Media's Dark Cloud a Danger (Falsely bleak reports reduce our chances of success in Iraq)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^ | 9/22/03 | Jim Marshall

[NYC Republican]

On Sept. 14, I flew from Baghdad to Kuwait with Sgt. Trevor A. Blumberg from Dearborn, Mich. He was in a body bag. He'd been ambushed and killed that afternoon. Sitting in the cargo bay of a C 130E, I found myself wondering whether the news media were somehow complicit in his death.

News media reports about our progress in Iraq have been bleak since shortly after the president's premature declaration of victory. These reports contrast sharply with reports of hope and progress presented to Congress by Department of Defense representatives -- a real disconnect, Vietnam déja vu. So I went to Iraq with six other members of Congress to see for myself.

The Iraq war has predictably evolved into a guerrilla conflict similar to Vietnam. Our currently stated objectives are to establish reasonable security and foster the creation of a secular, representative government with a stable market economy that provides broad opportunity throughout Iraqi society. Attaining these objectives in Iraq would inevitably transform the Arab world and immeasurably increase our future national security.

These are goals worthy of a fight, of sacrifice, of more lives lost now to save thousands, perhaps tens or hundreds of thousands in the future. In Mosul last Monday, a colonel in the 101st Airborne put it to me quite simply: "Sir, this is worth doing." No one I spoke with said anything different. And I spoke with all ranks.

But there will be more Blumbergs killed in action, many more. So it is worth doing only if we have a reasonable chance of success. And we do, but I'm afraid the news media are hurting our chances. They are dwelling upon the mistakes, the ambushes, the soldiers killed, the wounded, the Blumbergs. Fair enough. But it is not balancing this bad news with "the rest of the story," the progress made daily, the good news. The falsely bleak picture weakens our national resolve, discourages Iraqi cooperation and emboldens our enemy.

During the conventional part of this conflict, embedded journalists reported the good, the bad and the ugly. Where are the embeds now that we are in the difficult part of the war, now that fair and balanced reporting is critically important to our chances of success? At the height of the conventional conflict, Fox News alone had 27 journalists embedded with U.S. troops (out of a total of 774 from all Western media). Today there are only 27 embedded journalists from all media combined.

Throughout Iraq, American soldiers with their typical "can do" attitude and ingenuity are engaging in thousands upon thousands of small reconstruction projects, working with Iraqi contractors and citizens. Through decentralized decision-making by unit commanders, the 101st Airborne Division alone has spent nearly $23 million in just the past few months. This sum goes a very long way in Iraq. Hundreds upon hundreds of schools are being renovated, repainted, replumbed and reroofed. Imagine the effect that has on children and their parents.

Zogby International recently released the results of an August poll showing hope and progress. My own unscientific surveys told me the same thing. With virtually no exceptions, hundreds of Iraqis enthusiastically waved back at me as I sat in the open door of a helicopter traveling between Babylon and Baghdad. And I received a similar reception as I worked my way alone, shaking hands through a large crowd of refinery workers just to see their reaction.

We may need a few credible Baghdad Bobs to undo the harm done by our media. I'm afraid it is killing our troops.

-- U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall (D-Ga.) of Macon, a Vietnam combat veteran, is a member of the House Armed Services Committee.

[Roscoe Karns]

bump

[Roscoe Karns]

bump

[Mr. Silverback]

Could you ping the pro-coalition/anti-wankers list? I think Marshall's report of what's going on over there qualifies as a positive report.

[Mr. Silverback]

Ooops! Never mind!

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

No, I'm glad you pinged me, Mr. Silverback. I did not ping the list to this article yesterday, allowing my own 'dark cloud' re. the Dems. to color my view.

Rush read this article again today, and it is worthy of a mega-ping.

I apologized and pinged the list to another article about this bi-partisan groups' testimony on Capitol Hill:

8 Press slants Iraq news: Members (Rips the media and their negative view of Iraq!) ~ HillNews | 9/23/03

Ping to Rep. Marshall's article nailing the negative press for endangering our troops.

 Thanks, Tonkin!

If you want on or off my PRO-coalition ping list, please Freepmail me. Warning: it is a high volume ping list on good days. (Most days are good days). All links are added to my homepage, link above.

