READER COMMENTS: "Embed Update, CSM & Pakistan"

Posted by CaptAmerica at December 12, 2006 10:03 AM ET:

How cynical the writers are and how jaded as to state that you are writing in government-speak, when they themselves have not ventured into harm's way.

Posted by CaptAmerica at December 12, 2006 10:05 AM ET:

Also, Bill, isn't Michael Femento (sp?) embedded in Ramadi right now? If so, perhaps your best location is Fallujah.

Thank you for your updates, I look forward to them.

Posted by Neo-andertal at December 12, 2006 10:19 AM ET:

"I fail to see how saying we lost western Pakistan to al-Qaeda and the Taliban, and Somalia to the Islamic Courts, and failed to subdue al-Qaeda in Ramadi and Muqtada al-Sadr, are government talking points."�

They also fail to see that your blog emphasizes the military rather than political aspects of the war in Iraq. Things can look very different from military and political perspectives. I think a lot of people miss that completely. The US military in Iraq is in no danger of imminent collapse or catastrophe. It's the political situation that has gone to pot. People assume that since the insurgency is able to kill loads of civilians in Baghdad that the US military is in shambles and the Iraqi Army is worthless. Unfortunately, killing civilians is pretty easy to do and the insurgency has consistent support both outside and inside Iraq. The Iraqi government and army are not in a state of imminent collapse either. The danger is that the political situation slowly spirals downward followed by a collapse of support by the US.

This fighting is going to go on for some time. The best hope is that Iraqi Army can pick up the slack.

Posted by Soldier's Dad at December 12, 2006 11:03 AM ET:

I'll just say to Mr Chinni this -

Sir, I don't know where you live. The lead story on your local 6 O'clock news on December 24th will be a house fire.

Hundreds of seemingly independent news editors working at seemingly independent television stations will all come to the same conclusion that the most important local event of the day will be a house fire, even if the house is thousands of miles away.

When you observe this phenomenon, you will come to understand what millions of people already understand, the 'MSM' as it is called, has properties amazingly similar to an echo chamber.

Having done my time in the sandbox when Jimmy Carter was president, I can tell you in no uncertain terms, nothing in the Middle East is as it appears on the surface. The subplots are far more important than the main plot.

Posted by Michael at December 12, 2006 11:18 AM ET:

"I fail to see how saying we lost western Pakistan to al-Qaeda and the Taliban, and Somalia to the Islamic Courts, and failed to subdue al-Qaeda in Ramadi and Muqtada al-Sadr, are government talking points. In fact, I've made some people in the government very uncomfortable"

I think Mr. Chinni failed to read fully all your post or he would've realized you report factual events. And possible outcomes of those events are touched on. But I've never seen you cover the government line. I respect you for that and is why I read your blog. I know you'll tell the truth even if its not good. I'm glad Mr Chinni covered your efforts however and hope that he takes another look at your past reports. You're no cheerleader.

It is a military perspective with regards to how diffrent scenarios may unfold in the future based upon current actions in theatre, but definitly not a government one. It is fresh insight that is lacking in MSM accounts.

Posted by Michael at December 12, 2006 11:22 AM ET:

Soldiers Dad,

That's a homerun out of the ballpark!

You nailed a large part of the problem. We are in a world war whether we like it or not. We can allow the Islamic fascist to take over country after country, or face them now.

Most people elect to put their heads in the sand, including much of our media.

Posted by Cover Me, Porkins at December 12, 2006 12:10 PM ET:

You wouldn't be criticized if your work didn't make a difference, Bill. Keep it up.

Posted by GK at December 12, 2006 4:51 PM ET:

Even though this is a military blog about the WoT, which means the events of last month's elections had no effect on Bill's main mission, nor will the outcome of the 2008 elections (whoever wins that), one thing is telling :

The leftist media has gotten to the point that anything other than a negative portrayal of the Iraq War has become a 'right-wing position'. Being simply pro-military and pro-US, yet apolitical, will get Bill attacked at this point.

Posted by The Chief at December 12, 2006 4:58 PM ET:

That means the Intl Crisis Group sounds like government talking points, filtered through war stories, filtered through the hands of an ICG flunky. I realize it might be hard to imagine the government is telling us the truth, but if the person there is reporting the same things maybe it's true.
Unfortunately most Americans are afflicted with a short memory, and most politicians are blinded by shortsightedness. Consequently, even though we have the ability and resources to get the job done, our resolve is always in question.

Posted by matahara at December 12, 2006 5:57 PM ET:

Say what you will about Mr.Chinnis op-ed...at least he has brought you to the attention of anti-war people like myself who now will have a chance to read another side of the story and perhaps even change my mind if the arguement and evidence is convincing enough.

Posted by Neo-andertal at December 12, 2006 8:06 PM ET:

Matahara

"have a chance to read another side of the story and perhaps even change my mind"�

I'm not sure this is a "change your mind"� sort of place. You might be asking too much. Mr. Roggio's blog does bring together good information and assessments of what each side is trying to do, what has happened on the ground, and what each side has achieved. This is not however the place for the type of political policy discussion that one would need to actually formulate opinions. It is a unique resource where one can do a check against reality. Add it to what you get from your major newspapers. He does have something the major newspapers don't, in depth knowledge of how the military goes about things. I find that it a little sad that since Vietnam there are virtually no men with extensive military experience hired or trained as reporters at major newspapers. I see it as a major problem.

I do see one obvious bias in Bill's reporting. He doesn't want the Islamic extremists to win and sees them as a grave danger. He does obviously want us to find a way to succeed and openly sympathizes with the men who do the job. I don't fault him on any of that. Maybe that is what Mr. Chinni has picked up on and misinterprets it as Military boosterism.

