New source of news in Iraq

Thanks to AubreyJ for these links...

I know some of you are going to say that you wouldn't trust the Pentagon's media with a ten foot pole. But the fact is the U.S. military is forbidden from intentionally lying to Americans. I've seen a lot of Armed Forces Network news reports over the years, and I have to say they aren't glossed over propaganda, but good honest news reports, from the viewpoint of soldiers.

What about the news reports planted by the U.S. government in Iraq? What about them, I ask? They were truthful stories. Iraqi papers were doing the same thing as the MSM; printing lots of bad news, some untrue, while refusing to print any good news. The U.S. simply balanced news coverage by paying papers to print both sides of the story. Heck, I think that the Pentagon should be allowed the do the same thing in America.

Anyhoot, on to the goodies:

Freedom Journal Iraq is a daily program produced by American Forces Network Iraq. This program focuses on military missions, operations and U.S. military forces in Iraq.

Click here for daily reports. Also try this recent interesting report (or here for low-bandwidth version).

Labels: iraq, media

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Fatah honors Saddam Hussein

The main square in the Jenin refugee camp has been renamed by Fatah after Saddam Hussein, the brutal dictator who engaged in genocide against various ethnic groups, invaded two of his neighbors, and routinely had innocent people ritually killed for his own pleasure. Yeah, that Saddam Hussein.

Yet Fatah is an ally of the United States. An ally to the tune of an additional $86 million dollars of your tax dollars spent on improving Fatah's military force. The money is granted to "assist the Palestinian Authority presidency in fulfilling PA commitments under the road map (peace plan) to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism and establish law and order in the West Bank and Gaza," according to a U.S. government document.

That's okay, though, because Fatah is fighting against Hamas, and is therefore against terrorism, against violence, and just generally a friend of the American way of life. This renaming of the main square is obviously a clerical error, a mistake, a political gaffe. Heck, just read the American media accounts of Abbas's latest speech:

AP - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told a large rally of his Fatah movement Thursday that he won't allow fighting with their Hamas rivals to continue and called on opposing factions to respect each other.

AFP - Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas assured tens of thousands of supporters that he was determined to prevent further factional clashes with rival Hamas after weeks of internecine bloodshed.

While both of these articles contain quotes from Abbas's speech, neither contain any of the following language, also from the same speech:

When Fatah was established, it was accused of treason and we were chased in every place. But with the will and determination of its sons, Fatah has and will continue. We will not give up our principles and we have said that rifles should be directed against the occupation.... We have a legitimate right to direct our guns against Israeli occupation. It is forbidden to use these guns against Palestinians. The occupation has perpetrated brutal attacks in Jenin, Beit Hanun and Ramallah.

I hate to beat a dead horse, but if you want to really see the news in Israel, read an Israeli paper. If you read American news stories written by Americans, you're going to hear what Americans want you to hear. You can't be educated if you don't read both sides of every story.

The fact is Abbas did call for Palestinian restraint, as the American media claims. He just wants Palestinians to stop fighting each other, so they can use the $86 million dollars the U.S. just gave him to go fight the Israelis.

Thanks to No More Spin for the heads-up on this story.

Labels: israel, media

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Iraq news ... from Iraq!

Lately, it seems that all discussions of Iraq are really discussions of Bush, and how the Democrats want to change our strategy. What is the best course for America? Bush's plan to increase troop strength, or the Democrat's plan to concede defeat? I've already posted my opinions on how we need to change the way we're fighting the war, and I think that Bush's plan incorporates some, but not all, of my opinions. But that's not what this post is about.


This post is a reminder that not all Iraqi news is made in Washington, DC. This post is a reminder that things are really happening in Baghdad, and if you want to know what they are, you should talk to those in Baghdad. Not a reporter from DC who flew over for a week to write a few articles, but someone who has lived there their entire life.

Specifically, I recommend Omar and Mohammed, whose blog Iraq the Model has been linked as the first link on my "Good Blogs" sidebar for a very long time. The last three posts have covered an ongoing security operation, which while widely publicized in Iraq, has escaped Western media coverage. It'd be a shame if our media put out any GOOD news for a change.

The first post discussed what Mohammad thought was the beginning of the operation:

The battles left more than 50 militants killed and more than a dozen captured, seven of whom are Syrians and this supports what we reported in our last post that eyewitnesses said. Meanwhile there have been more clashes in Al-Aamil district in western Baghdad yesterday and we learned that all roads and bridges leading to that area are now closed, with helicopters hovering above.

