The News We (CNN) Kept To Ourselves [must read]

The New York Times ^ | 04/11/03 | EASON JORDAN

[Howlin]

Well, that scares me to death.

And we should pull the plug on ALL of them.

[ladyinred]

These stories are horrific, and should be told. However, I have a problem with the fact that they weren't told before. Am I alone in this, or does anyone else feel this should never have been kept quiet? I can't understand how any human being could go around with these secrets for so long while people were being tortured and killed by this evil regime.

[dogbyte12]

This is the biggest media story of this war. Period. CNN let people suffer in anonymity for the prestige of a bureau in Baghdad. They could not report facts, because those would get them tortured, like their camera man, or expelled.

Basically, all they could really do in Baghdad is report on what Saddam was saying. They gave up every bit of integrity they had (if they had any to begin with) in order to get their bureau there.

CNN is guilty of the worst crime imaginable by a news bureau.

Please folks, do not let this story just fade to the back pages. Anybody who knows any local or national talk show host, fax them this story. CNN has a very great deal to explain. I want to know every single damned story that they had of the depravity in Baghdad that they buried.

This list I guarantee you is less than 1% of what they knew. This mea culpa is a day late, a dollar short, and not acceptable.

The word "Outrage" is tossed around too frequently in our political climate. In this case, it absolutely fits the bill.

There need to be resignations, public apologies. 2 hour specials run constantly, updating people on CNN's behaviour, and what they plan to do to correct it. A weasle like apology in the NY Times after over a decade of letting people suffer in silence just does not cut it.

[AndyJackson]

The writer seems to be saying that CNN was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Liberalism has now flushed itself down the maelstrom of its nihilistic nothingness. There is no hard place on the soft mush of these folks' falsehoods and lies. It is just a squalid ooze that leaves the stench of death in your nostrils. If they were true to themselves and merely stood against the conservative position one could admire them - say like one admires Pat Moynihan. But they lie even to themselves, and the base of their own neat little fantasy land crumbles into dust - the dust of the tortured souls whose blood is on their heads.

[Rocky]

Yeah, sure. Everybody who watched CNN during the past three weeks could tell how pro-liberation they were, right? To the author of this article: Tell it to Susan Sarandon and the Baldwins. Go shout it to the peace protesters.

CNN is really pro-America. They just have to hide it to protect their staff. They hide it really well.

[ladyinred]

I just started reading replies to the thread after posting. My question has been answered, others do feel like I do. This should not have been kept secret!!!!!

[Howlin]

Basically, all they could really do in Baghdad is report on what Saddam was saying.

They are one and the same with Baghdad Bob.

Only worse, because THEY paid THEM to let them report their garbage!

[lorrainer]

I had to reread this awful piece-of-garbage article. It reminds me of "I was only following orders" excuses from the Nazis. It smells.

[Howlin]

really, is a proper reception at a cocktail party on the Upper West Side worth all this?

Bump.

[nuke_road_warrior]

We have inspected Terezenstadt,(sp?) while the Jews are obvioulsy not free, they are being treated well.

Approximate quote from Red Cross inspectors visitng Terezenstadt (Paradise ghetto) duriing WWII. Of courrse, nearly all of those interviewed by the inspectors died in Aushwitz(sp?) within a few weeks. Same kind of mentality: don't irritate the rulers, it may impact your own power/access/prestige. ARGH!!!

[hobson]

CNN allowed Saddam Hussain to hold them hostage for 12 years. I'd like to wad this story up and stuff it in Judy Woodruffs' mouth.

[spodefly]

For weeks he was beaten and subjected to electroshock torture in the basement of a secret police headquarters ...

Others disappeared and then surfaced later with whispered tales of being hauled off and tortured in unimaginable ways.

An aide to Uday once told me why he had no front teeth: henchmen had ripped them out with pliers ...

They beat her daily for two months, forcing her father to watch. In January 1991, on the eve of the American-led offensive, they smashed her skull and tore her body apart limb by limb. A plastic bag containing her body parts was left on the doorstep of her family's home.

None of this bothered CNN enough to lose a Bagdad bureau.

None of the above bothers these people. They are more worried about Bush:

[Howlin]

Read this, please.

[Mo1]

I have to admit I don't know what to make of this article ..

Those at CNN KNEW what was going on in Iraq and FAILED to report on it .. instead they reported that Saddam was a warm fuzzy guy who wouldn't hurt anyone and made Bush look like an evil tyrant who wanted to control Iraq and killed women and children?

I don't think I can fully comment on the feelings I have at this moment .. I am too angry!

[Humidston]

...And they laugh at us for being so idealistic. ...Call us "simpletons" and naive.

HA! At least we can sleep at night.

[1 spark]

I hardly know what to make of this; I couldn't begin to express what I'm feeling right now.

Staggering, sickening, revulsion? I don't get it. This, NOW, on the tails of their usual anti-Bush, how-many-civilians-are-we-killing, anti war spin? Are we supposed to sympathize with them? Just what are they looking for with this piece? It's almost like a pathetically late and insincere effort to align themselves with the 80 some percent of Americans who know Bush did the right thing. The saddest part is, they knew all along, too, that it was the absolute right thing to do. I am at a loss for words in describing what i think of cnn.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Ping.

[dogbyte12]

Please make an exception and make this breaking news.

It is over a decade in the making, but this news must get out to the widest audience possible.

[Howlin]

Well, that was my very first reply? Did she know all this and still hold forth every single day with that snotty look on her face every single time she mentioned George Bush's name?

Sorry, I'm all out of descriptive adjectives.

[Howlin]

I second that.

This needs to be read and emailed to everybody we know by every single person on this forum.