Blogs such as NewsBusters play a key role in helping the truth bypass the filter of the mainstream media. That was the view that Rear Admiral Mark Fox expressed to this blogger today.
I had the opportunity to participate in a conference call for bloggers with RADM Fox, a Silver Star recipient who scored the first Navy MiG kill in Operation Desert Storm, and who now serves as the Communications Director for MNF-I in Baghdad. Given NB's mission, when I had the to ask a question I naturally focused on MSM coverage of the war.
I cited to Admiral Fox the headline and opening paragraph of the New York Times story on the recent battle in Najaf in which Iraqi-US forces killed over 200 enemy fighters and captured more than 400. Predictably, the Times sought to cast the success in the most negative possible light.
The Times headline read: "Missteps by Iraqi Forces in Battle Raise Questions". The article's opening sentence: "Iraqi forces were surprised and nearly overwhelmed by the ferocity of an obscure renegade militia in a weekend battle near the holy city of Najaf and needed far more help from American forces than previously disclosed, American and Iraqi officials said Monday."
I invited Admiral Fox to comment on the Times coverage. His response:
"The good news is, the truth ultimately comes out. And I would applaud the efforts of people like you who assure that the truth ultimately gets through what some people call the mainstream media filter. Our collective view here at the Multi-National Force is that the incident at Najaf demonstrated very clearly the growing capability of the Iraqi security forces."
Admiral Fox stated that a small group of Iraqi police initially encountered the hostiles and relayed the information to the 8th Iraqi Army. Given the size of the forces they were facing, the provincial governor requested MNF support, which was provided in the form of a ground patrol and air support including AC-130s.
Said Admiral Fox: "Rather than characterizing it as 'they were almost overrun', the Iraqi troops did exactly what they were trained to do and what American troops are trained to do in similar circumstances. I think it's a success story for Iraqi security forces and for the provincial Iraqi control process." Admiral Fox noted that sovereignty was only transferred to Najaf province in December, so this was early on in the process. The Admiral concluded by calling Najaf "a good news story."
That won't stop the NY Times and others in the MSM from spinning this and other stories negatively, of course. But NB and others in the blogosphere will be there to help set the record straight.
Note: A fuller account of the conference call with RADM Fox is contained in this article I wrote for CNSNews, MRC's news agency.
Mark was in Iraq in November. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net
—Mark Finkelstein is a NewsBusters contributing editor and host of Right Angle. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net.
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The problem is that while the
February 1, 2007 - 14:52 ET by BDThe problem is that while the truth usually gets out via blogs as the Admiral indicates, the lack of speed and the MSM's couching of a position critically impairs the truth in becoming the "perceived truth"
Such perception flaws are:
1.) The US went to war in Iraq because of WMD's. (The US went to war over sixteen seperate reasons as presented to the congress and UN by the administration, but the press prefers "We went in over WMD's.")
2.) Detainees at Guantanamo are being tortured. (No proof, but that has not held them up...)
3.) Our troops are uneducated victims who joined the military because they had no where else to go. (Not so.)
On a day to day basis you can hear the US public repeat such statements regardless of the inaccuracy of the position.
At the start of the GWOT, the DOD recognized that this would be an issue and planned to take it on by fielding an Information Warfare capability to handle just such issues by providing just such data as the Bloggers are now providing to limited numbers of viewers.
Sadly, due to caterwauling by the Dinosaurs, the DOD caved in and never carried through on it.
New York Times, et al, is j
February 1, 2007 - 15:07 ET by RDWNew York Times, et al, is just an ugly reminder of the price we pay for a treasonous - oops sorry, liberal - Media
BD - #3 - john kerry said thi
February 1, 2007 - 15:23 ET by FastEdBD - #3 - john kerry said this is so, and it was reported, so it has to be true, oh, and kerry served in Viet Nam y'know.
There is no sense in being stupid, if you can't prove it! - my dad V
Yes, it is very frustrating t
February 1, 2007 - 15:31 ET by BDYes, it is very frustrating to those of us close to the subject. I have watched the US Army continuously improve over the years on a person-to -person basis since I first came in contact with it in 1981.
The people who have the notion of the typical soldier being a dead ender with no other place to go are 20 years out of date.
The people who have the notion that the typical soldier simply enlisted to pay for college and are not otherwise motivated are at least fifteen years out of date.
And so called journalists who
February 1, 2007 - 16:11 ET by FastEdAnd so called journalists who think US troops are "Naive Mercenaries" are just stoooopid. How can you NOT have respect for the people who allow us to sleep in comfort and safty at night? How do people get to think this way? I've talked to people who have walked from the coast of France to Belgium, (29th Div.), jungles of New Guiena (sp) {my dad - 5th Air Force}, sailed on DD's (uncle), heat and humidity of Viet Nam (friends, Army & Marines, Air Force), and if you don't "get it" then you need to stop watching and reading the msm (Lsm) right now, and go read a book.