The second post discusses the raids in more detail, and includes some imagery on what life is like in the most insurgent-ridden parts of Baghdad. It also includes some interesting reactions to Bush's plan, including discussion in the Iraqi Parliament:

A few hours later a flood of comments from Iraqi politicians filled the media here and maybe the earliest and most interesting argument was the one that took place between Abdul Kareem Al-Inizi of the UIA (from a branch of the Dawa party that split from the original Dawa of Jafari and Maliki) and Mithal al-Alusi during yesterday's session of the parliament.

Al-Inizi said "Iraq is not an American state and Bush must consult with us before making such decisions about sending troops…" to which al-Alusi responded by saying "We have an elected prime minister and he was consulted…you and others like yourself wouldn't be sitting here had America not helped us. They are trying to protect this democracy and they possess what they can offer to help us with the security situation, but what do you have?? Cut the nonsense, ok? Do you think the parliament wants to vote about this? Fine, let's ask everybody if they want such voting…"

There was only silence in the hall after this and no one said another word about voting.

The final post covers an Al-Sabaah story that neighboring provinces are already finding insurgents flooding in from Baghdad in fear of combined U.S./Iraqi forces. What the article doesn't mention is that the operation is still in the very early phases. Still, the effect of the latest campaign is starting to show. Check out today's top three stories on Al-Sabaah, none of which were covered by CNN:

[Iraqi] MPs Optimist[sic] of Achieving Stability Soon
Numbers of police volunteers in Ramadi increased
16 Wanted Arrested

CNN's top story?

A journalist who saw videotape of the hangings of Saddam Hussein's half-brother and the dictator's former chief judge has described how one of the men was decapitated. John F. Burns, from the New York Times, told CNN that Barzan Hassan al-Tikriti's head "just snapped off." He said both men looked "deeply frightened" in the execution chamber.

Which brings me full-circle. If you want to know what's important to the Iraqi people, ask the Iraqi people. Read Iraqi newspapers. Read Iraqi blogs. Don't ask the opinion of some Atlanta-based tourist with a media visa and a video camera.

Labels: iraq, media

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Guess The Headline

Each of these facts was presented by Iraq Vice President Ghazi al-Yawer, an elected representative of the Iraqi people, at a press conference. Can you guess which was used to title the AP article that described the conference?

• Iraqi Vice President insists that the Iraqi people need US forces to protect them from terrorists.
• Iraqi Vice President dismisses calls for a withdrawal timeline, saying "I wish it were that simple."
• Iraqi Vice President asks US military to monitor polling sites to ensure fair voting.
• Iraqi Vice President says UN ineffective, asks US to take over UN duties

The correct answer? None of the above. AP chose to the this story with the headline "Training of Iraq Forces Suffers Setback."

I know what you're thinking. Of course Yawer wants the US to stay. He's a Shia Muslim that's finally been able to take control of the government with the help of the US. If we leave, Sunnis will overthrow the government and he'll be back on the street. Nope, Yawer is a Sunni Muslim, who advocates peace and secular politics. Despite being a Sunni Muslim, he's no fan of Saddam Hussein. The "setback" he referred to? Some of the newly trained Iraqi forces are using Saddam-era tactics, indicating it will take longer than expected to develop an army that fights fair, with minimal damage to civilians.

Come on, AP. How hard is it to write a headline that isn't full of negative spin? If you wanted to say Yawer disagreed with Bush's assertations that the Iraqi forces are growing strong, what was wrong with "Iraqi Vice President Asks US Not to Withdraw Troops"? A headline like that might convince people that staying the course is the right thing to do. A "setback," on the other hand, sounds like something bad is happening -- and maybe we should pull out.

Iraq is a sovereign nation ruled by an elected government. Since when has America turned a blind eye to free democracies asking for help from terrorists and those who wish to build dictatorships? Regardless of why we went to Iraq, it is our duty to protect freedom and democracy, wherever it grows.

Labels: iraq, media

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AP Reports Good News (but backtracks in the article)

Suicide bombings fell in November to their lowest level in seven months. Yet the AP noting this fact felt the need to talk about the continued deaths, going so far as to specifically mention a US Soldier that died in a car crash in Iraq yesterday.

Tell me, when was the last time you saw an article in the US press that seemed optimistic about progress in Iraq? One that could be, by some stretch of the imagination, called "positive"?

