Again... what is the news benefit of reporting that Saddam Hussein's b-day was a huge celebration with a play about his life getting rave reviews... then not reporting what Uday was doing?
That is propaganda. Pure and simple. CNN could not function in Iraq as a journalism center, so they should not have pretended that they were. Jordan's response to the New Republic Article belies that CNN was lying to us, and to the world, when he claimed they would leave if they were being shut up. He lied. Period.
CNN also should be ashamed if it ever hired another Iraqi born worker, or put a reporter in there without fully briefing them on what could happen.
CNN also should not have had Christianne Amanpour on tv calling for a UN Geneva code investigation of the Palestine Hotel incident, when they knew far worse things going on. By holding this candle light vigil for journalists, demanding justice, CNN was distorting the truth.
The world viewers seeing this believe US targets journalists deliberately... Iraq doesn't, when quite the opposite is true.
This is just one small point that proves that keeping that office open... with desperate shuttle diplomacy, actually hurt their ability to tell the truth.
As James Glassman, I believe mentioned today... if ya want to know what is going on in Iraq... sit in Jordan and snatch each Iraqi who has fled... instead of discussing Saddam's birthday... how much the people love him by giving him 100% of the vote in shame elections...
That is the freaking stories that CNN was able to give us by staying in Baghdad, instead of interviewing torture victims and their family members who fled.
If you can't see this... I can't help you.
I fear nothing will change the libs mind.