Posted by unkawill at December 12, 2006 8:10 PM ET:

matahara, What part of "Death to America" do you not understand?

Posted by Jesus Reyes at December 12, 2006 8:20 PM ET:

I routinely read your blog for its honesty and clarity even though you certainly believe in the company line. I am left wing, anti-war (and a vet) and believe that this imperial project will ultimately fail and result in my own personal ruin.

You were the first and only on the Waziristan story (well, maybe there was someone at A-Times). I have always thought the CSM was pretty good but poor Mr. Chinnis missed it by a mile. Cheney/Bush have no interest in putting this story on the news.

Orwell says, "In times of universal deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act." We live in those times and you are a revolutionary.

Posted by Michael Whitehead at December 12, 2006 8:46 PM ET:

My daughter regularly reads the CSM and she brought my attention to your blog. I served in Iraq during the first year of the war and I have found that the lack of good information on the events in Iraq, even in this globally connected, information soaked society in which we live is very frustrating. I look forward to reading your output, if for nothing else than the different viewpoint it appears to provide.

Posted by Tincan Sailor at December 12, 2006 10:17 PM ET:

Bill,
Good stuff stay safe,by the way are you still using my old power shot 110 or did you score
an SLR...

Posted by Dennis Reardon at December 13, 2006 9:21 AM ET:

The truth is refreshing; however, few bother to find it, let alone write.
God Bless, Bill! Regards, Dennis

Posted by Michael at December 13, 2006 10:56 AM ET:

Soldier says, "Because I love my country",

http://hotair.com/archives/2006/12/12/video-us-troops-on-kerry-the-media-and-iraq/

This links to a video of our troops responding to questions and their thoughts on winning the war, the Media influence and the American people need to stand by them.

They're all volunteer, sharpest, best trained military in the world. Our media and some politicians routinely put them down. Even here, some comments compare their actions to Nazi Germany. The biggest lie of propaganda ever spoken to our people and is a disgrace.

And I disagree. This is not about Imperial motives. It is about changing the course of the Middle East from one of Radical Hatred, Tyrants, Thugs and Dictatorships that own all the Media and rule with bloody authority against an oppressed people. A people that are indoctrinated into a way of life of continuous hatred, racism, bigotry, violence, suicide, murdering of innocents, honor killings(murder of women), and so many other barbaric notions.

We can decide to turn away and let it continue.

Posted by Mark at December 13, 2006 11:46 AM ET:

Awesome job Bill, as usual.

I'd love to say that the media just has a different point of view but in my own experiences with these people, which are daily exchanges with multiple MSM members, I've found that they almost all live in the bubble of toeing a line that doesn't stray from the "conventional wisdom" and even worse they have absolutely no clue that people even MIGHT see things differently than those inside the bubble do.

These people lean left, which really isn't a problem, the denial of the political leanings is the problem, and immediately associate anything negative they previously believe about conservatives, this country and the military into the filter through which they now view this war.

Everything from letting the "Bushlied" meme continue to flat-out promoting that nonsense, to the selective amnesia about how life was in Iraq under Saddam, to the "cold war" between the U.S. and Iraq from Gulf War I to the current war, to all their stories about what a danger Saddam was during the Clinton years that we are all supposed to forget about now. It's all just very tiresome how these stories are presented from their position of chosen ignorance and readers are supposed to throw away everything we know about Iraq/Saddam now as well as any progress that continues to be made.

Forgive me if I flat-out distrust almost everything these people in the MSM say without triple checking it first and finding out the "real story."

Posted by Sandman at December 13, 2006 2:42 PM ET:

Bill, they featured this knucklehead from ICG on NPR this morning. HE reiterated the usual leftist talking points about the war, bush lied, etc... but of course he was "live" from Amman, Jordan! keep up the good work and be safe!

Posted by cjr at December 13, 2006 7:25 PM ET:

Mark;
"I'd love to say that the media just has a different point of view "

I think this is exactly the problem. An ethical, professional journalist is not suppose to have a point of view. They are suppose to present the facts objectively. It is the readers that is then suppose to then develop a point of view.

The problem is that that the MSM has developed their own point of view and then presents it as objective facts. The reader then never has the opportunity to develop an independent point of view based on objective facts.

Now the important question that nobody seems to asks: why exactly has the MSM decided to no longer be objective? And what was the decision process that lead them to that point of view?

Posted by J.O. at December 14, 2006 12:24 AM ET:

Bill, you are personally RUNNING RINGS around the entire MSM, as far as informative, substantive war-reporting goes.

You needn't even defend yourself, your readers know how ridiculous that "government-speak" comment was.

Posted by the crog at December 14, 2006 12:34 AM ET:

Lisa:

My thoughts exactly.

Bill's mom

Posted by Paul at December 14, 2006 2:15 PM ET:

Everybody,

Just got an email from Bill a bit ago. He's in and out of the field with spotty communications equipment. Please know he is well and thanks all for their prayers and support.

Posted by the crog at December 14, 2006 3:49 PM ET:

Lisa:

I thank you and everyone for your good thoughts about Bill.

I worry less with each embed. However, this trip I do not have a back-up person who is in daily contact, so I just wait for the next post. I do not want to put any more worry on Jennie's shoulders. I know that as long as I don't hear anything negative that he is probably okay.

He was trained well by the Army and he is careful......but I am a mother none the less.
However, unlike the mothers of the many men and women serving long, term, I know Bill will be home for Christmas.

It was just touching to know that we were both thinking the same thing at the same time.
Thanks again.

Posted by Thanos at December 16, 2006 1:43 AM ET:

Bill,
We knew where the meat of the article came from, it's not the first time NYT has plagarized, & remember Jayson Blair?