The US is under attack for paying Iraqi media outlets to carry information provided by US troops. Information, not misinformation. We're talking about subsidizing media for printing the truth, not bribing papers to print lies. I didn't realize there was anything wrong with that. In fact, I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to implement back home, too.

Who's for it? I'd pay a little extra tax money to provide funds to get CNN and Fox News to show all the facts, not just the ones that support their agenda. Is there a law against that? Not that I'm aware of, although our media apparently thinks it's wrong.

You can't pay a paper to print a good story, but they'll carry Zarqawi's propaganda and lies for free. God bless the "free" press, as long as they're on your side.

Want another look at Iraq? Kevin Sites writes about a museum erected in Sulaymaniyah by Iraqi Burds, who want to ensure their children remember what they were forced to live through before America freed them. Does anyone else remember the Anfal campaign, in which 182.000 Kurds were killed? I wish we could send Americans to that museum...

Labels: iraq, media

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Burn in hell, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi!

I'm coming late to this topic (I've been overworked and unable to post for awhile now), but I couldn't let this one slip by. Thousands of protestors took to the streets in Jordan, denouncing Al Qaeda, and specifically the Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. This fits in nicely with my last post about Moroccan protests against Al Qaeda. The difference? Western media covered this one. (AP, CNN, USA Today)

Interestingly, of that list none mentioned that Zarqawi was born in Jordan. Also, while some mentioned the protests occurred across the country, none mentioned the specific cities of Zarqa (Zarqawi's birthplace), Aqaba (the site of the last terrorist attack in Jordan), and Maan (considered the most fundamentalist of Jordanian cities). Al Jazeera did cover that, and more. They were also the only major press outlet to post pictures of the protests.

Bloggers have been covering this very well, as you can see in this partial list:

• "Burn in hell, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi!", In The Bullpen
  
• Jordanians Protest al-Zarqawi, Right Truth
• Terror attacks spark fury in Jordan, Jihad Watch

Why the increased coverage of this protest, and none at all of the Moroccan protests? Perhaps it's because Jordan has historically allied itself with the US. Jordan was a bigger supporter of the US invasion of Iraq than, say, France... and the western news consistently fails to even mention the rioters in France are Muslim. It appears as if the media is content to draw false images of the world as they want to perceive it.

Reading the news, one could draw the following conclusions:

1. The French poor are rioting because France's socialistic system has failed to take care of them. Reality: Muslims in France are attempting to establish autonomous ghettos where they will be able to self-rule under Sharia law, thus allowing Wahhabist sanctuaries in Europe.
2. Iraqi's have attacked Jordan because Jordan supported the invasion of Iraq. Reality: Very few suicide bombers are Iraqi. The hotel bombings were orchestrated and prepared in Iraq, by a Jordanian, and conducted by non-Iraqi citizens.
3. The majority of Sunni Muslims support Al Qaeda. Reality: Nearly one hundred percent of Jordanians are Sunnis. Across the Middle East, there is no country in which the majority of Muslims, much less Sunnis, support Al Qaeda.

I'd go on, but I'm running low on time and energy. I can only continue to ask that readers continue to look beyond the MSM for news and perspective on world events.

Labels: France, jordan, media, Morocco, terrorism

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Riots in Morocco

Another day, another riot where thousands pour in the streets, chanting "Death to America, Death to Israel!", and generally being a pain in the neck, right? No, not at all. Fortunately, there are millions of Muslims in the world who understand that death and destruction are wrong, and that freedom and liberty are rights. This picture shows them protesting against Al Qaeda. Betcha didn't see that on CNN, did you? As of today, searching CNN.com's website produces no mention of them, but they did cover a Moroccan sports story from the same day! Oddly enough, the AP and Reutuers did release it, but the MSM hasn't picked it up yet.

Once again, a hat tip to Al Jazeera for covering this story that the western press is afraid to touch. Also, the Lebanese Daily Star and the Iraqi Al Mendhar covered the story well.

After two Moroccans were kidnapped and sentanced to death by Al Qaeda in Iraq, Moroccans have become inflamed. Morocco has been supportive of the new Iraqi government, and the Iraqi people. In a speech that I felt echoed some of President Bush's comments, Moroccan Foreign Ministry said its embassy would not succumb to "blackmail," particularly "coming from a terrorist group which cannot claim to represent Iraq."

Funny how Moroccans in France violently riot, trying to gain the right to enforce Sharia law within the ghettoes, while Moroccans in Morocco peacefully demonstrate against violence.

