Quite often, we here at Wake up America bring you the good news from Iraq. It is rare that this type of news is shown from the MSM and yes, for my critics, that includes Fox News.
Bad news makes for better headlines, but is that argument justifiable reason to not inform the public of all the news, good and bad?
I recently penned a piece called "This explains SO much", where I list the two versions of a journalistic code of ethics that reporters are "supposed" to follow, if they have any ethics.
#4. — Support the open exchange of views, even views they find repugnant. (From the first set of ethics)
#5.-Sound practice makes clear distinction between news reports and expressions of opinion. News reports should be free of opinion or bias and represent all sides of an issue. (From the second set of ethics)
Now, I am going to show you things that have been happening in Iraq over the last 48 hours and YOU decide, first, if this IS news you should have been told? Second, if by deliberately NOT telling the public of these things, does it go against the journalistic code of ethics?
Suspected senior IED cell leader detained, terrorist safehouse destroyed in west Taji.
Press Release A070207a, February 7, 2007.
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces detained two suspected terrorists believed to have ties to an al-Qaida improvised explosive device cell during a raid Wednesday morning in West Taji.
Intelligence reports indicated one of the detainees has significant ties to a local IED cell and had connections to recent anti-Coalition Forces activities.
Ground forces entered the targeted building and detained the two suspected terrorists without incident. Upon searching the house, ground forces found evidence of explosives material hidden inside the building and buried around the exterior. They also found several weapons and materials commonly used to make IEDs.
In order to prevent the residence from being used for future sanctuary to terrorists, ground forces destroyed the building with strategically-placed charges. Before placing the charges, Ground forces escorted two women and nine children outside the house and to a neighbor’s home in order to ensure their safety.
Coalition Forces are making progress dismantling the al-Qaida terrorist network inside Iraq. The capture of these detainees and the destruction of another terrorist sanctuary reduces the ability of the terrorist network to operate, and increases the safety of all Iraqi citizens, Iraqi forces and Iraq’s Multi-National partners.
IA Captures foreign fighter facilitator.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, RELEASE No. 20070207-01
Feb. 7, 2007
BAGHDAD – Soldiers of the 7th Iraqi Army Division captured a suspected foreign fighter facilitator during operations with Coalition advisers Feb. 6 in the Al Qaim region, near the Syrian boarder.
The suspect is alleged to be gathering information about Iraqi Forces and Coalition Forces operations and providing it to foreign fighters. The man is also suspected of harboring foreign fighters in Iraq while they carry out insurgent activities in the area.
Minimal damage was done to the objective. No Iraqi civilian, Iraqi forces or Coalition Forces were casualties.
13 Terrorists killed in air strike northeast of Amiriyah.
Feb 8, 2007, Release A070208b
BAGHDAD– Coalition Forces killed an estimated 13 terrorists during an air strike Thursday morning targeting a senior foreign fighter facilitator northeast of Amiriya.
Intelligence reports indicated an individual associated with foreign fighter facilitation was in the targeted area.
During the operation, Coalition Forces detained five suspected terrorists and found a cache including armor piercing ammunition.
Information gained from the target area led Coalition Forces to two suspected foreign fighter safe houses where suspected terrorists were assembled.
Coalition Forces observed the structures to confirm intelligence reports and engaged with precision guided munitions and rotary wing close air support, killing an estimated 13 terrorists.
Coalition Forces continue to dismantle the foreign fighter networks.
This operation significantly reduces foreign fighter facilitators’ ability to operate inside Iraq.
IA captures leader of bombing cell.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, RELEASE No. 20070207-02
Feb. 7, 2007
BAGHDAD – Soldiers of the 4th Iraqi Army Division removed another bomber from the streets of Iraq after capturing the suspected leader of an improvised explosive device cell during operations with Coalition advisers Feb. 6 near Taji, north of Baghdad. The suspect is believed responsible for coordinating and carrying out IED attacks against Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition Forces convoys in the area.
The man is alleged to have carried out an IED attack against a Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle in September which resulted in the death of one U.S. Soldier. He is also implicated in a more recent IED strike that killed three U.S. Soldiers Jan. 27.
The suspect is also believed to be involved in the abduction of innocent Iraqi civilians and using his residence as a place to interrogate and execute them.
There was minimal damage done to the objective. There were no Iraqi civilians, Iraqi forces or Coalition Forces casualties.
