've seen so far on the wire is that as of 11:45, no American troops have been killed in Iraq today.
"Colin Powell was only partially right when he warned before the U.S. invasion, “If you break it, you own it.” What he didn’t add is that the locals will hate you for it, and try to kill you every day until you give it back."
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Jennifer03801
Starlite Member
Username: Jennifer03801
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 11, 2007 - 12:25 pm: |
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Sad news to report. Two American troops killed in Iraq today.
"Colin Powell was only partially right when he warned before the U.S. invasion, “If you break it, you own it.” What he didn’t add is that the locals will hate you for it, and try to kill you every day until you give it back."
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Aimstraight
Starlite Member
Username: Aimstraight
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 11, 2007 - 04:47 pm: |
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By Spc. Alexis Harrison
Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division
Sgt. 1st Class Anson Sitton, an intelligence noncommissioned officer advisor with 2-12th Infantry, gives some tips on marksmanship to an Iraqi soldier during rifle training at Muthana Airfield, Iraq, March 29, 2007. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Alexis Harrison.FORWARD OPERATING BASE HONOR — For one week, Iraqi soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 5th Brigade, 6th Iraqi army division, were put to the test in order to become noncommissioned officers.
The 2-5-6 Military Transition Team from 2-12 Infantry attached to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division led the Noncommisioned Officers while training them to be the leaders and warriors that would one day lead their soldiers and country to victory.
The training culminated in a formal graduation ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the International Zone, but leaders from the transition team said it took a lot of dedication from the soldiers to get to where they are and where they hope to lead the Iraqi Army. According to the team’s top Noncommisioned Officer, 1st Sgt. Harold Drager, the idea to train the Noncommisioned Officers into better leaders came from the Iraqi Army Battalion's commander and top Noncommisioned Officer.
“The new battalion commander and command sergeant major wanted to empower the Noncommisioned Officers and have them be more like what the American Noncommisioned Officer corps is like,” said Drager. He added that just about everything the Iraqis learned throughout the week was the same as what American Noncommisioned Officers learn throughout their careers. The course wasn’t exactly like the one taught by the Special Forces in years past, said Drager. He said it was crafted to suit the demands and situations the Iraqi Noncommisioned Officers face while trying to reclaim their country.
Day by day the “Titan” team molded the Iraqis into soldiers capable of leading troops and taking responsibility. While the specific classes changed daily, physical training and instruction on what it takes to make a leader effective were a part of every lesson.
“One of the most important things we taught them was Army values and leadership traits,” Drager said. “It’s important because every other task we train is a normal, individual task, but without a leader leading with the Army values in mind – doing things the right way – they wouldn’t be able to conduct successful raids and operations.”
The team showed up every morning to lead the physical training session before personal hygiene and the leadership how-to courses began. Most afternoons, the Iraqi Noncommisioned Officers would learn more specialized skills like medical training, room-clearing procedures, marksmanship skills and even a confidence course that would test their resolve as not only individuals but as teams. Five men at a time would go full steam through the confidence course.
They encountered a sandbag sprint, a Humvee pull, a 4,000-meter relay and more before finishing out that day’s training with sweat pouring down their faces.
All the events and training culminated in a trip to the city streets the Noncommisioned Officers would soon be in charge of leading soldiers through. They went to a traffic control point to observe and make suggestions on how to improve security for the busy marketplace. They also completed a friendly, cordon-and-knock mission to meet with residents and prove how professional they had become.
“We’ve all learned a lot from this training,” said an Iraqi soldier who didn’t want to be named. “I hope to help my soldiers with what I’ve learned.”
During the week, the team watched the confidence levels rise as the Noncommisioned Officers began using more and more of the skills they had learned, and skills they already possessed.
“They knew a lot more than we thought they did,” said Sulphur, La.-native, Sgt. 1st Class Anson Sitton. “When they started, they weren’t confident enough to take charge but now they are. This looks like a whole new battalion since they’ve been through this course.”
Throughout the course Drager and his team observed who rose to the top and personified every quality a leader should have. They chose three students to be recognized by one of their own sergeants major for outstanding performance during the course.
The group of Noncommisioned Officers stood tall as several high-level officers and sergeants major watched the graduation. After the soldiers filed past their brigade commander and command sergeant major to accept their certificates of completion and new rank, they stood at attention and recited the Iraqi Army Noncommisioned Officer creed as loud as they could.
“They are much more prepared to lead now than they were a week ago,” Drager said. “They’re becoming more capable to help us, the Army and the military as a whole. It’s all about them taking back their own country in the end.”
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Aimstraight
Starlite Member
Username: Aimstraight
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 11, 2007 - 05:18 pm: |
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkcjwh1oZdE |
Jennifer03801
Starlite Member
Username: Jennifer03801
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 11, 2007 - 06:08 pm: |
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Well there you go! Now that a whole Brigade of Iraqi noncoms have mastered the sandbag sprint, the Humvee roll and learned all about personal hygiene, surely our troops can come home. Right, Mikey Mikey?
"Colin Powell was only partially right when he warned before the U.S. invasion, “If you break it, you own it.” What he didn’t add is that the locals will hate you for it, and try to kill you every day until you give it back."
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Jennifer03801
Starlite Member
Username: Jennifer03801
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 11, 2007 - 07:08 pm: |
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Guess not  -
The Pentagon is considering extending the tours of duty for every active duty soldier in Iraq, ABC News reported Wednesday.
Under the proposal, deployments for active duty soldiers will be extended from the current 12 months to 15 months, according to the report.
Senior Pentagon officials said that the idea has already been presented to Defense Secretary Robert Gates and a decision is expected as early as this week.
Some military analysts expressed deep concern for the plan.
"These soldiers have paid the price for this policy for four years. Now they are being given an additional burden to bear, and it will be a cause for concern for the soldiers and even more so for the families," said retired Gen. William Nash.
The stress on the Army has been compounded by the surge of additional forces the president announced in January, a surge Iraq commander David Petreaus wants to extend.
Pentagon officials said extending the "surge" is simply impossible to do without either extending the tours of those troops already there, or dramatically cutting the time soldiers spend back home.
This plan will be unwelcome news to soldiers who have already had two and sometimes three deployments in Iraq.
"Colin Powell was only partially right when he warned before the U.S. invasion, “If you break it, you own it.” What he didn’t add is that the locals will hate you for it, and try to kill you every day until you give it back."
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