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Military Unfairly Blamed for Embed Problem
The American Spectator. ^ | Michael Fumento

Posted on 11/13/2006 7:40:28 AM PST by Valin

The number of embeds in Iraq is so small it's grotesque. During the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003, more than 600 reporters, TV crews and photographers were embedded with Coalition Forces, according to the Associated Press. Last year, during the vote to ratify a new constitution, there were 114. At the end of September, there only 11 and one of them was me.

As I've observed elsewhere, embeds offer a unique perspective on the war in that they're actually viewing it. Contrast this with the MSM Baghdad press corps that bizarrely believes it can cover a country of 26 million people and the size of California from hotels in a single city using stringers, phone calls, and email. In other words, they may as well be back in the States except for their desire to have the coveted title of "War Correspondent." Vietnam gave us the first war in virtually real time; Iraq is giving us the first virtual war.

(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...


TOPICS: War on Terror
KEYWORDS: dbm; embeds; msm

1 posted on 11/13/2006 7:40:29 AM PST by Valin
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To: Valin

Contrast this with the MSM Baghdad press corps that bizarrely believes it can cover a country of 26 million people and the size of California from hotels in a single city using stringers, phone calls, and email.
------
The gutless MSM never had any intention of fairly and accurately reporting the happenings in Iraq...the world is well familiar with that FACT. So they don't need to be on the front lines. They can just hole-up in a hor-tel somewhere and say "they were in Iraq and saw it all first hand"....the lying filthy scum of the liberal MSM are all too obvious.


2 posted on 11/13/2006 7:44:10 AM PST by EagleUSA (T)
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To: Valin

I had to laugh yesterday I was watching some of those fix up shows on some channel and an ad came on for a program about cars. They were about to overhaul a humbee that belongs to CNN and was used in Iraq. I had to laugh when someone said, in a very surprised voice, "there's no bullet holes". LOL! All I could think of was yeah, there's no bullets in the Green Zone bars.


3 posted on 11/13/2006 7:49:59 AM PST by McGavin999 (Republicans take out our trash, Democrats re-elect theirs)
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To: EagleUSA

The stringers they use are smart. They know just what they want and give it to them.
OTOH I've seen postings here where the reporters send a (positive) story back here and the editors killed it.


4 posted on 11/13/2006 7:56:56 AM PST by Valin (Rick Santorum 08)
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To: EagleUSA

The MSM wants more embeds now so they can talk about how all the Democrat changes forced on the President regarding his Iraq strategy has built schools, infrastructure, hospitals and the best economy in the middle east outside of Israel.

Then they will talk about how the terrorists are now less inclined to murder civilians and become part of the political process and based on that we can start withdrawing troops.

Once the media can shape that message, we will start to see less death on TV and more positive scenes.

This will be followed by how Bush really did screw this up and how Cheney was ultimately responsible for the intelligence that we were losing badly. The RATS will go for his resignation. Then Bush's.

Democrat Playbook, page 407. How to lose the war in Iraq while claiming victory.


5 posted on 11/13/2006 8:15:20 AM PST by EQAndyBuzz (The voting machines aren't broken. The Dems operating the voting machines are broken.)
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To: McGavin999

This is from November, 2005.

"The Committee to Protect Journalists says 58 journalists and 22 media workers -- which includes support staff such as translators and drivers -- have been killed in Iraq since the beginning of the war in March 2003. An estimated 66 journalists were killed covering the Vietnam conflict over two decades, and an estimated 68 during World War II."

You might not like the press coverage of the war, but to say that reporters are all hiding out in the Green Zone (as Laura Ingraham did) is demonstrably fales.


6 posted on 11/13/2006 8:16:04 AM PST by libertylover76
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To: EQAndyBuzz

Democrat Playbook, page 407. How to lose the war in Iraq while claiming victory.
------
Exactly. It will be on the table of "filthy contrived issues" for the Dems in 2008.


7 posted on 11/13/2006 8:19:05 AM PST by EagleUSA (T)
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To: libertylover76

False, too.


8 posted on 11/13/2006 8:22:47 AM PST by libertylover76
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To: Valin

"At the end of September, there only 11 and one of them was me."

Thats eleven too many. They're (you're) the ones keeping our soldiers from doing their jobs. If even one of them pursues a sniper and the sniper hides behind women and children, you're there watching to see if you can "get something one him" like - HORRORS! - killing innocent civilians. That is why we are having such a hard time in Iraq. You're there to lose the war for us! Get out!


9 posted on 11/13/2006 8:24:05 AM PST by RoadTest ( He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. -Rev. 3:6)
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To: libertylover76

Nope, sorry, but most of the "journalists" who were killed were embedded with the terrorists. Read the Iraqi blogs, talk to those who are over there, they'll all tell you the same thing. Stringers classify themselves as "journalists" and most actually ARE terrorists.


10 posted on 11/13/2006 8:42:07 AM PST by McGavin999 (Republicans take out our trash, Democrats re-elect theirs)
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To: Valin

If I was a reporter I'd be afraid to be embedded. After all, the troops have been slandered and called every name in the book by these animals, why entrust my life to them? I'd ask to be embedded with the terrorists, with whom I agree and identify and will support even at the cost of 1000's of Americans lives.

Hopefully, the troops will begin to understand who the real enemy is.


11 posted on 11/13/2006 9:06:33 AM PST by nitejohnboy (Father in Heaven--help our soldiers in harms way)
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To: McGavin999

Stole the words right out of my mouth. S#!* happens when you are on the wrong team. The only press people we saw in the 13 months we spent in country were Army PR people.


12 posted on 11/13/2006 9:17:10 AM PST by SFC Chromey (We are at war with Islamofascists, now ACT LIKE IT!)
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To: libertylover76
You might not like the press coverage of the war, but to say that reporters are all hiding out in the Green Zone (as Laura Ingraham did) is demonstrably fales.

Wrong. Most of those "journalists" are locals or other thrid country people of color that the US media pay a pitance to rish their lives so the US reporter has something to work with when they do their standup on the roof of the heavily fortified Palatstine or Sheraton hotels, a/k/a Fort Bullshit.

13 posted on 11/13/2006 12:24:58 PM PST by Doctor Raoul (Difference between the CIA and the Free Clinic is that the Free Clinic knows how to stop a leak.)
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To: libertylover76
"The Committee to Protect Journalists says 58 journalists and 22 media workers -- which includes support staff such as translators and drivers -- have been killed in Iraq since the beginning of the war in March 2003.

Take out the "media workers", and I'll bet the number shrinks dramatically.


 

14 posted on 11/14/2006 7:04:47 AM PST by zeugma (I reject your reality and substitute my own in its place. (http://www.zprc.org/))
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