Good comments on these protests are over at Hyscience, Gateway Pundit, In the Bullpen, and Officers Club. Check them all out.

Labels: iraq, media, Morocco

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What the Press Won't Tell You

Michelle Malkin writes in a wonderful piece entitled "All the news that's fit to omit" about a New York Times article opining about the 2,000 casualty in Iraq (link here, but you have to pay). Let me start by saying that the article failed to alert readers to the fact that nearly a quarter of those deaths were not combat related. I don't know why 1,588 combat fatalities is a "grim milestone," but I'll grant the NY Times that license to embellish.

What bothers me is that the article focuses on a single soldier, Cpl Jeffrey B. Starr, who died April 30th in Ramadi. Note that Cpl Starr wasn't the 2,000 soldier to die, rather, he died months ago. He was chosen out of all the soldiers who perished in Iraq, to symbolize the cost of the war. The title of the piece? THE CONFLICT IN IRAQ: THE FATALITIES; 2,000 Dead: As Iraq Tours Stretch On, a Grim Mark

Allow me to quote from the article:

Sifting through Corporal Starr's laptop computer after his death, his father found a letter to be delivered to the marine's girlfriend. ''I kind of predicted this,'' Corporal Starr wrote of his own death. ''A third time just seemed like I'm pushing my chances."

Is it just me, or does it sound like this young man was disillusioned, upset at being in Iraq, and fearful for his own life? One is left wondering why he was willing to go to Iraq three times with that attitude. Lest I leave you with the impression that this hero of our country was anything less than that, allow me to quote a little more of the letter, not published by the New York Times:

Obviously if you are reading this then I have died in Iraq. I kind of predicted this, that is why I'm writing this in November. A third time just seemed like I'm pushing my chances. I don't regret going, everybody dies but few get to do it for something as important as freedom. It may seem confusing why we are in Iraq, it's not to me. I'm here helping these people, so that they can live the way we live. Not have to worry about tyrants or vicious dictators. To do what they want with their lives. To me that is why I died. Others have died for my freedom, now this is my mark.

The American public needs to know the Cpl Jeffrey Starr did not die following orders he did not understand. He did not die fighting for a cause he didn't believe in. Cpl Starr died because he felt it was his duty to allow people all around the world to enjoy the same freedoms he enjoyed at home. He found for his country, and the Iraqi country. He knew the risks, and accepted them freely without hesitation or reservation. The New York Times has no right to take that away from him, and turn him into a symbol for peace at any cost.

In lighter local news, the Washington Post reports that Mayor Anthony Williams has changed his mind and signed the emergency DUI law. It's obvious that he did so in order to attempt to preserve some kind of high ground for a compromise law that, while not setting the legal limit as ridiculously low as before, would still have DC presuming intoxication at levels every other state in the nation recognizes as generally safe. This is at best a half-victory; it means the police harassment of innocent people will abate for the time being, but everyone needs to write their councilmen and Mayor Williams and tell them the only acceptable law is one in line with the rest of the nation.

And click on the news article scan, it's worth reading. Trust me.

Labels: alcohol, dc, heroes, iraq, media

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This Week in Iraq

This week in Iraq has seen quite a bit of good news that missed the media spotlight. First, I'd like to congratulate the San Francisco Chronicle for having the courage to report on MAJ Steve Warren, and how he feels about the Western coverage of Iraq. In this article, MAJ Warren says that he watches American TV reports from Iraq, "and I ask myself, 'where are they?'"

MAJ Warren is in Diyala, part of the Sunni Triangle. He had a translator listening to a local radio talk show, where Sunnis complained of the US troops' presence. But they also complained about the trash on the streets. Knowing that soldiers are training from boot camp to be as clean as possible, he saw a solution. The troops bought garbage trucks and cleaned the city up, literally. Now instead of complaining about the Americans, the Baquba residents complain about schools and unemployment. Progress is being made, thanks to heroes like MAJ Steve Warren and his men.

Chad Evans from In The Bullpen posted an entry yesterday about the US troops reducing their presence. I think it's too early to significant withdrawal -- there is much left to be done. Nevertheless, we have been cutting back. Since February, the US has either closed or transferred to the Iraqi military ten bases in Iraq. Next month we'll be turning over Saddam's presidential palaces to the Iraqi government.

In other news,

• Two generators installed at water treatment facilities in Baghdad (10/24) Further increasing the flow of clean water.
• Construction begins on a million-dollar water project in Kirkuk (10/25) Ditto. This is a lot of money being spent to fight disease and starvation.

