Article

2005-01-08 Iraq-Jordan

Five embeds kicked out of Iraq in recent months

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Posted by Seafarious 2005-01-08 6:48:31 PM|| || Front Page|| [4 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 The embeds are certainly a mixed bag yielding the expected mix of coverage quality and honesty. I would not complain if the military kicked them all out and did their own reporting. It would be far more factual, honest, and spin-free. I don't want a Howard K Smith Commentary anymore. I want Sgt Friday.

Posted by .com 2005-01-08 12:10:09 AM|| 2005-01-08 12:10:09 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 and don't let the screen door hit ya!

Posted by 2b 2005-01-08 12:12:18 AM|| 2005-01-08 12:12:18 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 Don't agree in this case, .com. So long as standards (security and anything else deemed essential) are fanatically enforced (and butts removed promptly when lines are crossed), I think the embed concept is a net positive. Our forces are not just the best, but probably the most ethical and conscientious as well, and this comes through from embed reporting. I think this was the clear lesson of the major combat phase. When warranted, I'd like to see much more vigorous correction and counter-explanation by the military spokesmen to accompany the embed info, however. Who knows, maybe I can suggest it to CENTCOM on the spot -- I should be in Iraq prior to the end of the month.

Posted by Verlaine 2005-01-08 12:22:44 AM|| 2005-01-08 12:22:44 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 Verlaine - Agree with combat phase - some excellent work was done. Since, well, it's always a sore spot around here, no? I agree that Mil should expect problems and have a couple of staff DB-diggers ready to counter stupidity, such as the October Surpise BS on missing explosives. Waaay too slow off the mark, even though the data was in their systems - a full and complete accounting. Mebbe it was keyed wrong - I can help wit dat! I dunno if they waited cuz they wanted to locate and stand up the guy who wrote them, which they did, or if they just didn't get it and realize this was a political bomb that had been tossed out and need immediate defusing.

So what are you going to do there? What can you tell us? I'd love to see the situation up close for myself - color me jealous! Need a web apps developer? Lol! Not bloody likely for a couple or three years, heh, but maybe someday. I've been sitting still for 10 months and I'm starting to get antsy, again.

Posted by .com 2005-01-08 1:03:25 AM|| 2005-01-08 1:03:25 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 The military is screwed either way.

Posted by Captain America 2005-01-08 1:14:28 AM|| 2005-01-08 1:14:28 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 The military is screwed either way.

If that's the case, then get rid of the embedded program and be done with it. No use doing something with no prospect of a future payoff.

Posted by Bomb-a-rama 2005-01-08 11:18:40 AM|| 2005-01-08 11:18:40 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 I'm not sure the embeds have been positive. Most consumers of MSM tripe, regardless of the country where they're based, made up their minds long ago re the virtue of the invasion and are in no mood to let facts disrupt their calm and certain certainties.

I'd say the one thing that can make a difference is first-hand accounts from the Iraqis themselves. We should be helping bloggers and amateur filmmakers in every way possible. Propaganda will come out, of course, but the fact is that most of the fascists in Iraq are more concerned with killing than with documenting what's going on in the streets.

Posted by lex 2005-01-08 10:06:33 PM|| 2005-01-08 10:06:33 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 Lex, I agree with your point that the fewer middlemen (i.e. filters) between me and the news gatherer, the better. But embeds provided that, at least during combat. If all we get is somebody at the Saddam Sheraton regurgitating the daily press conference so that it comes out anti-US, we're not better off.

Posted by Mrs. Davis 2005-01-08 10:12:22 PM|| 2005-01-08 10:12:22 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 Maybe they were a positive during the first six weeks of the war, but not since. Without question the MSM propaganda mill has worked overtime since last summer. Our only real hope in the PR war is to give voice to the Iraqis themselves.

It f***ing boggles the imagination that the big story now is anything other than the elections, an extraordinary leap forward for not just the Iraqis but for all the non-Israeli peoples of the middle east.

But La historia m'absolvera

Posted by lex 2005-01-08 10:17:00 PM|| 2005-01-08 10:17:00 PM|| Front Page Top

00:02 Mike Sylwester
23:58 Phil Fraering
23:55 BH
23:46 BH
23:41 lex
23:16 Mike Sylwester
22:54 Captain America
22:50 Captain America
22:46 Captain America
22:43 Captain America
22:40 .com
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22:36 Captain America
22:32 .com
22:31 lex
22:31 john
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22:30 Frank G
22:29 lex
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22:25 Catfish
22:24 .com