Archive for the ‘Iraq’ Category
It is not easy or magic to produce a democracy in a country that does not know the true meaning of the word or ever experienced what democracy is all about. This is true for Iraq.
By: Slater Bakhtavar
We as Americans possess an ingrained cultural impatience that is a source of both our greatness and many of our ills. The latter example is how this impatience is unfortunately commanding our view of democracy’s prospects in Iraq . Our antsy outlook is unfortunate, as history has proven that the evolution of modern democracies require patience and perseverance. After the devastation of World War II it took Germany and Japan many years to evolve into modern democracies with powerhouse economies. As late as ten years after the establishment of a democratic government in Germany Sigmund Neumann wrote “National socialism may be dead. … yet democracy has failed to fill the spiritual vacuum.” Still, historical realists knew that the evolution of a modern democratic nation required endurance and long term sacrifice. They also knew that every nation will have an independent form of democratic government different from the Republic of the United States.
It’s true that the situation in Iraq isn’t perfect, but it’s also not a miserable failure on the brink of civil war. The prospect of a civil war is not implausible, but it’s certainly not imminent. Under the worst circumstances even if a civil war were to transpire it would be a part of the evolutionary process that would have to be resolved by the Iraqis. We shouldn’t forget that it cost our own nation over six hundred thousand lives and a multitude of other struggles to consummate our modern democratic Republic. Yet many expect a country formed in the 1920’s and ruled by uncivilized dictators to form a modern democratic government without flaw or struggle.
Alexandria, VA—The Iraq war is now three years old and the bloody ex-dictator of Iraq, Saddam 
Hussein, is on trial for crimes against humanity and genocide. Yet the evidence behind these charges — and the gripping testimony of Saddam’s victims — has garnered little coverage from the broadcast network evening newscasts.
A new study by the Media Research Center, Covering Saddam’s Shenanigans, Not His Crimes, found that Saddam’s trial has received only light coverage on the ABC, CBS and NBC evening newscasts, and much of that has focused on Saddam’s courtroom antics, not the details of his crimes:
-
Saddam’s trial has been mentioned in just 64 stories over the last 5 months. In contrast, the first 6 months of the O.J. Simpson murder trial garnered 431 stories from those same networks.
-
ABC, CBS, and NBC devoted nearly three times as much airtime on Saddam’s outbursts as on the testimony and documentary evidence of his orders to kill 140 people in Dujail.
-
Total network airtime devoted to showing viewers the evidence and testimony against Saddam Hussein: just 11 minutes, 35 seconds over a five-month period.
-
In spite of a record equal to some of the worst tyrants in history, reporters found Saddam’s personal reactions and orchestrated antics more compelling than the testimony against him.
“Toppling Saddam Hussein’s brutal regime and bringing the brutal dictator before a court of law is unquestionably a major achievement of the U.S. and our allies,” said Rich Noyes, director of research for the Media Research Center. “But TV coverage has minimized the historic significance of this case. Instead, the network’s Iraq news has been a depressingly dour drumbeat of terrorist attacks, U.S. casualties and dark warnings that Iraq is on the verge of ‘civil war.’”
“Saddam’s theatrics are meant to distract from the evidence of his terrible crimes. Reporters should have resisted the impulse to reward this cynical strategy. Instead, they’ve played right into his hands.”
For a review of the media’s reporting record on the Iraq War, please see MRC’s Special Report "TV’s Bad News Brigade: ABC, CBS and NBC’s Defeatist Coverage of the War in Iraq"
Alexandria, VA—The following is a statement issued by Media Research Center President Brent Bozell concerning USA Today’s front-page story about the tally of wounded US troops decreasing in the Iraq War in 2005. Bozell notes that the majority of the national media ignored this positive development:
“USA Today should be commended for their balanced coverage of the Iraq war by reporting the significant decline of overall casualties in yesterday’s story ‘U.S. tally of wounded drops 26%.’ This good news certainly deserves the same attention that negative war-related headlines continually receive. USA Today recognized the importance of the story and ran it on its front page. But the rest of the media continue to demonstrate their pessimistic bias about the war by failing to cover this important development.”
“Over and over again, the national media find the time and space to cover negative news on the war. They must begin highlighting contrasting news as well – especially if the highest-circulated newspaper in the nation deems it front-page worthy. But the New York Times, the Washington Post, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, and Fox News Channel did not mention this encouraging news.
“Because of the story’s prominence in USA Today, no one has an excuse for disregarding this story. Claiming ignorance of this news is akin to admitting job incompetence,” Bozell concluded.
For a review of the media’s reporting record on the Iraq War, please see MRC’s Special Report "TV’s Bad News Brigade: ABC, CBS and NBC’s Defeatist Coverage of the War in Iraq"
If an American teen and slip into Iraq, how much easier would it be for the insurgents and terrorists to get in to Iraq?
An American teenager born of Iraqi parents, skipped school on December 13, and ran away to Iraq. His parents have been living here in the U.S. for 35 years. Their son was inspired by a journalism homework assignment and wanted to get a feel for Iraq.
