Author Topic: Violence in Iraq has dropped by 70 percent (Read 4146 times)

Arlo · « **Reply #135 on:** November 03, 2007, 08:04:54 PM »

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Originally posted by bj229r
ONLY ABC reported ANYthing on this
link

And that's not broadcast news how?

Shifty · « **Reply #136 on:** November 03, 2007, 08:14:39 PM »

Thomas, has had the best of care. Far better than I could have afforded to give him had he suffered an injury like this in say a car wreck. The Army has had a fantastic support system for him and the whole family. The people both military and civilian at BAMC and the facilities, are fantastic. There's always room for improvement however. I wake up everyday though grateful that this system was in place when my son needed it most.

Thomas doesn't consider himself a victim, in his mind he's a soldier. I won't try and speak for him. I can say he believed it what he was doing. I can say he has strong feelings, but the feelings he's expressed to me are not anti Bush, or anti Army, or anti American. He's always been the most optimistic of my children so you hear very little from him that's negative.

His older brother Travis goes back over right after Christmas for his second tour. So I have strong emotions about all of this, that I'd just as soon keep to myself.

bj229r · « **Reply #137 on:** November 03, 2007, 08:18:12 PM »

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Originally posted by Arlo
And that's not broadcast news how?

You conveniently miss the obvious point....if the deaths had, say, DOUBLED, would ABC be the only outfit to think it news?

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HOWARD KURTZ, HOST: The news from Iraq has been consistently depressing for several years now, a continuous tableau of death and destruction. But when the administration released more positive casualty figures this week, the media paid little attention. A couple of sentences on the "CBS EVENING NEWS" and NBC "NIGHTLY NEWS," The New York Times ran it on page 10, The Washington Post," page 14, USA Today page 16. The L.A. Times, a couple of paragraphs at the bottom of a page 4 story.

One exception was Charlie Gibson, who made it the lead story on ABC's "WORLD NEWS."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLES GIBSON, ABC ANCHOR: The U.S. military reports the fourth straight month of decline in troop deaths, 66 American troops died in September, each a terrible tragedy for a family, but the number far less than those who died in August. And the Iraqi government says civilian deaths across Iraq fell by half last month.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KURTZ: Joining us now to put this into perspective, Robin Wright, who covers national security for The Washington Post. And CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr.

Robin Wright, should that decline in Iraq casualties have gotten more media attention?

ROBIN WRIGHT, THE WASHINGTON POST: Not necessarily. The fact is we're at the beginning of a trend -- and it's not even sure that it is a trend yet. There is also an enormous dispute over how to count the numbers. There are different kinds of deaths in Iraq.

There are combat deaths. There are sectarian deaths. And there are the deaths of criminal -- from criminal acts. There are also a lot of numbers that the U.S. frankly is not counting. For example, in southern Iraq, there is *****e upon *****e violence, which is not sectarian in the *****e versus Sunni. And the U.S. also doesn't have much of a capability in the south.

So the numbers themselves are tricky. Long-term, General Odierno, who was in town this week, said he is looking for irreversible momentum, and that, after two months, has not yet been reached.

KURTZ: Barbara Starr, CNN did mostly quick reads by anchors of these numbers. There was a taped report on "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT." Do you think this story deserved more attention? We don't know whether it is a trend or not but those are intriguing numbers.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: But that's the problem, we don't know whether it is a trend about specifically the decline in the number of U.S. troops being killed in Iraq. This is not enduring progress. This is a very positive step on that potential road to progress.

KURTZ: But let's say that the figures had shown that casualties were going up for U.S. soldiers and going up for Iraqi civilians. I think that would have made some front pages.

STARR: Oh, I think inevitably it would have. I mean, that's certainly -- that, by any definition, is news. Look, nobody more than a Pentagon correspondent would like to stop reporting the number of deaths, interviewing grieving families, talking to soldiers who have lost their arms and their legs in the war. But, is this really enduring progress?

We've had five years of the Pentagon telling us there is progress, there is progress. Forgive me for being skeptical, I need to see a little bit more than one month before I get too excited about all of this.

link

LEADPIG · « **Reply #138 on:** November 03, 2007, 08:24:47 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Shifty
Thomas, has had the best of care. Far better than I could have afforded to give him had he suffered an injury like this in say a car wreck. The Army has had a fantastic support system for him and the whole family. The people both military and civilian at BAMC and the facilities, are fantastic. There's always room for improvement however. I wake up everyday though grateful that this system was in place when my son needed it most.

Thomas doesn't consider himself a victim, in his mind he's a soldier. I won't try and speak for him. I can say he believed it what he was doing. I can say he has strong feelings, but the feelings he's expressed to me are not anti Bush, or anti Army, or anti American. He's always been the most optimistic of my children so you hear very little from him that's negative.

His older brother Travis goes back over right after Christmas for his second tour. So I have strong emotions about all of this, that I'd just as soon keep to myself.

Rgr that to you and your son.

I have strong feelings about this whole thing and how it went down and how the war is being run. But not about your son, your son is a hero, to take the oath he took is a selfless act and speaks of his bravery and convictions.

