Katie Couric is currently reporting from Iraq. This morning she was on Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer, and when asked about the success of the surge, she had this to say:
"And so, you do see signs of life that seem to be normal. Of course, that’s what the U.S. military wants me to see, so you have to keep that in mind as well."
Well at least Couric is trying to get the facts straight--- she only gets to see what the military lets her see, and we all know the military isn't going to lead her to an area plagued by chaos. It is a serious problem that the military can't be fully truthful, it is, in a way, propaganda to keep this war going. The truth needs to come out: while there is some progress in some places, the overall situation in Iraq is worsening. Political and militant reconciliation between Iraqis seems less and less likely every day. Each day that we focus on trying to keep peace between warring factions, is a day that we are not intensely fighting al-Qaeda somewhere else. And basic utilities, such as running water and electricity, are no where to be seen for the Iraqi civilians because of war.
Americans need to get the whole truth, the entire picture, not just what the military wants us to see. If the media isn't allowed to get footage of the chaos, then they should be straight-forward in saying, "What you see is what we were allowed to see, we were not allowed to get into areas where conditions are much worse than these." We were lied into getting into this war, lets make sure we aren't lied to in thinking we should stay.
1 comment :
There is nothing stopping journalists from going out and getting the full story of what's going on in Irag. They are too comfortable or too frightened to go out without military escort. So far, the best reporting is coming from the soldiers and Marines writing home or blogging. Writers like Michael Yon represent a grand example of on scene reporting that examines the war from a warriors viewpoint. He tells it like it is, good and bad. Lately his reports are mostly positive. It looks like we may be seing a sea change in the people's attitudes towards both the American troops and their own political situation. Who knows, we might just surprise all those nay sayers and win this thing.
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