What was he thinking?
His mother had wanted to take him to her homeland to visit family, but wanted to wait until the violence and turmoil had ended.
The AP ran a lengthy article on his misadventures, U.S. Teen Runs Off to Iraq by Himself:
Given his heritage, Hassan could almost pass as Iraqi. His father’s background helped him secure an entry visa, and native Arabs would see in his face Iraqi features and a familiar skin tone. His wispy beard was meant to help him blend in.
But underneath that Mideast veneer was full-blooded American teen, a born-and-bred Floridian sporting white Nike tennis shoes and trendy jeans. And as soon as the lanky, 6-foot teenager opened his mouth he speaks no Arabic his true nationality would have betrayed him.
Traveling on his own in a land where insurgents and jihadists have kidnapped more than 400 foreigners, killing at least 39 of them, Hassan walked straight into a death zone. On Monday, his first full day in Iraq, six vehicle bombs exploded in Baghdad, killing five people and wounding more than 40.
The State Department strongly advises U.S. citizens against traveling to Iraq, saying it "remains very dangerous." Forty American citizens have been kidnapped since the war started in March 2003, of which 10 have been killed, a U.S. official said. About 15 remain missing.
He may have survived his adventure, but he now realizes that his life was in danger once he had set foot on Middle East soil. Just like Dorothy in The Wizard of OZ, he has learned that there is no place like home!
Already, Germany and the Vatican have spoken out against Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s remarks denying the Holocaust. Now Russia has become the latest country to speak out against Ahmadinejad’s remarks. Ahmadinejad’s remarks have been a embarrassment to Russia as they have been recently supporting Tehran and increasing diplomatic ties with Iran.
Ahmadinejad’s remarks could drive Iran into international isolation, said Mikhail Marguelov, head of the international affairs committee of Russia’s upper house of parliament, the Federation Council.
"The Iranian president’s xenophobia discredits the co-sponsors of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, including Russia," Marguelov told the Ekho Moskvy radio station Thursday.
"There is a feeling that Iran has taken upon itself the mission of stirring up the Middle East conflict and doing services to all sorts of extremists, and it may lead to the international isolation of Iran," Marguelov said
Source: CNS News
Isolation of Iran could have grave negative affects to the citizens of Iran.
Earlier this month, Ahmadinejad was visited by Russian special envoy to the Middle East, Alexander Kalugin. Kalugin told Ahmadinejad that his remarks that Germany and Autria give up land so the Israeli Jews could relocate is totally unacceptable.
Iran has bee embroiled in an ongoing dispute with the international community over its nuclear program. They have been saying it is designed for power-generation, but the West suspects it is a cover for attempts to build atomic weapons.
Early today, gunmen ambushed the motorcade of Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, leaving his driver and one of his bodyguards dead, however the hard-line leader escaped injury because he was not in the car at the time. Was this assassination attempt motivated by his negative statements against Israel and the Jews? Most of the other governments of the world have expressed grave concern over Ahmadinejad’s recent remarks and saber rattling. How ironic that it is reported that an Iranian student dissident group is responsible. Ahmadinejad was responsible for the hostage crisis in 1979 when he and his student dissident group took over the U.S. Embassy and held captive over 50 U.S. citizens for almost a year and half. Yet, today according to WorldNetDaily.com: Today, Ahmadinejad stepped up his anti-Israel rhetoric, calling on the world’s Muslims to be on guard against the Jewish state. "The Zionist regime is today a threat to the whole Middle East region and therefore Moslems should increase their vigilance against this regime," Ahmadinejad told local officials. Ahmadinejad has the full support of Ayatollah Khamanei for all his actions. His increased verbal attacks against Israel appears that he is looking for a confrontation with the West and Israel.
The world’s communities are responding against Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s remarks concerning that the Holocaust was a myth and that all Jews sin the Middle-East should be relocated to Europe. They are not happy with his negative statements against Israel.
According to German Law it is illegal to deny the Holocaust.
Germany’s foreign minister warned Thursday that the international community is losing patience with Iran after its president denied the Holocaust as a "myth."
Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier also said the issue would be addressed at this week’s European Union summit.
In Beijing, the Chinese government also criticized Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s remarks, saying it was opposed to actions that could undermine world stability.
The German government has condemned Wednesday’s remarks by Ahmadinejad and called on the United Nations and EU to follow suit. Berlin says the comments will also weigh on talks over Tehran’s disputed nuclear program.
Source: TownHall.com
Let’s hope that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad tones down his rhetoric and takes his foot out of his mouth.
A Little known fact, not reported by most of our main stream media, is last weeks incursion of U.S. and Iraqi forces into Syria from the Iraq side. The operation main object was to get at the terrorist camps operating in Syria.
Last month many artillery attacks against U.S. and Iraqi forces originated from Syria soil.
Officials reported that 10 Marines were killed in fighting during this operation. And a total of 139 terrorists were killed and 256 were processed for detention during the operation.