Judging by the excerpt Tucker Carlson played on his MSNBC show this afternoon at about 4:15 PM ET, Richard Engel's War Zone Diary is a powerful and moving documentary of the NBC reporter's experiences in Iraq. To his credit, Engel has accompanied troops on many combat patrols. Among other clips, we saw particularly compelling footage of Marines on a night mission in the mean streets of Ramadi, in Anbar province, searching for - and finding unharmed - one of their comrades who had gotten separated during an earlier patrol there.Speaking of combat, Engel did at at one point state that "it is very brutal but after some time you do start to see things from their [U.S. soldiers' and Marines'] perspective."
View video here.
But then, at the end of the segment, almost as if he felt obliged to throw a bone to the anti-war crowd, Engel added this seemingly gratuitous comment:The war has changed on the soldiers. Initially they were fighting, they were told, that they were fighting to protect their families back home from terrorist attack. Then it was to 'support democracy.' And then to try to protect the Iraqi people from a civil war. It's gotten more and more vague, and more complicated, and no one has bothered to explain to the soldiers that they're fighting a different war.Having spent a bit of time in Iraq, including in Anbar province, I can state that our troops have unprecedented access to real-time information. Even on bases in places like Fallujah, the internet, widescreen TVs airing cable news programs, etc. are widely available. Our troops can and do discuss what the war is about. The notion that our troops are kept in the dark about their mission is simply wrong. As a highly-experienced war-zone reporter, Engel surely knows this.
In any case, that quibble aside, from what I saw Engel's documentary should be well worth viewing.
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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Engel has no credibility. T
March 21, 2007 - 17:06 ET by mattmEngel has no credibility. This putz thinks war should be outlawed. Great idea, but how do you enforce it? Anyone who is so ignorant and out of touch with reality to make such a stupid suggestion is not qualified to report on any war. As soon as I see the name Engel, I quit reading...
Engel
March 21, 2007 - 17:11 ET by JNaughtWatched preview footage last night from Engel's "War Zone Diary" and it is both uplifting and gut-wrenching at the same time. A must see tonight on MSNBC at 10:00PM EDT with a repeat at 1:00AM
As soon as I see that man's f
March 21, 2007 - 17:15 ET by bigtimerAs soon as I see that man's face I flick it...or as soon as I can get to the remote!
He has been whining all week.... whining for months......most likely all his pathetic life.
Can't help it... I detest him.
Engels observation that "
March 21, 2007 - 17:33 ET by BDEngels observation that "No one has bothered to explain to the soldiers that they are fighting a different war" is crap for two reasons.
1.) Ever since combat operations began in 2003 US forces were forced to prepare for action against enemies such as the Saddam Feddayeen, snipers, etc. What Engel does not realize is best summed up by a Marine Corps officers observation of the type of combat would be forced to fight and are fighting. On one city block US troops are handing out school books and medical supplies, while a block away they are talking to locals reference who the bad guys in teh neighborhood are. On the third block US troops are engaging a team who have tried to install a landmine or IED.
2.) Prior to the troops going in to Iraq, they are rigorously trined at locations such as the NTC, JRTC, and CMTC in preparation for combat. For those of us who cut our teeth on these training areas in the 1980-90's, they have been changed in the last three years to include real civilians who they are forced to interact with in realistic manners. Most of the troops have gone through two or three of these month long rotations and have improved after each of these events.
In other words, Engel is full of crap.
Great comments, BD. In fact
March 21, 2007 - 20:39 ET by jdhawkGreat comments, BD. In fact, it is as if Engel purposefully went on those patrols with the troops so that he would have credibility when making statements such as the one that is the topic of this discussion.
Like many on the left, he is playing on the ignorance of most Americans who know little about how our troops live and work in this combat zone.
Meanwhile, I am still waiting for the valorous stories and exploits of our heroes to be told by our drive-by media. It has been four years, indeed, that these courageous men and women have been fighting to secure America's way of life and little if any coverage of their efforts, except to denigrate, have been heard or seen from the antique media.
By the way, let's hear it for SFC (Sergeant First Class) Paul Ray Smith. He is the first OIF Medal of Honor winner. You can read about his unbelievable story here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1006552/posts
JDHawk: Thanks for the compli
March 22, 2007 - 09:48 ET by BDJDHawk: Thanks for the compliment. Something I have wondered about is where is Hollywood in this war? Paul Ray Smiths story is custom made for a biographic flick of heroic preportions, and in previous wars would have been instantly made into a script for filming.
But you will note that Hollywood today HATES to make a heroic film about anyone outside of AIDS victims, Civil Rights Heroes, and others.
Military people in todays films, with a few exceptions are usually portrayed as degenerates, and the only way Hollywood would likely show Smiths story is if they could find a way to tear him down.
BD...I would bet good money t
March 21, 2007 - 20:50 ET by Clear thinkerBD...
I would bet good money that a lot of the soldiers he hung around with would like to talk to him privately.
The liberal MSM has become an enemy of the USA.
"Ours is not to reason
March 21, 2007 - 18:25 ET by John in CA"Ours is not to reason why. Ours is but to do and die", by Alfred Lord Tennyson.
Although it is a good thing when warriors fully understand and believe in the mission they are engaged in. However, that is not a requirement to employ those fighting men in the conduct of war.
With the availability of communications and media to the forward deployed warrior, they are probably the most well informed troops ever. They probably have a better grasp of the overall mission and the global implications of their mission than ever before.