There is no sense in being stupid, if you can't prove it! - my dad V
FastEd...Wasn't Kerry suppose
February 1, 2007 - 15:37 ET by Clear thinkerFastEd...
Wasn't Kerry supposed to be a hero for getting himself scratched?
Well, either way, I'm just glad he got scratched from running for prez.
------< 1.) The US went
February 2, 2007 - 01:18 ET by liberal_bug_zapperI need to find the original case for war. I need to have those sixteen points made by the Bush administration to counter every liberal I meet. Could someone point me in the right direction?
On a second note. I hate liars and the slanderous left. Every time you call them out on lying... they just throw it back in your face and say that the Bush Administration lied about WMD and lied about the reasons for war. Every time I then point out that Saddam used WMD on his own people and on the Iranians in the Iran/Iraq war, they counter with "Well your buddy Ronny Raygun sold those weapons to him!" And when I point out that all the chemicals sold to Iraq in the 1980s were sold through a Singapore based shipping company which was owned by a German chemical company and that the only military items that we sold to the Iraqis were some old Bell Ranger helicopters and a bunch of duce-and-a-half's (big trucks) and jeeps. While the army surplus stuff we sold Iraq did come under military sales, we never sold weapons. Is it our fault that the Iraqis mounted rocket launchers on the helicopters we sold them? NO.
However, the French, the Russians, the Germans and many other countries who have been ultra critical of us.... all sold massive amounts of chemicals and actual weapons and delivery systems to the Iraqis.
But the leftists always counter with some other argument always trying to deflect the truth.
____________________________________________________
"These are the times that try men's souls." ~ Thomas Paine
LBZ:It has been over a year s
February 2, 2007 - 15:24 ET by BDLBZ:
It has been over a year since I reviewed the transcript of both the testimony before the joint session of congress and the transcript of the Session at the UN.
I recall seeing it on the White House webpage, but sadly surfing on my BB is tough so I will leave it to you with my best wishes.
What I can tel you is that I watched both of these addresses with my staff just before the conflict and remembered the breadth of the rationales which as I recall started with the fact that we were being continuously engaged by Saddam in the No FLy ZOne and ended with the positive benefit of installing a democratic government in Iraq- both of which were promptly ignored by the press in their single focused manner.
Attention msm (Lsm), another
February 1, 2007 - 15:20 ET by FastEdAttention msm (Lsm), another Abu Grab to (dis)report.
There is no sense in being stupid, if you can't prove it! - my dad V
Mark...Thanks, this is just w
February 1, 2007 - 15:33 ET by Clear thinkerMark...
Thanks, this is just what the people need to hear. Not hype, not agenda driven, just honest reporting on a positive story.
Please thank the Admiral for his service.
Didn't see the article until
February 1, 2007 - 16:45 ET by ucDidn't see the article until now. Some headline! >>> Depending on whether you feel you are a new free Shiite Iraqi or whether you feel you are a new free Sunni Iraqi the Headline can be viewed as "Missteps" could be about either side. Both sides do (?) have newly elected representation (?) though one may still be much a minority. It may only be MSM regular coverage that makes me question the intended meaning of this headline, about such a very young and new democracy and level of confidence yet achieved. MSM is favoring majority rule, I hope.
Bad news sells news.
February 1, 2007 - 17:39 ET byBad news sells news. MSM is in this for money, advertisers pay big money for bad news to catch peoples' eyes.
I saw first hand what a major city's news paper did to a story that was written by one of their own writers. The editor had to have it to turn it into what sells papers the best--in his eyes.
I know this because I was also working on the story and spoke with the woman who wrote the story for the paper the day before it came out tremendously different from what she told me. Later, a local activist who has had numerous radio shows and had been arrested in all of the mess, said he spoke with the woman after the paper came out and she told him it was her editor who did it.
Another good post, Mark Finkelstein. Thanks for the info...
Debra...
Not sure if it's doable, or e
February 1, 2007 - 17:54 ET by danboNot sure if it's doable, or even a good idea. But is there a blog or thread where the guys and gals who are doing it, can log on and say what they think is being missed. Something ongoing. Like a voice from the front thread.
Just a thought.
"The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule.” H.L. Mencken
Could you even imagine if
February 1, 2007 - 22:47 ET by JacksonCalhounCould you even imagine if U.S. forces were involved in a battle where they lost 250 troops to 5-10 kills? How loud would the headlines blare. How "serious" would the poses of the traitors in the media be? How fast would the remaining Republicans on our side in the Senate run to Chuck Hagel's side?