[MEG33]

Thanks for the ping.

[My2Cents]

I trust that most Americans can also see the glee in their faces, and are disgusted with it.

[lonevoice]

"Where are the embeds now that we are in the difficult part of the war, now that fair and balanced reporting is critically important to our chances of success? At the height of the conventional conflict, Fox News alone had 27 journalists embedded with U.S. troops (out of a total of 774 from all Western media). Today there are only 27 embedded journalists from all media combined."

I would like an answer to this question, too. There was a post on another thread yesterday where the poster (an Aussie) stated that his buddy, an Australian soldier currently in Iraq, swore that absolutely no progress had been made in our efforts of infrastructure rebuilding in Iraq. It's instructive that Rep. Marshall knew he had to go there himself to ascertain the truth of the situation in spite of the superior intel available to his office.

Even a handful of embeds could be successful in providing unfiltered evidence of what we're accomplishing. If Fox News were to highlight frequent reports from embedded journalists, I do believe the public's interest would be evident in their ratings, which might force other media outlets to compete with the same.

[JulieRNR21]

Suggest all Freepers send a copy of Congressman Marshall's article to their local newspaper requesting it be reprinted.

Here's the URL of the original:

http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/0903/22international.html?urac=n&urvf=10643410297940.5001917004480048

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!

[colorado tanker]

I think the analogy to post-War Germany would be best. Iraq is wealthy and well-educated by Middle East standards and they want to put the Saddam era behind them. There was much less destruction in Iraq, but it will still take time to rebuild infrastructure and build new political institutions. My recollection is that Germany really hadn't recovered until around 1950.

Reconstruction doesn't work as an analogy for me because the troops were viewed as a northern occupation force that favored a minority group over the majority of southerners. In Iraq most people, according to the Zogby poll, want U.S. help to become a modern, democratic country.

The Vietnam analogy is wrong too. We were propping up an unpopular president and then unpopular generals against a popular movement. In Iraq we deposed the unpopular dictator. Also, winning in Vietnam required a massive supply effort from the north and eventually regular troops from the north. Iran and Syria might like to see us fail, but there is no evidence of significant military support for the terrorists. Keep in mind the Baathist regime was identified with the Sunni center and persecuted Shiites, Kurds and Turkmens. So, in Iraq we're with the overwhelming majority.

I think most of this "quagmire" will drain off once Saddam is killed or captured.

[blackie]

"We may need a few credible Baghdad Bobs to undo the harm done by our media. I'm afraid it is killing our troops."

Right-on ~ the left-wing presstitutes are committed to making GWB, the troops and out nation look bad ~ that is their agenda and liberal democrats are eating it up.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Many are watching the Dems as we'd watch a lab specimen 2000 pound baby....from a distance, holding our noses and with protective covering. (^;

[blackie]

Thanks RC, for calling rats on their outrageous behavior!

[GOPJ]

If the fruit is "emboldens our enemy", what is the tree? :

So it is worth doing only if we have a reasonable chance of success. And we do, but I'm afraid the news media are hurting our chances. They are dwelling upon the mistakes, the ambushes, the soldiers killed, the wounded, the Blumbergs. Fair enough. But it is not balancing this bad news with "the rest of the story," the progress made daily, the good news. The falsely bleak picture weakens our national resolve, discourages Iraqi cooperation and emboldens our enemy.

[FreedomPoster]

Marshall is on Brit's show on FNC right now. Worth taping Brit's show later if you didn't happen to catch this.

[FreedomPoster]

Marshall quotes from the show:

"The news media tends to focus on negative things."

"There's a lot of good news"

"We are reconstructing a lot of schools"

"We are working side-by-side with Iraqis. . . The relationships are developing."

"It is important that we maintain our resolve."

"It's a guerilla war. If we don't appear to have resolve, Iraqis are going to be much less likely to work with us."

"It's not like Vietnam."

[FreedomPoster]

Ping to the above.

[Mr. Silverback]

No harm, no foul, Cowgirl. It seems that Marshall's the kind of Dem I was before I left that party (you might say I left the sinking ship to the rats), and he deserves kudos for telling it like it is.

[NYC Republican]

Thanks. I usually catch it at 12:00.