Good catch from Gen McCafferty.
There is good reason for animosity toward the media. Because the American media is fearful of being in the field, they enlist the aid of local media hires to carry their water.
They get a slanted take on the war from these folks and some of them have been downright dangerous to our troops. For example, the Iraqi reporter who brought information to Time about the Haditha incident had recently been detained as a possible insurgent.
In any case, the media on the ground has been their enemy. They've had to point weapons in their direction. They have accidently struck the media in one incident that I remember.
The media back home has also been their enemy -- not carrying their story accurately, even undermining their work, and painting their sacrifice as unnecessary and unjust. They report on incidents negative toward our troops before the information is in, and they never report on the information positive toward our troops.
All around, then, the media is a danger to our troops. On the ground in Iraq or back home in the USA, they have sought to injure the soldiers in the field. No wonder they are the hated ones.
(PS: An Army "AAR" is an "After Action Report." It is the classic report that analyzes an event after one has gone through it....whether a special, training, simulated, or real operation.)
I thought it might be, but this was addressed to West Point on Social Studies, so I was confused. I did not know if it was right to call it an "After Action Report" if it was being addressed to Academic Professors (though Colonels) at West Point. Very bad of me...
Oh well, I guess I can play any of the three stooges these days (Larry, Moe, or Curly).
I do make mistakes, maybe it can be some humor in a thread that is very, very sad...
God bless America!
Namely, the fact that our troops in Iraq (and Afghanistan) are upset with the US Media.
One way to support our troops is to try to influence the way the MSM is reporting the war.
This will not be easy, but I feel the example of a FREEPER campaign on this issue might lead BLOGS and other journalists to join in critizing parts of the US Media that are so critical of our troops in Iraq.
Most of it, in my opinion are political motivation to make President Bush look back so that the Democrats might have a better chance of winning seats in the Senate and House as well as positioning for the 2008 Election.
Freeper email might be the way to respond, but I don't want to start a FREEPER Activism thread on this unless I know you might agree.
We could have a contest to see how BLATANT the US Media is in condemning our troops.
God bless, and take care...