White House Suggests Media Explain Cover Up of Saddam Atrocity Video

Talon News ^ | June 18 2004 | Jeff Gannon

[OPS4]

White House Suggests Media Explain Cover Up of Saddam Atrocity Video By Jeff Gannon Talon News June 18, 2004

WASHINGTON (Talon News) -- White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan denied that the White House had a role in keeping a gruesome video of atrocities committed by Saddam Hussein's regime from the media. When asked by Talon News on Thursday to explain the virtual news blackout of the horrific images of Iraqis being beheaded, tongues being cut out, and fingers being chopped off, McClellan said that he'd "leave it to the media to address those issues."

McClellan pointed out that Saddam Hussein has a long history of brutal crimes against his own people and his neighbors.

"It is important to remind people of the atrocities that Saddam Hussein's regime committed," McClellan said.

The press secretary indicated that he thought the information in the video would emerge at Saddam's trial.

"It's important to remember that this was a regime that had mass graves, torture rooms, and rape rooms, and engaged in the kinds of atrocities that no one should stand for," McClellan told Talon News. "And I don't think the Iraqi people will ever let people forget those atrocities."

The video was shown at a June 8 event at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), a Washington, DC think tank. It was part of a presentation and panel discussion that included former Pentagon official Richard Perle, AEI scholar Michael Ledeen, and several victims of Saddam's torture. Those victims had recently been guests of President Bush in the Oval Office, having been brought to the United States to receive prosthetic hands to replace ones severed by the members of Iraq's brutal regime.

The four-minute video is a small fraction of the footage held by the Pentagon that documents the horrors of Saddam Hussein's regime. It is available on the AEI web site.

Television networks have yet to broadcast the video and few news outlets have reported on the video at all, instead filling their reports with details of mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib.

Deborah Orin, Washington Bureau Chief for the New York Post, reported that the New York Times has written 177 stories on Abu Ghraib -- over 40 of them on the front page, but have yet to write a single story about the victims who participated in the AEI event.

One of the victims, 47 year-old Hassam Ghadar Kavam, said, "I feel very disappointed that the media till now didn't show Saddam's crimes against humanity. These type of actions or crimes, by themselves, they should be enough to silence those who defend Saddam Hussein."

He added, "I question why we see only these films in special projections in special meetings and not be open to the public for the rest of the people to see it, and I hope that will happen soon."

Another of the men, Nazar Abdul Rava Jhudi, a 41 year-old Baghdad resident, warned that many of those who committed atrocities are still at large.

"They took our hands. They amputated parts, and they took it to be shown to Saddam Hussein directly," Jhudi said. "[T]hey are the same people who are killing the American soldiers right now."

The Abu Ghraib photos have obscured the prison's nightmarish past, only mentioned in passing by the Western media. Few Americans or Iraqis are aware that under Saddam Hussein, some 30,000 people were executed there and countless more were tortured and mutilated.

Veronique Rodman, a spokesman for AEI, told Talon News that the event was lightly attended, despite their usual process that directly contacts over 40 assignment desks of national news organizations. Rodman did not recall exactly which news agencies sent reporters at the time of the interview, but did mention that Al Jazeera sent a cameraman.

Perle commented on the sparse attendance, saying, "I've been in many meetings related to Iraq over the last few years. This room was generally full and the room next to it full. It isn't today. I think it's obvious that the interest on the part of the press in this story is a good deal less than the interest on the part of the press in other stories, including obviously stories about Abu Ghraib today."

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) addressed the subject of media bias in a press release following his recent visit to the newly liberated country of 25 million people.

He said, "I can assure you that you're not getting a balanced perspective from the media."

King is concerned about the demoralizing effect on American troops of the negative reporting on Iraq.

King reported that Chief Warrant Officer Alan Ruzicka of Cedar Rapids told him, "U.S. public support is the most important weapon our troops can have. We'll win this faster if we can get the media to follow the traditional Iowa way-straight up-the black and white truth."

King also quoted Captain Ken Richards of Des Moines as saying, "The U.S. news media is the only ally of al Qaeda and the insurgents."

The Iowa congressman said, "While our soldiers are in the Middle East fighting the worldwide war on terror, the liberal press corps is acting as the enemy within."

King believes that the media is determined to defeat President Bush, even at the cost of losing the war in Iraq and consequently the war on terror.

He said, "We can lose this war, and if it is lost, it will be lost at home, not in Iraq. All it takes is for the American public to lose faith in our leaders and our cause."

Copyright © 2004 Talon News -- All rights reserved.

[M1Tanker]

Outstanding work! More stuff to throw at the leftist appeasers. Thanks for doing all this research.

[Peach]

No problem. I'm currently dealing with a troll on FR who thinks those links are garbage and don't mean a thing. Hah!

[cyn]

Thanks for posting this info.

Bump for the truth.

[livius]

Cover up is putting it mildly.

I'm SO GLAD to see the WH finally starting to fight back.

[GOPJ]

Thanks for the ping:

Yet, as of yesterday, the New York Times had written 177 stories on Abu Ghraib — with over 40 on the front page. The self-proclaimed "paper of record" hadn't written a single story about those seven Iraqi men.

[ravingnutter]

I'm currently dealing with a troll on FR who thinks those links are garbage and don't mean a thing.

What...did JohnGalt sign up under a new screen name? LOL! Thanks for all your efforts on FR to get the truth out! Have a great weekend!

[livius]

Great post, Peach! Thanks!

[Peach]

Hah! Or a Galt wanna be.

Thanks. YOu have a good weekend too!

[Final Authority]

Michael Savage was forced off of TV because he dared show videos of atrocities committed by Saddam. He coined the phrase, enemy within, and it fits perfectly. For those who have contempt for Savage because he does not carry water for GWB like Rush, I say, too bad for you, because the greater good is being done every waking moment by Savage in identifying the enemies within.

[idkfa]

Saddam's torture videos now on the web

Haven't watched it yet, kids in the room.

[M1Tanker]

Even though he/she can follow the links to sights off FR and then cross-reference them with each other... But that requires thought and reasoning skills, and the ability to question one's own beliefs.

The old adage of bringing a horse to water. The leftists won't believe the truth until after they are lined up and beheaded by terrorists (those the terrorists don't nuke, slime, infect, or shoot first) if we lose this war.

[M1Tanker]

I just watched it... My wife is sleeping and the child is safe in her womb for the next 20+ weeks.....

For those that don't know, I train US Armor Crewman/officers on the tactics of tanks and scouting. I've been all over the world, but spent OIF in Korea. I've been to Bosnia and seen the mass graves and the people responsible for them. I have never seen such barbaric behavior as I just saw in those videos. The problem is, I'm sure there are many more videos of tourcher from Saddam's tenure as dictator (I've seen a few)....None of wich will see the light of day if the dominate media has it's way.