in the wrong era. Soundly refuting
liberals online since 2000. NOTE: That is NOT
me pictured at left. :)
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Audacity of Truth
"Diplomacy":
"People are saying what in the world is going on with North Carolina, we look like Mississippi." - NC Gov. Bev Perdue (D) on the passage of Amendment One, 5-11-12
The media spin on Operation Swarmer
W. Thomas Smith, Jr., who recently penned this spot-on piece on the media’s irresponsible reporting on military issues (which I referenced last week) has written another insightful piece, this time on the media spin swirling around the recent US and Iraqi military offensive Operation Swarmer:
The latest criticism of the war in Iraq has become so politically manipulative, so disingenuous, so over-the-top that it is undermining a critical cause that we cannot, for a variety of global security reasons, afford to lose.
As I mentioned in my piece on irresponsible reporting, there is far too much emphasis on blatantly inflammatory words and pictures – any opportunity to focus attention on tired stories like Abu Ghraib or an angry politician’s loaded comments about “no WMDs” or an “impending civil war.”
Thanks to the short shrift given it by many members of the mainstream press, too few Americans appreciate or grasp the magnitude of the fact that the first session (since last December) of a freely elected Iraqi parliament convened on March 16: A result that would not have been possible had it not been for three risky albeit remarkably successful elections since January 2005.
And as far as the U.S. effort is concerned, it seems there is almost nothing the White House, the Pentagon, or for that matter any American rifleman on the ground can do that is good enough to garner so much as a one-line “attaboy” from many of our country’s largest newspapers and television news networks.
Let’s look at last Thursday, March 16, the day the Iraqi National Assembly opened in Baghdad and a high-profile “air assault” northeast of Samarra, as an example:
The earliest news leads in U.S. newspapers (particularly the online versions) read something to the effect of, “Iraqi and coalition forces today launched the largest air assault operation since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom in southern Salah Ad Din province to clear a suspected insurgent operating area.”
They were legitimate leads, based largely on the U.S. Defense Department’s initial press release about Operation Swarmer, a “50-ship” helicopter assault aimed at seizing weapons caches, gathering intelligence, and nabbing or killing terrorists in the targeted area.
But a misinterpretation of military terminology resulted in many – perhaps most – Americans having an image in their minds of waves of bombers and fighters unleashing a 2006 version of 2003′s “shock and awe.” And those responsible for disseminating the news did not initially help much in that regard.
When I logged into my email Thursday morning, I had numerous messages from colleagues who – unlike me – are opposed to our efforts in Iraq. One reporter-friend asked, almost gleefully, “What are we doing now? Why are we launching a ‘massive’ bombing campaign in Iraq? So now we are bombing and killing lots of innocent civilians? Justify this!”
After responding to his message, I zipped off a note to editor Kathryn Jean Lopez at National Review Online for posting on NRO’s The Corner. A portion reads:
“They [my email buddies] are confused by the term, ‘air assault.’ An ‘air assault’ is actually a helicopter-borne infantry assault. In this case, large numbers of helicopters are ferrying airborne-infantry soldiers to enemy targets.”
Fine. And it didn’t take long for the rest of the nation to figure that one out, too. But that wasn’t good enough.
Make sure to read it all.
The media does not knoweth what they speaketh. :- \
Hat tip: Betsy Newmark
4:15 pm: Edited for typos. That’s what I get for trying to post something quickly … what I wouldn’t give to be able to pay a proofreader 
)
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“But a misinterpretation of military terminology resulted in many – perhaps most – Americans having an image in their minds of waves of bombers and fighters unleashing a 2006 version of 2003′s “shock and awe.” And those responsible for disseminating the news did not initially help much in that regard.
Foxnews was covering the swarmer spectacle by showing images of march 03 shock and awe, and even 9/11 wreckage
In their rush to fall in line, they toed the wrong one.
This is why blogs are soooo important.
On Sunday as he stepped off his copter bush said,”We are implementing a strategy for victory in Iraq”. That implementation is at least 3 years late, which is why the public is confused. First Swarmer is REAL big, then it’s not. First we’re going to flush the terrorist out and then there are no terrorists there. No WMD’s, not even an active program. You Republican’s are a piece of work and your working America right into the crapper. Peace
The number of parallels I see in the way Bush’s admin is being treated, and the pariah status of Israel in the MSM for the last few decades are scary. I hope the US can hold the line and simply push through with bold determination, that’s the only course when beset by this kind of open rank media hatred, it’s pervasive.
Condi said History will be the judge, that’s spot on, because a fair assessment in the mean, you will NOT get. Support your Troops and their mission!
>That implementation is at least 3 years
>late
You mean three years old, since we’ve been doing it for three years.
>First Swarmer is REAL big, then it’s not
That’s the MSM for ya.
>First we’re going to flush the terrorist
>out and then there are no terrorists
>there.
There’s no terrorists there? Good news for the Iraqis, then.
>No WMD’s
Please stop lying. Some were found, some were moved, and some were buried and not yet uncovered.
CavalierX trying to have a serious logical discussion using facts with Steve, that is like expecting snow in Key West. Steve is having flash backs to the 60s (Vietnam) the total lack of the abilty to comprehend and distinguish between fact and fiction could be attributed to his psychedelic drug use. Remember Steve that popular catch phrase from the 60s “Turn on, tune in, drop out” or how about “Better RED than Dead” OOOHHhhhh weren’t those the days “Down with everything.”
I could explain the difference between a new plan which should have been an old plan which is why it’s late and not old, but why bother. You Republicans will read whatever you “think” I wrote anyway.
No “reading into” anything necessary into what you “think”, steve. We already know.
I’ll bite what do I think? Peace
Right after the word “peace”, is what you think steve, do forgive the use of the word think however.
“I could explain….but why bother.” Feel free to explain, but first answer at least one question. What was your job in AK,E5? Or are you as big a phony as your rambling hypocry indicates?
Running the Lt. Col. fishing expeditions in Kodiak Bay. Peace