Posted on 05/23/2005 9:02:18 PM PDT by CHARLITE
When Newsweek published the inflammatory article about interrogators at Guantanamo flushing a Koran down the toilet, this writer believes that both the reporter and the editor knew precisely what they were doing. Tragically, it was intentional that they wrote the story and in the business sense it was a mistake to publish it but otherwise, the story itself was a lie. It is actually comical to watch the leftist spin machine working overtime to control the damage. Sadly, that once reputable magazine is now worth little more than for use in a sleazy restroom.
Part of the problem is that Newsweek has been taken over, like must of the rest of the mainstream, or is it elite (?) media by a bunch of leftist zealots whose agenda is to reform America in their own liberal image. And for most Americans the liberal image they advance is anathema. The left, by its much denial of the Newsweek article simply underscores its unpatriotic, anti-American sentiments.
For Newsweek to rely on a released Guantanamo internee for such damaging information shows complete naiveté, even complicity. For Newsweeks apologists to now suggest that the reporter and editors were not aware that their fallacious piece would be greeted in the Muslim world with outrage exposes their intent to fan the flames of misguided Islamic Jihadist hatred. But as one commentator said, it is the medias anti-Christian hatred that motivates them. And he is evidently correct.
In another of its biased, anti-American rants, the so called mainstream media continues to assert that the Bush Administration was behind, if not directly responsible for, the behavior of the relatively few rogue servicemen and women at Abu Ghraib, a rationale that goes beyond reason and reveals their utter intellectual and moral bankruptcy.
Even more media bias is revealed in the elitist medias overzealous attempts to malign the Administration about Abu Ghraib while conveniently overlooking the fact that it was a female General who forced her way to Iraq, then either failed in her responsibilities or in the alternative was complicit in the wrongdoings, or both. Where is their journalistic investigation and report of that angle?
If the Administration was wrong, it was wrong for continuing the now common practice of advancing women in the military services for political expediency. Of course there are competent women in the Army, but advancing a woman who was clearly a bad choice for promotion to Brigadier General in order to fill a quota, and then to relent from a decision not to send her to Iraq is one of the less glorious moments in the history of the US Army and by extension, the Armys Civilian leadership.
Both Karpinski and her lackey, Colonel Thomas Pappas, should have been reduced to Lieutenant and booted from the service. Unfortunately, the Army has become so politically correct that it wouldnt, and lacks the moral authority to do so. Meanwhile, the Armys appeal to new recruits continues to slide, making its viability in the AVF wartime environment increasingly questionable, especially in light of its 40% recruiting shortfall in April.
DoDs (Dr. Chu) answer to recruiting shortfalls is to increase bonuses to recruits in those specialties that are experiencing the shortfalls. In this writers opinion, that approach smacks of mercenary service rather than volunteer service in the patriotic interest of the nation. Aside: [What we need is to Privatize, or how about BRAC Chus job. In fact, while we are on that subject, why dont we just Privatize (contract out) the entire military? Just think of all the money we could save!]
For the writers liberal friends, the Newsweek article is a classic example of perpetrating not a mistake but a lie. It stands in stark contrast to the liberal cacophony of false accusations about WMD as a pretense for going to war in Iraq. The latter cacophony continues notwithstanding the fact that the President relied upon multiple intelligence sources from multiple nations, including the liberals touchstone, the U.N., before he committed U.S. forces to unseat Hussein.
Having noted these things, the Army and Karpinski were responsible for Abu Ghraib, and by extension its Civilian leadership. Similarly, Newsweek is responsible for intentional false reporting, and it should have to compensate the families of those who died as a result.
For some liberal lawyer, heres a chance to make a killing. Is anybody awake at the ACLU?
Semper Fidelis
If you wish to send a comment to Bob Pappas please use: Cheetah@gulf1.com
For Newsweek to rely on a released Guantanamo internee for such damaging information shows complete naiveté.
Newsweek said that there was a "knowledgeable government employee" as their sole source. Of course, they won't name that alleged source, and who'd believe anything they'd say by this time....
Newsweek has lost all credibility, by relying on one anonymous source without fact-checking it. I think Newsweek is an "embedded" magazine for Al Qaeda!
You're right. There was only one gov't source. I think that Col. Pappas had another report in mind, that came in shortly after the kerfluffle about the Newsweek gaffe. There were reports that released Gitmo detainees in Britain had made claims about various incidents of abuse, including mishandling the "holy" (ouch!) Koran.
The colonel simply was mistaken that those were sources for the Newsweek article, so you're quite right to point this out.
Thanks for your comment! I'll pass it along to Colonel Pappas, who is a friend of mine, a "great American," and a very elegant Marine!
Char :
Thanks for the ping!
MAY 24, 2005 | COLONEL ROBERT PAPPAS, USMC (Ret)
"When Newsweek published the inflammatory article about interrogators at Guantanamo flushing a Koran down the toilet, this writer believes that both the reporter and the editor knew precisely what they were doing. Tragically, it was intentional that they wrote the story and in the business sense it was a mistake to publish it but otherwise, the story itself was a lie. It is actually comical to watch the leftist spin machine working overtime to control the damage. Sadly, that once reputable magazine is now worth little more than for use in a sleazy restroom."
Sleazy restroom? That's like CBS, isn't it?
MAY 24, 2005 | COLONEL ROBERT PAPPAS, USMC (Ret)
"Sadly, that once reputable magazine is now worth little more than for use in a sleazy restroom."
Wait a minute: just how "once reputable" was NEWSWEEK?
How would we have known? NEWSWEEK was digested with faith in its credibility. Caveat Emptor!
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