Do all these reconstruction news bits really make a difference? You bet they do. LTCOL S. Jamie Gayton, commander of the 2nd Brigade Troops Battalion wrote "Technicians and operators were challenged with maintaining an electrical distribution network that was ignored throughout the years of Saddam Hussein's reign.... The electrical distribution system in Betoul has changed the lives of all the residents. When we arrived here, this area was one of the first I visited. The project had just started and the residents told me of its importance. On every return trip, they remained upbeat and patient, trusting that good things would happen. They were rewarded this summer when a special electrical feeder was linked to the distribution network and the system was energized for the very first time." The picture above shows Gayton's troops looking over the new electrical system in Betoul, a poor Baghdad suburb.

Labels: heroes, iraq, media

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Saudis Speak Out

Saudi Arabia is a net exporter of Salafist theology, and probably contains more radical imams than any other country. But just as America has more Pat Robertsons and Louis Farrakhans that any other country, that doesn't mean we're all radicals.

If you listen to CNN, the entire Middle East is full of hatred for America. I was watching Blackhawk Down on DVD earlier this week, with commentary from veterans of the battle. In the final scenes, as the Americans returned to the safe zone, you saw hundreds of Somali's cheering the Americans on. The soldiers commented that this was very accurate, and esitmated that eighty percent of Somali's were grateful for the US intervention. The disparity between soldiers' observations and the media's observations seemed oddly reminiscient of Iraq.

Do all Arabs hate the US? Not at all. Nor do they all believe in violence. Sheikh Salman Al-Oadah, a widely respected religious scholar in Saudi Arabia, writes (translated from the original Arabic):

This brings us to the concept of jihâd. There is no such thing as “holy war” in Islam. This is a mistranslation of the word. Holy war is carried out to forcibly subject others to one’s religious beliefs. As we have seen, this is expressly forbidden in Islam. The word jihâd literally means struggle and applies to any colossal effort, not just to warfare. Jihâd may be against one’s own desires or evil inclinations....

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) forbade the killing of non-combatants. Ibn `Umar, a Companion of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), said: “I saw the body of a slain woman during one of the battles of the Prophet (peace be upon him), so he forbade the killing of women and children.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî and Sahîh Muslim]

Recently, Muhammad bin 'Abd Al-Latif Aal Al-Sheikh printed two columns in the Saudi daily Al-Jazirah. A choice quote: "In my opinion, the ideology of Al-Salafiyya Al-Jihadiyya is very similar to Nazism in terms of its causes and reasons." A slightly longer one, deriding the idea that terrorists are true Muslims who "strayed from the path" and should be treated with forgiveness:

The question that must be asked courageously is: Have the clerics of our times fulfilled their duty, as our forefathers did when they [fought] against the Khawarij? The most direct answer is: Sadly, no! Let's assume that the government decides to allow women to drive without obligating them, for instance, to wear a veil; what would be the reaction of these clerics and students? How many protest delegations would come to Riyadh from all the provinces? How many fatwas would be signed? How many accusations would be leveled? How many noisy sermons would be delivered by many imams in the mosques?... Is a woman driving a car, or even not wearing a veil, a more serious prohibition in Allah's eyes... than the acts of murder, slaughter, destruction, and violation of women's honor [committed] by these 'sick people?' Why in the name of God [do we how] all this gentleness, forgiveness, and a tendency to 'speak gently' when it comes to terrorists, while [we show] extreme blatancy and harshness when it comes to women, for instance?

What's the point of all this? America needs to help Arab moderates take control of Islam. Isolationism is not the answer; engagement is. By supporting and working with the moderates, we can help elminate the driving factors behind radicalism.

Closing note: If you feel like getting angry, take a look at what Time Magazine has done. In the Bullpen covers the story here.

Labels: media, Saudi Arabia, Somalia

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Around the World, the Media Hates Peace

I was driving with my wife this morning, and I mentioned that the Iraqi referendum had passed with virtually no violence. About a half percent of voting stations were attacked, which means ninety-nine and a half percent of polling stations watched thousands of Iraqis vote without incident. And like last year, Iraqis held their thumbs high with pride -- without fear of reprisal.

Meanwhile, the radio news came on. It reported, and I'm not making this up, "Despite scattered attacks, Iraqis turned out to vote..." Scattered attacks? God forbid you allow the news on Iraq to be portrayed in a positive light. But it's not just the radio that wants people to think our country is failing.

