Our troops took out FAR more bad guys this week. [Press robbing troops (and us) of victory daily]

CENTCOM and various ^ | July 16, 2003

[FairOpinion]

Here is an excellent article as "Answer to those who would quit Iraq":

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/947934/posts

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Thank you for your service. Maybe we can avenge those ghosts this time - along with the fallen troops and the 9-11 victims. I'll think of you next time I respond to a 'Cronkite-wannabe'.

[Blzbba]

"Our boys are being shot at, because they are defending our country, which is what the military is for. "


No argument there. The soldiers who make the "I'm tired of this and wanna go home" statements are as guilty as any newsmedia for recording them. But hell, it's easy for you & I to sit here in our AC'd rooms and type crap back and forth, rather than get shot at.


"I suppose you would prefer thousands more US civilian casualties in 9-11 style attacks or worse instead? "

Nope. Typical overreaction from the far-right/far-left. My first post in this thread called for 'revenge on the 9-11 attackers', none of which were Iraqi. I feel we should be invading Saudi Arabia (my exact words were "Raze Riyadh!"), which still poses a threat to us and who bred 15 of the 19 9-11 hijackers. Noone in the CIA or FBI or NSA thinks or has been able to tie an Iraqi to 9-11. So, Mr. Defense of America, please tell me why the hell we aren't attacking the Saudis? Or better yet, Pakistan - which is giving haven to Osama Bin Dipshit and the rest of Al Quada AND has 'nukular' WMDs! If you can explain this to me, I'd be appreciative.


"Do you think we shouldn't fight the enemy, because it might result in the deaths of US soldiers? And your alternative is...? Obviously the alternative is to just let the enemy take us over and kill all of us. "

Yeah, but again, Iraq hasn't been proven to be the immediate threat to us that Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and North Korea is so why aren't we attacking them?


"While death of US soldiers is sad, more people are being killed in the US as a results of various accidents. "

Very true. So what - should we wage war on all elderly drivers, since one of 'em took out 8 people in Calipornia yesterday? God knows that guy had the same impact on those people as a terrorist would've.

[Blzbba]

Your article makes an even better point than my post that, to address the root of this terrorism problem, our troops should be in Islamabad right now, seizing Al Quada assets and terrorists and hunting down Osama Bin Stupid.

We should've conquered the Saudis at least a year ago, rather than giving them more time to spread American hatred to their youth and giving our gas money to Arab shieks.

Attack Pakistan and Saudi Arabia immediately. Anything less than this won't stop more terrorist groups from forming in these already-unstable regimes.

Please tell me how I'm wrong here..

[Blzbba]

Hey FairOpinion...it looks like someone agrees with me!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/947984/posts

One down...an entire nation of Islamic hatred to go...

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

We sure don't get this news from the American media!

PKM, when you find the American media please ping me.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

You're very welcome. Amen.

Remember when Lt. Gen. Abizaid read the riot act to the Al Jazeera reporter at the CENTCOM briefing after Al Jazeera aired the video of our POWs? This man cares about the troops.

Armed Forces Know Mission Comes First in War on Terror

 

By Linda D. Kozaryn / American Forces Press Service

 

     WASHINGTON, July 16, 2003 — "We can either fight this battle against terrorism at home, or we can fight it abroad," U.S. Army Gen. John Abizaid said today. "Our soldiers have to know in their heart of hearts that they've got to fight it abroad."
      The new commander of Operation Iraqi Freedom met with Pentagon reporters on the eve of his departure for the Persian Gulf. Abizaid, who assumed command of U.S. Central Command July 7, gave an update on the security situation in Iraq. He also discussed how long troops would remain in Iraq, a question being posed by the public, military family members and the troops themselves.
     "It's very important to all of us to make sure that our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines know when they're coming home. I know this personally," Abizaid stressed. More  Transcript

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Good post, I agree on all points. The media is key, though. They won't change, but we can bypass them and get the info out to the people. We did in Florida in 2000 and 2002. Bloggers, radio and FR make a difference...still, if we had an Ernie Pyle w/ his own radio show - the press couldn't create the perception that we're suffering major losses, and anyone hyping Saddam propaganda would have one voice shaming 'em into playing, say, pictures of the mass-graves, or an interview with a General everytime Saddam's loyalists "find" a new tape, play the same old damnable games inciting fear in the Iraqi population.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Gee, sounds like body count comparisons.

Any information can be twisted - goodness - if we didn't learn from Cronkite during Vietnam, we certainly learned from Saddam Hussein and over 24 years of propaganda.

Facts are weapons. A weapon in the hands of an ally is a good thing. I know most Freepers care very deeply about the troops, which is why we should absolutely use every tool we have to show what a great job our troops are doing. The numbers prove this. They also prove that the Iraqi people want us there. Two big lies debunked with a 'body count' in the hands of an ally.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

It is shameful and treasonous how they put petty and vicious politics above our national security.

Yes it is...a major scandal, even.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Thank you for the kind comments.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

OUR press, including FoxNews and Drudge are choosing to follow the opinion of the NY Times rather than the DoD on war news. Bad choice. Dang, America's press is letting us down - letting down the troops.

DoD News Briefing - Mr. Di Rita and Gen. Abizaid [3RD ID out by September (press lied - again)]
DoD - Pentagon ^ | July 16, 2003 | Gen. John Abizaid, commander, U.S. Central Command

[Salvation]

You have a valid point here. I think I will send this URL to FoxNews.

They do have more info than any other channel even wwithout this additional information.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Thanks, Salvation. Part of the problem is education, of course. Their definition of 'unbiased' = 'emptyheaded' - open to all possibilities. It's a recipe for mischief - a reporter with no real core beliefs falling for suckers and used by our enemies daily.

It's partly the press distrust of the military. They came to believe some big liars during Vietnam as well.

CENTCOM is the primary news source from Iraq. They run the war and the 178,000 troops and leaders under Gen. Abizaid. I ask reporters often whether they checked the CENTCOM briefings and daily logs. They prefer their sources - placed outside the Baathist Party strongholds and in the press hotel, where America's enemies can use find them...and they troll for victims with help from the socialist NGOs who want the UN to win.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Thanks, seamole. (^:

This is my favorite article this week:

Nobody wants Saddam back [Excellent]
Townhall.com ^ | July 18, 2003 | Amir Taheri