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2004-07-17 Iraq-Jordan

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Posted by Dan Darling 2004-07-17 12:14:35 AM|| || Front Page|| [4 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 "The car bomb, at least the third in as many days".

Hopefully these little "darkeners" will get more and more stretched as time goes on, and the enemy fails to do much. Last summer, there was confusion due to the media's squeezing every last possible reference to US casualties out of each incident, with individual reports and numbers being used across news cycles. You could hear about 3 killed on Monday, into Tuesday, maybe even Wednesday (if no "fresh" casualties were available) -- so you'd think by mid-week 9 soldiers were killed.

And when stretching to the point of double-counting won't do it, they just make it up. The other day, in a report on the first of the three car bombs mentioned here, I saw a line reminding -- it's almost like they're "reassuring" -- readers that even though there were no new US losses, a "high level of violence" continued across Iraq. Which I rather doubt is an accurate statement -- and if it were true, why didn't they at least list the attacks that had taken place recently?

Of course in the desired and unlikely case that US casualties continue to be low or even drop further, we all know what the coverage will be like then: there won't be any! (that is, unless some interim govt. official jaywalks, or a juicy anti-US quote can be dug up from a wahhabi nutcase imam of no consequence somewhere in Sunnistan)

Posted by Verlaine 2004-07-17 2:26:43 AM|| 2004-07-17 2:26:43 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 Oh, and another thing.

Remember how every casualty figure or notice was accompanied for the last year by "since Pres. Bush declared an end to major combat operations"? Not that this was intended to ridicule Bush or anything.

Has anyone seen "since the transfer of sovereignty at the end of June" used this month? I haven't. Even though that's -- obviously -- a much more significant milestone (no, scratch that, it's an actual milestone, whereas Bush's comment was completely immaterial to the situation). But the sovereignty reference has at least two problems. First, of course, it refers to that troublesome transfer of sovereignty, which so far has not been accompanied by chaos or rebel success (no bad news = bad news). Second, some misguided news consumer out there might misinterpret the sovereignty thing as an indication of many inconvenient things, like Iraqis being in a fight against criminals and terrorists and loathsome saddamite wannabes.

"Quick, we need some standard language to insert that, uh, provides some reference point for the uh .... casualties, I mean news, we're hoping -- er, expecting -- but without taking the US side."

Posted by Verlaine 2004-07-17 2:38:39 AM|| 2004-07-17 2:38:39 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 Verlaine: So true. I have noticed Iraq news has slacked off recently, indicating that there's less bad news to report. Also, with Iraqis fighting the insurgents, it's harder to sustain the myth that it's the evil "occupiers" who are prompting the attacks.

Posted by virginian 2004-07-17 7:16:30 AM|| 2004-07-17 7:16:30 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 Excellent point Verlaine.

Posted by jawa 2004-07-17 7:42:23 AM|| 2004-07-17 7:42:23 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 [Off-topic or abusive comments deleted]

Posted by Anonymous1781 TROLL 2004-07-17 7:50:49 AM|| 2004-07-17 7:50:49 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 Ramadi is in the Marine sector. Should the Iraqi government request some assistance, I think Ramadi could be cleansed very quickly.

Posted by RWV 2004-07-17 8:33:40 PM|| 2004-07-17 8:33:40 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 Off-topic or abusive comments deleted]

Posted by Anonymous1781 2004-07-17 7:50:49 AM|| 2004-07-17 7:50:49 AM|| Front Page Top

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