The Media Research Center has recently released a report on ABC, CBS, and NBC's coverage of Iraq (press release, summary, PDF, html). The bottom line -- only 15% of MSM stories about Iraq were positive. Forty percent of stories were on the actions of terrorists, whereas only 0.6% of stories actually reported on positive accomplishments of US forces. Even stories about the political progress were overwhelmingly negative. A third of the optimistic reports about Iraq's future were aired in the two days after the January elections.

Ouch. With friends like that, who needs enemies? Five years ago I wouldn't have been caught dead saying this, but Al Jazeera is more trustworthy than our own press. Need proof? Try reading Al Jazeera's headline article today. Compare it to this AP article, where you can see the author trying to find a negative spin. Even the title seems negative: "Sunnis Appear to Fall Short in Iraq Vote." Or, without the spin, "Iraqi Voters Appear to Approve New Constitution."

Conservative Nation has some additional thoughts on this, as well as the validity of Bush's recent polls numbers.

It's not just the Western press that hates us. And it's not just the West that is affected by the pervasive slanting of reality. If you were unlucky enough to have watched Fahrenheit 9/11, you may have thought the damage was limited to left-wing reactionaries convincing Americans that our government is a collection of incompetent crooks. But in this modern world, a movie like that has repercussions throughout the world. As we speak, the Iranian-owned Channel 2 is broadcasting a satire called Fahrenheit Infinity (video, transcript). Between Hollywood and the MSM, we are providing our enemies everything they need to convince audiences that we are evil incarnate.

Here's the good news: Despite the bad press, it appears that the constitution will pass. I'm sure more complete numbers will trickle in throughout the day, but here are the most complete numbers I've found to date.

Labels: iraq, media

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Beautiful Maidens

The Middle East Broadcasting Center (MBC), which owns five television channels (including Al Arabiya) as well as a radio station, is helping shatter America's misperception that Arabic TV is more biased than CNN.
Jeremiah Stoddard wrote an article yesterday about a new TV show on MBC, which takes extremist Islamists to task. By quoting the Quran and discrediting extremist religious foundations, it weakens the base from which extremists can draw from. The director for the show even admits its targeted to those who have yet to make up their minds about terrorism, and show them how un-Islamic violence really is.

Of course, extremists across the Middle East are angry. Even some of the moderates are angry, or at least angry at the title: Al-Hour Al-Ayn, or Beautiful Maidens. Most of the terrorists and extremists are sexually repressed young men, waiting for their seventy two virgins when they martyr themselves. One of the attackers in the 2003 bombing of a residential center in Saudi spoke his last words over his radio: "One second to the beautiful maidens."

It must be very upsetting for young men to discover the Quran doesn't say anything about seventy-two virgins. The Hadith does specifically mention seventy-two virgins, but only in the context of a reward for virtuous men. Killing young children is apparently not a prerequisite the poking them in the afterlife.

The American equivalent would be a popular morning evangelist saying that discriminating against gays will prevent you from coming into Heaven. Or maybe the Catholic Church saying that the Bible isn't accurate on certain points, but that's another story entirely.

Either way, it's making news. Extremists are mad, and the common folk are talking about it, and this is all good news to me. My favorite part? Airing the show during Ramadan, when the righteous have little else to do but watch TV until the sun goes down.

Labels: media, terrorism

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Letters from the Front, Part Deux

A few days ago I posted a blog article about letters written to America by soldiers deployed to Iraq. Foolishly, I forgot that Americans aren't the only "fighters" writing letters, and today the Pentagon decided to help fill that gap.

The Pentagon has released portions of a letter written by Ayman al-Zawahiri to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. If you don't follow the war on terror, this would be approximately equivalent to Donald Rumsfeld, the Secretary of Defense, writing a letter to General Abazaid, the commander of US Forces in the Middle East -- and having our enemies obtain a copy of the letter. I'll break down some key points here:

• Zawahiri warns that things are not good in Afghanistan. He tells Zarqawi that they have been defeated, and are hiding to avoid capture. Their communications and funding have been cut off. Desperately, he pleas for Zarqawi to send money to him. Fewer than half of Americans think we can win this war, but our enemy's leadership seems to think we can.
  