I wonder about the people commanding him sometimes though. And it saddens me to see.

Arlo · « **Reply #139 on:** November 03, 2007, 08:35:35 PM »

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Originally posted by bj229r
You conveniently miss the obvious point....

I'm not conveniently missing anything. There is no media conspiracy. There's just media. Period. ABC is part of the media. It thought it news worthy. The other news agencies apparently didn't or thought something else moreso. Or they're waiting for a more conclusive trend. Same as it's ever been. Same as it ever will be.

"Welcome to NewsBusters, a project of the Media Research Center (MRC), the leader in documenting, exposing and neutralizing liberal media bias. "

It's a mission. Whether it really exists or not.

john9001 · « **Reply #140 on:** November 03, 2007, 08:46:06 PM »

""KURTZ: But let's say that the figures had shown that casualties were going up for U.S. soldiers and going up for Iraqi civilians. I think that would have made some front pages.

STARR: Oh, I think inevitably it would have. I mean, that's certainly -- that, by any definition, is news. ""

that says it all.

LEADPIG · « **Reply #141 on:** November 03, 2007, 08:46:47 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Arlo
I'm not conveniently missing anything. There is no media conspiracy. There's just media. Period. ABC is part of the media. It thought it news worthy. The other news agencies apparently didn't or thought something else moreso. Or they're waiting for a more conclusive trend. Same as it's ever been. Same as it ever will be.

"Welcome to NewsBusters, a project of the Media Research Center (MRC), the leader in documenting, exposing and neutralizing liberal media bias. "

It's a mission. Whether it really exists or not.

Hit the nail on the head , news is news, it's not some conspiracy. Look at all the right wing media on everyday. All you gotta do is turn on AM radio anytime and hear conservative right wing talk shows on all day.

john9001 · « **Reply #142 on:** November 03, 2007, 08:54:48 PM »

what ever happened to franken, al franken?

Arlo · « **Reply #143 on:** November 03, 2007, 09:04:28 PM »

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Originally posted by LEADPIG
Hit the nail on the head , news is news, it's not some conspiracy. Look at all the right wing media on everyday. All you gotta do is turn on AM radio anytime and hear conservative right wing talk shows on all day.

I would, however, differentiate between a political talk show (any flavor) and media news.

It'll take a longer trend of casualty reduction than the trend of increased casualties for it to become more universal news. It only takes a short term of the trend going the other way (better to worse) to make news. This isn't anything different from any war our media has covered to date. They only have quicker access to statistics.

Arlo · « **Reply #144 on:** November 03, 2007, 09:07:07 PM »

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Originally posted by john9001
what ever happened to franken, al franken?

That's sure non sequiter. What ever happened to valid, topical contribution?

LEADPIG · « **Reply #145 on:** November 03, 2007, 09:13:33 PM »

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Originally posted by Arlo
I would, however, differentiate between a political talk show (any flavor) and media news.

True Arlo your right about that.

Shifty · « **Reply #146 on:** November 03, 2007, 09:41:25 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by LEADPIG
Rgr that to you and your son.

I have strong feelings about this whole thing and how it went down and how the war is being run. But not about your son, your son is a hero, to take the oath he took is a selfless act and speaks of his bravery and convictions.

I wonder about the people commanding him sometimes though. And it saddens me to see.

Thank you.

john9001 · « **Reply #147 on:** November 04, 2007, 07:53:51 AM »

leadpig mentioned right wing talk radio, i was inquiring about the health of george soros left wing radio station and it's star.

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quote:
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Originally posted by john9001
what ever happened to franken, al franken?
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Originally posted by arlo

That's sure non sequiter. What ever happened to valid, topical contribution?

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Donzo · « **Reply #148 on:** November 04, 2007, 08:05:11 AM »

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Originally posted by LEADPIG
Hit the nail on the head , news is news, it's not some conspiracy. Look at all the right wing media on everyday. All you gotta do is turn on AM radio anytime and hear conservative right wing talk shows on all day.

Or not...no one makes anyone listen to any show. Those shows exist because there is demand for them...in other words they are market driven.

Left wing talk shows on the other hand are either not in demand or those that demand them do not support them.

lazs2 · « **Reply #149 on:** November 04, 2007, 09:01:53 AM »

well... this is getting a little confusing.. ledpig.. are you saying that you admire the troops and support a free iraq but simply hate bush and some of the generals? You would be happy if others were running the country and the war?

You don't want to cut and run? you, or your guys, have a better plan?

I did hear about the reduction in casualties on NPR left wing radio.. the first time they mentioned it was when they had a lefty on to give us his take on what "really" was happening.. I am not sure if it backfired.. they got all gushy and breathless when he said it was an exaggeration but... acted like he was a traitor when he said that... even if it was exaggerated... the reduction was real.. That it could be seen and was probly more like a 50% reduction than a 70% one.

I don't believe any news source... I believe all media hacks and their bosses have an agenda... 76% of em are left of center sooo... the agenda is almost always bent to the left.

journalists have the soul of a personal injury lawyer. Lots of croc tears and passion but a hard black lump for a heart. I find that if the lefties even bother to admit something is going right these days... there is probly a lot to it.

lazs