Posted on 09/10/2007 5:23:54 AM PDT by IrishMike
Weeks ago, as the deadline for General David Petraeus’s progress report on the war loomed, journalists were already asking me what I thought of it. Then, as now, I do not know what to think of the report since it is not yet published. Even this coming week, after listening to the general’s testimony before Congress, I will have to read the report and transcripts numerous times, sleep on the information, and reflect on it in light of my own observations of the situation in Iraq. The outcome of the war in Iraq, and to some extent the greater War on Terror, will largely depend upon our decisions today. The outcome is too important for quick words. Many will try to be the first to report on the report, and their reports likely will be the most unreliable. To form reasonably accurate ideas about what truly is going on in Iraq one must speak with many people. When I first went to Iraq, aside from talking with as many Iraqis as possible, I identified key Coalition military people. I did not necessarily define “key” in terms of either rank or position. Rather, I sought out people whom I believed to be competent, informed, and truthful. Between December 2004, when I first landed in Baghdad as an independent writer, and now, I’ve identified plenty.
For the purpose of the upcoming report, instead of journalists inquiring about what I think, they should be asking Iraqis. Iraqis, in my experience seem to have little problem freely expressing their opinions (women included), and seem particularly inclined to air grievances. To get an excellent and intelligent perspective from Iraqis, I recommend reading the “Iraq the Model” blog site.
(Excerpt) Read more at article.nationalreview.com ...
Excellent article.
Sounds like too much work for most MSM reporters and a blueprint of who the left will avoid.
Yon knows.
Ping. Also - check out the blog mentioned by Michael Yon (if you haven’t seen it already!)
http://iraqthemodel.blogspot.com/
thanks, bfl
Bookmark
Talking to even one military commander is beyond the call of duty for the MSMedia.
If this article were to come out in a few days, it would be timely. Since it was published three days ago, and written earlier, it is prescient.
Michael lays out the plan. Organizations that have more money than he can pursue his plans much faster than he. He gave away his trade secrets. What he did is a little like Microsoft putting their code out on the net.
But in this case, it’s like casting pearls before swine. He probably knew no one would act on his good advice. It takes too much work. The results might not favor the Democrats. It’s not the stacked deck that the MSM wants. It would involve speaking with the military. Not a cherry picked military, but a military picked by logical objective standards. Our one party press might have to sit back and listen, and, horrors, report.
Don't worry. They're incapable of that.
Amazing! An entire industry gone to seed...
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