• He warns Zarqawi that the violence he is causing, especially beheadings and other "terror" attacks, will ultimately serve to turn the population against him. Gruesome images like the one to the right only serve to make Iraqis realize that Al Qaeda is not "on their side." While I cannot find good evidence of this on CNN.com or Fox News, I will tell you that conversations with friends in Iraq back this statement up. The message from Iraqis to our soldiers: Help us get rid of this menace!
• Expressing optimism that somehow Al Qaeda could force America to abandon Iraq, Zawahiri implored Zarqawi to not end the fight there. Instead, he urges him to push out into other countries, expanding the war until it encompasses the entire world. While some may be deluded into thinking that pulling out means peace, it is clear that Al Qaeda's plan is "Iraq first, then the world." Appeasement didn't work with the Nazi's, and it won't work now.

Captain Ed and Discerning Texan both have good blog entries about this letter as well, kudos to 'em for beating me to the punch.

"And it is that the Mujaheddin must not have their mission end with the expulsion of the Americans from Iraq, and then lay down their weapons, and silence the fighting zeal. We will return to having the secularists and traitors holding sway over us."

Labels: afghanistan, iraq, media, terrorism

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More Ground Truth in Iraq

Before I even begin this post, let me tell you all to go to Michael Yon's blog and read this post. It is one of the best pieces on "ground truth in Iraq" that I've ever read, and should be read from top to bottom. There is no excuse for not reading it. Once you do, read the President's speech from today again, and maybe you'll understand what it is that the media hasn't been telling you.

"Against such an enemy, there's only one effective response: We never back down, never give in and never accept anything less than complete victory," Bush declared. I couldn't agree more.

The photo on the right shows US soldiers swimming with Iraqi children, from Michael Yon's blog mentioned earlier. The media wants you to think Iraqis hate us, and they're trying to kill us all. Its a lie, and a racist one at that. The Iraqi people are smart enough to see what's going on around them, and they're helping us out. They can do the math and see what America has done for Iraq, and what the terrorists have done to them.

The Baltimore Sun ran an editorial today that should be required reading as well. I'll cover some of the highlights, with some of my own analysis added in:

• Medical - Under Saddam, Iraq had some of the worst health care in the world. Money from the Oil for Food program, which was supposed to be spent on food and medicine, was instead diverted into weapons purchases and luxuries for Saddam and his inner circle. Since 2003, America has built 600 medical facilities, and vaccinated over four million Iraqis against common diseases that ravished the country under the Ba'ath party. Additionally, a half-billion dollars worth of food has been shipped into the country and donated to the poor and hungry.
  
• Education - Over two thousand five hundred schools have been built or renovated with modern facilities. Most schools in Iraq prior to the war did not even have electricity.
• Utilities - Basic services form the foundation of a strong economy. We've added a quarter-million telecommunications lines, turning the dream of a phone into a reality for many Iraqis. Since we entered the country, we've added 1,100 megawatts to the Iraqi power capacity, far exceeding the power available under Saddam. Not to mention the half billion dollars we've spent on sanitation to provide clean water to communities that previously had none.
• Environment - Saddam lit wells and spilled oil to wage "environmental war" against Kuwait. He also drained the marshlands in an attempt to starve opposing tribes that lived in the southern part of the country. We are re-flooding these lands, much to the joy of the natives who live there.

Five years ago, Iraq had a political system in which Saddam would order his forces to gang-rape his opponents' female relatives as punishment. Today, women serve in senior positions in government. Five years ago, the sadistic Uday would roam Baghdad, searching for attractive women to kidnap, torture, and sometimes kill. Today, Uday and Qusay are dead, and Saddam is under trial.

The way ahead is clear. We can't abandon a grateful population in need, to watch them fall prey to villains as evil as the one we just rescued them from. We must fulfill our promise to the Iraqi people to give them freedom, democracy, and peace.

On a slightly related note, Military.com has revamped its photo and video collection -- check it out.

Labels: iraq, media

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This Week in Iraq

I'd like to take a moment to reflect on what was, and was not, reported on the US Military's actions in Iraq this week. First let's see what did hit the AP wire:

• U.S. Soldier Killed in Vehicle Rollover (9/25) "The death raises to 1,914 the number of U.S. service members who have died since the Iraq war began in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count." By my count, that raises to 426 deaths caused by accidents and illnesses unrelated to combat.
• Gunmen Kill Five Shiite Teachers in Iraq (9/26) (Buried deep in the article, the author admits "The shooting was a rare attack on a school...")
• Iraq's First Female Suicide Bomber Kills 6 (9/28) "This could be a sign that the insurgency is getting greater support among a larger segment of the population, that women are getting more militant and willing to take on a greater role." A closer reading of the article will tell alert readers that this is actually the third female suicide bombing in Iraq.
  
