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| Fifth Column |
| News anchors glum amid Iraqi jubilation |
| 2003-04-10 |
| Edited for length: Baghdad's jubilation got the cold shoulder from some journalists yesterday.The press did not question the raising of the American flag over Iwo Jima back in 1945. But only minutes after President Saddam Hussein's statue toppled before overjoyed Iraqis, NBC's Kelly O'Donnell asked Central Command spokesman U.S. Navy Capt. Frank Thorpe whether it was appropriate for Marine Cpl. Edward Chin to briefly cover the statue's face with a U.S. flag. The act implied the United States already had assumed control of the regime, Miss O'Donnell said. CNN's Wolf Blitzer and Christiane Amanpour made a similar query a short time later. "We are sensitive to the Iraq culture," Capt. Thorpe told the networks separately. "We are a liberating force, not an occupying force." What he really wanted to say was "Bite me!". Octavia Nasr, CNN's analyst for Middle Eastern news media, called the flag moment "a mistake," and a "shock ... sending a message that the U.S. was there to invade." Shock changed to relief among Arab audiences, she said, once the American flag was replaced by an Iraqi flag. In an interview later in the day, Cpl. Chin's sister Connie gave her own perspective. "We got a call saying he was a real hero," she told CNN. "We're so proud of him." Me too Perspectives also differed yesterday. While Fox News described the Baghdad scene as "filled with hundreds of joyful people," ABC's Peter Jennings' characterized the throng as "a small crowd." Collective media doubt even affected Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld. "We shouldn't take away from the jubilation these people feel," he told reporters yesterday, noting the situation presented a historic opportunity for journalists to record the stories of newly liberated Iraqi eyewitnesses. "Truth ultimately finds its way to people's ear and eyes," Mr. Rumsfeld said. The Media Research Center made light of the skeptical press in an online poll yesterday, asking, "Which journalist do you think is the most glum" after Iraqi cheering started? The poll ranked ABC's Mr. Jennings first with 78 percent of the votes, followed by free-lancer Peter Arnett (17 percent) and CBS' Lara Logan (5 percent.) Jennings looked sick at the sight of cheering Iraqis Vice President Dick Cheney told the American Society of Newspaper editors that press criticism of war plans had been off the mark, calling the chorus of second-guessers "retired military officers embedded in TV studios." Snicker |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #12 Click here for a story behind the flag on Saddams head |
| Posted by: Tresho 2003-04-10 15:08:59 |
| #11 RW: Yes, Jennings is Canadian, and the Canadians make a big deal out of that. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2003-04-10 13:47:36 |
| #10 In all this discussion by the media of the appropriateness of putting the American flag on the statue they didn't ask how the statue itself felt about it! Although it's too late now, Arnett should've been there at the moment the statue collapsed, shoving a microphone to its face and asking "Oh powerful one, Oh most holy one, creator of all things, how does it feel to see the crowds corrupted so by that weak occupying cowardly army?? Save us oh my beloved master!" BTW, isn't Jennings Canadian? |
| Posted by: RW 2003-04-10 13:07:16 |
| #9 It's winning the peace that bothers me, too. Getting Iraq under control will be like trying to impose order on a classroom full of 9 year-old boys with ADD. No wonder P.J. O'Rourke called the Middle East "God's Monkey House." |
| Posted by: joe 2003-04-10 12:07:18 |
| #8 What Peter, Octavia, et al missed was that when the US flag was put on Sammy's head, the crowd of Iraqis cheered. Steve, thanks for the news about the flag Cpl. Chin used. That makes it an even more special moment, both for us and for the Iraqis. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2003-04-10 11:29:09 |
| #7 I like to check out Fisk for the memes the left will use His memes:1. Its good Saddam is down, but dont forget the US set him up 2. Theyre welcoming us now, but they welcomed the Baathists as liberators 35 years ago 3. We have no real connection to them - we're alien 4. He found one woman who said "soon we will want them to go, there will be resistance, they will call us terrorists" 5. Lots of talk about the looting, even calling it "mass destruction" 6. Yes they'll find mass graves, but around here thats only an excuse to pour more blood on them Discussion and responses 1. A. thats exagerated, we didnt set him in power, just gave limited help in Iran war. B.In any case all the more reason we were obligated to do this now. 2. A. No citation for that B. You really think we'll act like the Baath did? 3.That right - we're not here to annex or colonize - just to help them and get out 4. When the majority is ready for us to leave, we WILL leave. Meanwhile of course the population is NOT unanimously in support of us - democracy means the right to disagree - probably 10 to 20% of the population IS NOT happy now, we understand that, its ok. 5. looting is not that big a deal, its understandable, and will be brought under control shortly 6. This is Fisk favorite, the revenger killing meme. You show the US/UK are wrong in Kosovo, by showing Kosovars who kill Serbs. You show we're wrong in Afghan by showing Tajiks who kill Pashtuns (or even Taliban POW's) You equate these to the crimes of the prior regime. A. He's anticipating - hasnt even happened yet, here. B. In past cases, "friendly atrocities" were on very small scale, and were not organized" C. We will do our best, here as elsewhere, to stop these. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-04-10 10:40:08 |
| #6 Cpl. Edward Chin, the man who helped the Iraqis bring down Saddam yesterday, was on the Today show. The flag he put up over Saddams face was in the Pentagon when it was attacked on 9.11. |
| Posted by: Steve 2003-04-10 10:38:37 |
| #5 I read someplace that Barbara Walters did an interview with two Iraqi Women expatriates about Saddam's Regime. After the interview Walters and Jennings "discussed" whether they were legitimate or not. I pray to God that I'll be there when Jennings faces his Maker at the Great White Throne Judgement. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2003-04-10 10:17:18 |
| #4 I saw an interview with one of the soldiers (Marines?) who eventually helped pull the statue down. The Iraqis were putting the rope on the statue and trying to pull it down, and the reporter asked him if his unit couldn't do it and he said he figured they wanted to do it themselves - it was a pride thing. (So much for Americans not being sensitive to other cultures!) Later, when asked to help, they agreed (happily, I'm sure). I'm so proud of him and all the rest of our military. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2003-04-10 10:02:28 |
| #3 Now Jennings knows how I feel; I voted for CLinton in '98 and I'm *still* depressed about it. There is also the possibility that Jennings suffers from any number of chemical imbalances which may result in manic depression, bi-polar disorder, and other psychoses. Heck, for all we know he may be in post-partum depression after his false pregnancy episode. I propose we refer to Jennings from now on as the Information Minister of ABC. |
| Posted by: FormerLiberal 2003-04-10 09:58:38 |
| #2 The flag didn't run up a flagpole, which could have been offensive, but rather it covered the statues face, looking much more like an executioners hood... a very desireabel effect. The soldiers also stepped way back to allow the locals to figure out a way to bring Saddam dowm by their own devices, but the rope was way too short, and the knot broke... so in moved the tow vehicle to do it right. I think the soldiers were about as behind the scenes as could be, but that statue needed to come down and they where running out of daylight. Anybody bent out of shape about the short US flag photo op I would say has already "tipped" opinion wise and is looking to knit pick... We aren't exactly acting like the "Pirates of the Carribean" here. Nice photo op! Oh, and the flag was hung by a NYer in honor of some buddy he lost 9-11, so sorry in advance if anyone gets gassy about this scene. |
| Posted by: Capsu78 2003-04-10 09:47:53 |
| #1 This is probably a closer run thing then it looks, but hey, I'll take a win. I still think we have a wonderful oppertunity to blow the peace |
| Posted by: Hiryu 2003-04-10 09:19:05 |