In 83-84 we stood in the catwalk at midnite with a short wave radio, while off the coast of Lebanon, trying to pick up the hourly BBC news to see if it was true that a speedboat laden with explosives had really been intercepted while it was headed to our Battle Group - it's target one of the carriers. That's what is known as not knowing what is going on.
Code of Conduct - Article I
I am an American, fighting in the forces which guard my
country and our way of life. I am prepared to give my life in their
defense.
In sum, that's about all they have to know. What the media want to distort is the belief of whether what the warriors in Iraq are doing is a defense of our country or our way of life.
Give a Democrat Party free America a chance!
"With the availability
March 21, 2007 - 19:29 ET by Mark Finkelstein"With the availability of communications and media to the forward
deployed warrior, they are probably the most well informed troops ever.
They probably have a better grasp of the overall mission and the global
implications of their mission than ever before."
Exactly.
Couple that with the soldie
March 21, 2007 - 19:40 ET by John in CACouple that with the soldier's understanding of military history and the mission of their service and I'd think they would have an innate understanding of what they are doing.
I don't know what they teach in boot camp these days, or what the Army or Marines specifically teach, but when I went to boot camp it was heavy in understanding the mission of the Navy and steeped in Navy history. That education laid a foundation for understanding the principles of any military action we were involved in.
Beyond that, it's a matter of beliefs by the individual fighting man. Do they believe that what the United States stands for is worth fighting; trust in the political body to employ them in support safe guarding the United States and in the furtherment of American national and foreign policy.
The mission of the anti-war crowd and the media is to undermine the trust and beliefs of those fighting men.
Give a Democrat Party free America a chance!
Facts!
March 22, 2007 - 01:56 ET by Mr. TerryJohn in CA - Well written!
Today's military goes into service with their eyes wide open. The Code of Conduct is taught to everyone. The media (MSM) are trying to push their opinion rather than report the facts.
Even when they have something remotely positive to say, such as the above siding with the troops' position, they must always qualify their statements with a negative spin. They are a propoganda machine.
George P. joins Navy Reserve!
March 21, 2007 - 18:55 ET by bigtimerHere Engel and all your ilk...
Take this...http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0307/3251.html
LOL!
Delicious!
Very nice link, BT.Thanks.
March 21, 2007 - 19:04 ET by BlondeVery nice link, BT.
Thanks.
Anytime B.
March 21, 2007 - 19:17 ET by bigtimerAnytime B.
BT,This may be totally off to
March 21, 2007 - 20:36 ET by BlondeBT,
This may be totally off topic....but....
George P. is a scion of the Bush family. I suspect he has political aspirations. And he is clearly smart. Very, very smart.
Where do you see this going in, oh, say....ten years?
Variation on a theme
March 21, 2007 - 20:32 ET by nkviking75Here we have one more variation on a theme: Our men and women in the military are too stupid to know what they're getting into. I'd wager the average soldier, sailor, airman (or -woman), marine, or guardsman (or -woman) has a far better grip on what it's all about than the average MSM journalist.
Excellent
March 21, 2007 - 22:04 ET by goldwaterfanWhat a great documentary. Richard Engel is a terrific reporter and as brave as hell.
gwf... Another comedian in f
March 21, 2007 - 22:16 ET by bigtimerAnother comedian in for the competion for first prize tonight?
bt...What's so funny about ri
March 21, 2007 - 22:48 ET by goldwaterfanbt...
What's so funny about risking your own life?
The safest place in Iraq is
March 21, 2007 - 22:56 ET by John in CAThe safest place in Iraq is anywhere Engel is. The terrorists don't dare harm him - he's the most effective propaganda tool they have in the US driveby media.
Give a Democrat Party free America a chance!
This was far from "drive
March 22, 2007 - 08:43 ET by rainlillieThis was far from "driveby" reporting. He was right there in the mix of it all. Unlike Hannity who went to a secure location to interview the troops.
ITA! Engle is far more bra
March 22, 2007 - 08:38 ET by rainlillieITA! Engle is far more brave than the likes of O'Reilly, Hannity and Limbaugh just to name a few. He put his life on the line to get this story to the American people.
"The biggest threat to the Bush Administration is an informed public."
That may be true. All the m
March 22, 2007 - 11:15 ET by MightyMouthThat may be true. All the more reason for him to be honest with his report, don't you think?
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
Read these articles from anot
March 22, 2007 - 12:20 ET by Mean Gene Dr. LoveRead these articles from another reporter that was imbedded several times.
These articles contradict the things Engle implies. Our soldiers know why they are there, and they understand the mission far better than you (or Engle) think they do.
"There is a time to take counsel of your fears, and there is a time to never listen to any fear." --General George S. Patton, Jr.
Engel is soo smart
March 22, 2007 - 06:49 ET by BAUHAUS... no one has bothered to explain to the soldiers that they're fighting a different war.
Makes perfect sense to me. Remember Don't ask. Don't tell
You [soldiers] don't ask what you're doing and we don't tell you what you're doing.
Very intersting theory by Engel. If I would have been send to Iraq or would be in Iraq I wouldn't never wonder why I'm here. Never. Not in a hundred years. *
Did MSM journalists ever passed primary school? Just wondering.
*That was irony, for those who don't understand it.
Surge is Working
March 23, 2007 - 07:58 ET by acumenSurge is Working