• Bombs Kills 60 in 10 Minutes (9/29) "A string of car bombs exploded Thursday in the Iraqi city of Balad, killing at least 62 people and wounding more than 70 others."
• Bomb kills 8 at market in Hilla (9/30) "The motive behind the blast was unclear, but police said it appeared to target civilians."
  

Now let's take a look at a very small sampling of what wasn't in your local newspaper:

• Al Faradazdk school renovated (9/25) We've added electricity and plumbing to a school. Yes, electricity and plumbing.
  
• Coalition forces donate school supplies to Saliyah School in Baghdad (9/25) US troops are helping underprivledged children get an education, amidst terrorists who would like nothing more than children raised in ignorance and religious indoctrination.
• Water project completed in Kirkurk (9/26)
  
• Water treatment facilities costing $230,000 built in Kufa and Shamtonia (9/28) These headlines show the financial committment the US has made to the health of our Iraqi breathen. Despite attempts by terrorists to starve the population into a Somalia-like lawlessness, we are fighting to maintain health and order.
• Two new schools completed in Al Tamim and Diyala (9/29) More funding to improve education.
• Ground broke on new electrical distribution network in Baghdad province. (9/30)

The soldiers deployed to Iraq are chasing down terrorists. But they are doing so much more. We are helping a people rise above violence, decay, and oppression! We are doing good!

If you're interested in news like this, leave a comment. If there is enough interest I may make this a regular weekly feature of the blog. In any case, feel free to join USCENTCOM's newsletter which carries some of these stories widely ignored by the press.

Labels: iraq, media

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Why We Are Right, And Why We Will Win

A day does not pass where I do not read an editorial about us losing the war in Iraq. In fact, in a recent poll, most Americans said the US will not win the Iraq war. Well, I've got news for you. We won a long time ago. We came in, removed a dictator, and began building a peaceful democratic country.

What we have now is an "insurgency," fueled by forces from outside Iraq, attempting to prove to the world that the US is weak and vulnerable. After a searing defeat in Afghanistan, the Jihadists need a new country to act as safe haven and sponsor -- and if they can show the world they can take it from under America's nose, well, that's one hell of a cherry on the top.

That's not an insurgency in my book. Insurgents are people unhappy with their government, willing to fight against it. The correct word for outside criminals fostering violence to overthrow a society for personal gain is terrorists.

We must prevail in Iraq, because to fail would elevate this war to a new scale. An Iraq run by Jihadists, planning attacks against the US homeland, would be the worst of all possible scenarios. Do you really think these terrorists will be satisfied with just one country? Not in a million years!

But let us look for a moment at who we are fighting. Who are these strange men who wrap bandanas around their heads and chant oddly while firing in the air? They aren't Iraqis. Many, like Zarqawi, leader of the Al Qaeda in Iraq, are criminals from other countries who found an opportunity to gain fame and power. Others, like Ahmad Al-Shaye', are idealists who were tricked into supporting these criminals.

Yes, I said tricked. And no, you've never heard of Ahmad Al-Shaye'. But you should have. On September 18th, Al-Majd TV in Saudi Arabia aired a hospital interview with Ahmad Al-Shaye'. (For those with Arabic skills, visit MEMRI and search on that name. Clip #861 has the entire interview. Everyone else can click the first link for a translated transcript.)

The terrorists that co-opted Ahmad Al-Shaye' asked him if he wished to conduct a suicide bombing. He answered he did not. They took his identification and money "for safekeeping," and asked him to drive a fuel-laden truck to provide supplies. What he did not know was the truck was an armed bomb, and his route was designed to kill innocent civilians and Iraqi government officials. His "leaders" had already called his parents to tell them he died bravely in combat.

Fortunately for Ahmad Al-Shaye', he survived the explosion. Badly wounded, he returned to Saudi Arabia and told the story of his attempted murder on national TV.

Thank you, Ahmad Al-Shaye', for exposing the truth about the evil criminals who are masterminding the "insurgency" in Iraq for their own gain. Thank you, Al-Majd TV, for telling Saudi Arabia the truth. Shame on you, CNN, for telling America that we are losing a war against an insurgent Iraqi population that never wanted to be rescued from Saddam Hussein's death squads.

Labels: iraq, media, Saudi Arabia, terrorism

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