Iraq

Major Media 'Kiss Ass' For Deregulation

by Laura Miller — June 24, 2003 - 10:00pm

American TV networks gave the Bush administration glowing coverage of Iraq war in exchange for the relaxation of media ownership rules, according to Michael Wolff, a media commentator and New York Magazine columnist.
"Ass kissing has gone on to a profound degree. It's pervasive throughout all these news organisations. They need the FCC to behave in certain ways. In order to do this we have got to go along to get along," said Wolff, who delivered the keynote speech at a MediaGuardian forum on war coverage. Wolff also was critical of the system of the Pentagon embedding journalists with troops.

Main Source:

Guardian (UK), June 25, 2003

Miller's Unusual Embedding

by Sheldon Rampton — June 23, 2003 - 10:00pm

"New York Times reporter Judith Miller played a highly unusual role in an Army unit assigned to search for dangerous Iraqi weapons, according to U.S.

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Washington Post, June 24, 2003

Post-war Iraq: Quagmire or Master Plan?

by Laura Miller — June 23, 2003 - 10:00pm

How did the U.S. end up in the growing Iraq quagmire? "One theory is that the neocons, like many in power before them, tend to believe their own propaganda .... The degree to which they helped twist the intelligence about Iraq has become increasingly clear over the past few weeks, as angry intelligence professionals have taken their complaints to the press," journalist Jim Lobe writes.

Main Source:

Alternet, June 24, 2003

Bush Deceived Us Into War - Why the Denial?

by John Stauber — June 23, 2003 - 10:00pm

Paul Krugman writes that "There is no longer any serious doubt that Bush administration officials deceived us into war. The key question now is why so many influential people are in denial, unwilling to admit the obvious. ...

Main Source:

New York Times, June 24, 2003

Fibbing It Up at Fox

by Sheldon Rampton — June 22, 2003 - 12:04am

If you're wondering whatever happened to all those alleged weapons discoveries that Fox News reported during the war, Lew Rockwell has compiled a list, along with other examples of dishonesty, error, bias and propaganda at Fox News.

Main Source:

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig/steinreich8.html

"Ignorance Is Strength" for Bush on Iraq

by John Stauber — June 21, 2003 - 10:00pm

In George Orwell's 1984 "Ignorance Was Strength" for Big Brother's regime, and so it is for President Bush. "A third of the American public believes U.S. forces found weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, according to a recent poll. And 22 percent said Iraq actually used chemical or biological weapons. Before the war, half of those polled in a survey said Iraqis were among the 19 hijackers on Sept. 11, 2001. But such weapons have not been found in Iraq, and were never used. Most of the Sept. 11 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia. None were Iraqis. ...

Main Source:

St Paul Pioneer Press, June 22, 2003

Linking 9/11 To Iraq

by Laura Miller — June 19, 2003 - 10:00pm

Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting says major media is ignoring the story that flawed intelligence " may have been a result of deliberate deception, rather than incompetence." According to FAIR, "former General Wesley Clark told anchor Tim Russert that Bush administration officials had engaged in a campaign to implicate Saddam Hussein in the September 11 attacks-- starting that very day. Clark said that he'd been called on September 11 and urged to link Baghdad to the terror attacks, but declined to do so because of a lack of evidence. ...

Main Source:

FAIR, June 20, 2003

Pentagon Ponders Embedded Reporter Policy

by Laura Miller — June 17, 2003 - 10:00pm

"The Pentagon may make it official policy to include journalists with U.S. military units headed for battle," the Associated Press's Matt Kelley reports. During a panel discussion on media coverage of the Iraq war, outgoing Pentagon spokesperson Victoria Clarke said that Pentagon officials were pleased with the results of embedding journalists with troops. Clarke said she would like to see more reporters accompany U.S. troops in the future, AP reports. "Transparency works," Clarke said. "The good news gets out.

Main Source:

Associated Press, June 18, 2003

Stonewalling the Arms Inspectors

by Sheldon Rampton — June 16, 2003 - 10:00pm

Senator Carl Levin, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, has publicly challenged the CIA's handling of information about alleged weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. "Why did the CIA say that they had provided detailed information to the UN inspectors on all of the high and medium suspect sites with the UN, when they had not?" Levin asked. "Did the CIA act in this way in order not to undermine administration policy? Was there another explanation for this? ...

Main Source:

BBC, June 17, 2003

Facts about Iraq? Who cares?

by Laura Miller — June 16, 2003 - 10:00pm

Iraq

The Roman philosopher Marcus Aurelius once wrote, "The opinion of 10,000 men is of no value if none of them knows anything about the subject." The editorial board of the Des Moines Register writes, "That is the quote that comes to mind now that a new poll reveals many Americans are misinformed about Iraq." The fact that Americans don't know the truth about the basics is "downright scary.

Main Source:

Des Moines Register, June 17, 2003