Bear in mind, these are only 4 out of 17 press releases found here, that have come out in the last 48 hrs....NONE of which has been shown in the major network news shows or papers.
Have we seen ANY of these from the New York Times? From Washington Post? CNN? Fox News? Associated Press? ANYONE?????? If you find these in the major news please let me know and I will make sure to point it out to my readers.
Here is the question....why? Why are they not reporting all the news? I have my suspisions which I have been very verbal about here in my Good News From Iraq series, but I would like to hear other takes on why the MSM refuses to give BOTH sides of the issues as their own code of ethics demand they do.
From the New York Sun, titled "Blackout of the Press": (Emphasis and italics below is mine)
Abu Omar al-Baghdadi made his grand entrance onto the jihadist stage on October 12, 2006, and since then he's delivered two very important speeches — the more recent one came out last week — and has taken credit for much of the spectacular outbreaks of violence in Iraq of late, yet he still can't get his name in print on the pages of the New York Times. Why are the editors and reporters of that paper not telling their readers anything about Iraq's top terrorist?
Abu Omar al-Baghdadi is Al Qaeda's guy in Iraq, and nowadays, the Sunni insurgency is being whittled down to Al Qaeda's activity in Iraq. It's that simple, and he's that important.
So why isn't the Times writing that? I think the answer has something to do with what seems, to my eyes, to be a determined campaign to keep the American people from knowing the nature of the enemy in Iraq because identifying this enemy as Al Qaeda casts the debate about the war in a whole different light.
[...]
And an Al Qaeda offensive is exactly what al-Baghdadi promises in his February 2 speech, posted as an audio file on several jihadist Web sites, and which may be read in full at my blog, talismangate.blogspot.com.
Al-Baghdadi says that his Dignity Plan is supposed to counter President Bush's "surge" and that it will only end when Mr. Bush signs a treaty of surrender. And what would this surrender look like? Al-Baghdadi spelled out the terms in an earlier speech: "We order you to withdraw your forces immediately. But the withdrawal must be via troop transport trucks and passenger planes whereby each soldier is allowed to carry his own weapon only. They may not withdraw any of the heavy military equipment and the military bases must be handed over to the mujaheddin of the Islamic State and the duration of the withdrawal may not exceed a month."
Read all three pages of this article.
So, what we have is some great news coming from Iraq and what do we see being reported that is FAR more important than telling the America people about it?
We have controversy about John Edward's bloggers, yes, that is SO much more important to the American people than any good news we are seeing from Iraq... what a joke.
We also have Russert testifying in the Libby trial...again, the news outlets seem to think this overrides the good news from Iraq.
Let us not forget Queen Pelosi and her desire to have a bigger plane to jet her around the country....yeah, THAT is more improtant huh?
Even more ironic, we have all the hype about non binding resolutions to show a symbolic no confidence vote on the "surge" in Iraq, while at the same time, refusing to report the good news that is coming from the implementation and the first positive results from a new security plan in Iraq that includes that very surge.
Just take a look at memeorandum which is a service that lists the most talked about stories of the day around the blogosphere and in the news and see all the stories that are more important than any good news coming from Iraq.
What is wrong with this picture? What is wrong with the American people that there is not an outcry to be told the truth, all of the truth....good AND bad?
I am very thankful we have the internet where we can obtain the full picture ourselves without having to rely on the MSM since they have already proven themselves incapable of delivering the complete picture or following their own code of ethics.
I know that some people "claim" to suuport our military and our soldiers and mean it.
For those that DO mean these words, doesn't supporting our troops include acknowledging the good they are doing, their successes and their progress as well as the the failures?
If that is a fair assessment of part of what our fine soldiers deserve, then have YOU written the editors of the MSM and let them know you want all of the news and not just half? If not...why not?
For those that simply make the claim and do not mean it....screw off.
Some great reading:
Presidential candidates, terrorism and religion from Right Truth
Sue FrancE! from Woman Honor Thyself
The Undeniable Truth of Liberation from Maggie's Notebook
The Imam’s Prayer: It Isn’t What it Seems from Maggie's Notebook
The Road to Islamification is Paved by Religious P from Faultline USA
Others talking about the good news from Iraq:
The Jawa Report, Mudville Gazette.
To keep up with what is happening in Iraq then go to the source. Iraq The Model is a blog IN Iraq, so keep up with it.
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