Good soldiers

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | 5/30/2004 | Jack Kelly

[Utah Girl]

What really happened in Fallujah was a great deal different from what was portrayed in the news media, said Robert Kaplan of The Atlantic Monthly, the only reporter embedded with the Marine company (Bravo, 1st Battalion of the 5th Regiment) that led the advance into the heart of the city in the pre-dawn darkness of April 6.

The Marines won the battle in the streets, only to lose it in the news accounts, Kaplan said in an op-ed article in The Wall Street Journal May 27.

"Whenever the Marines with whom I was attached crossed the path of a mosque, we were fired upon," Kaplan said. "By the standards of most wars, some mosques in Fallujah deserved to be leveled. But only after repeated aggressions was any mosque targeted, and then sometimes for hits so small they often had little effect. The news photos of holes in mosque domes did not indicate the callousness of the American military; rather the reverse."

"I was in the city for the first days of the battle. The overwhelming percentage of small arms fire -- not to mention mortars, rockets and rocket-propelled grenades -- represented indiscriminate automatic bursts from the insurgents. Marines responded with far fewer, more precise shots.

"The only time I saw angry or depressed Marines was when an Iraqi civilian was accidentally hit in a crossfire -- usually perpetrated by the enemy," Kaplan said. "The humanity of the troops is something to behold."

Far from being driven from Fallujah, the Marines were boxing in the insurgents against the Euphrates river at the western edge of the city when the cease fire was announced, Kaplan said.

[Utah Girl]

Excellent commentary. I really hate the media.

[swilhelm73]

But if the news reports coming out of Iraq are misleading, surely some of the blame for that must rest with the news media. And if some in the media are determined to ignore facts which do not fit their preferred story line, how much can "dramatic slide shows" at military briefings change this?

Ultimately this is Bush's, and America's, only serious problem in regards to Iraq. The President and the country cna handle the admittedly difficult task in Iraq - but only if the former finds some way to show Joe Average the media is flat out lying to try and cause us to lose.

[ameribbean expat]

commentary may be good, but the editing sucks. calling a marine a good "soldier" is an invitation to a butt whipping in many a bar.

[risk]

Kaplan mostly gets it. He tends to be an idealist, but perhaps this period with the troops will shake him of that vice. Looking the World in the Eye, a commentary on the body of of Samuel P. Huntington's lifelong work, including Clash of Civilizations (first in essay form, then as a book) is always worth re-reading. The Soldier and the State urges Americans to engage with their military much more closely, as he says the survival of our republic depends on it.

I've posted this info before, so I apologize if it's getting old.

[SAMWolf]

The Marines won the battle in the streets, only to lose it in the news accounts.

But I thought the Press had no agenda. < /sarcasm>

[abclily]

And this is exactly what happened with the Vietnam War also. Fools like John Kerry and Jane Fonda helped us lose the war in news accounts, as they encouraged and conspired with the enemy.

[Jeeper]

The only reports I can truly believe are the all too few accounts of our own Troops I can find on the net.
If anybody has a collection of websites for letters from US Troops describing their experiences please post them.
The US media cannot be trusted or believed.
After the 2000 election sham, the apologetic coverage of Clinton's antics in the WH, and most recently the one sided coverage of events in Iraq (before, during and after the War), the US media has no credibility.

[NavyCaptain]

Sounds familiar! Remember Tet?

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Thank you risk - for the ping, and for reposting your links.

Keep reposting them, please. We often don't see the first time, and core truths need to be repeated in these days.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Thank you, Utah Girl. Great article, and headline.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What really happened in Fallujah was a great deal different from what was portrayed in the news media, said Robert Kaplan of The Atlantic Monthly, the only reporter embedded with the Marine company (Bravo, 1st Battalion of the 5th Regiment) that led the advance into the heart of the city in the pre-dawn darkness of April 6.

The Marines won the battle in the streets, only to lose it in the news accounts, Kaplan said in an op-ed article in The Wall Street Journal May 27.

"The only time I saw angry or depressed Marines was when an Iraqi civilian was accidentally hit in a crossfire -- usually perpetrated by the enemy," Kaplan said. "The humanity of the troops is something to behold."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~     

 

A few little stories from the DoD's primary news site for the war on terrorism:  Defend America:

 

Iraqi Police Officers
Complete Management Course

 

    BAGHDAD, Iraq, May 28, 2004 — The Civilian Police Assistance Training Team graduated 30 Iraqi police officers from the Iraqi Justice Training Center’s inaugural Mid-Level Management Course May 27, 2004, as part of an ongoing effort to mentor and train the Iraqi Police Service.

     The course, conducted by Civilian Police Assistance Training Team civilian contractors in their endeavor to advance the efficiency and leadership skills of the Iraqi Police Service’s more seasoned personnel, runs officers through 12 days of training with experienced foreign former law enforcement officers. More

 

Salah Ad Din Province
Receives New Police Cars

 

     FORWARD OPERATING BASE DANGER, Iraq, May 28, 2004 — Iraqi police officers in the province of Salah Ad Din received a gift of 24 new police cars courtesy of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team in a ceremony May 20, 2004, at Forward Operating Base Orion, Balad, Iraq according to 1st Infantry Division officials.

     The cars went to police officers in several cities, including Tikrit, Balad and Samarra.

More

 

Farmers' Unions in South Central
Iraq Attend Agricultural Conference

 

     HILLA, BABIL PROVINCE, Iraq, May 28, 2004 — Tribal leaders, farmers, and agricultural leaders from the South Central Region of Iraq attended an agricultural conference in Hilla, according to Coalition Provisional Authority officials. The group included farmers' union representatives from five provinces — Babil, Najaf, Karbala, Wasit, and Qadisiyah. More

 

For Immediate Release
May 27, 2004

Polish and Phillipine Militaries Work with Iraqis to Distribute Medicine
Iraq Fact of the Day

The Polish Humanitarian Assistance Coordination Center recently distributed medicine to health departments in Karbala, Hilla, and Al Kut. Additional medicine was provided to the Philippine Military, whose doctors are assisting Iraqis in local communities. The center coordinates with the Polish Army, the Coalition Provisional Authority, and Iraqis -- illustrating one of the many ways coalition nations and Iraqis work together to improve the lives of the Iraqi people.

Source: Coalition Provisional Authority

http://www.defendamerica.mil/

To America's Soldiers 

          ~ { ~    

           Thank you! 

 

[SandRat]

What really happened in Fallujah was a great deal different from what was portrayed in the news media, said Robert Kaplan of The Atlantic Monthly, the only reporter embedded with the Marine company (Bravo, 1st Battalion of the 5th Regiment) that led the advance into the heart of the city in the pre-dawn darkness of April 6.

The Marines won the battle in the streets, only to lose it in the news accounts, Kaplan said in an op-ed article in The Wall Street Journal May 27.

"The only time I saw angry or depressed Marines was when an Iraqi civilian was accidentally hit in a crossfire -- usually perpetrated by the enemy," Kaplan said. "The humanity of the troops is something to behold."

The same crowd is calling for defeat now that did in Nam we have to be stronger and get the word out every way we can to more people. Show the world that New York Times, the LA Times, the Washington Post, ....... the grand old dames of American news are whores, lying cheating whores for defeatism