Comments on: Spinning the Death of a 12 Year Old – Journalism Fail http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/10/spinning-the-death-of-a-12-year-old-journalism-fail/ Firedoglake weblog Fri, 17 Feb 2012 22:33:04 -0600 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: oldtree http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/10/spinning-the-death-of-a-12-year-old-journalism-fail/#comment-1897083 oldtree Mon, 11 May 2009 14:53:07 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/10/spinning-the-death-of-a-12-year-old-journalism-fail/#comment-1897083 <p>Our new boss is still killing folks for their oil and it doesn’t look like he is going to stop. He listens to a pair of fourth rate generals that weren’t man enough to quit the military when they learned they were being ordered to torture civilians in Afghanistan and Iraq. Dirty little cowards that their fellow generals view as scum. Second rate human beings that the troops are sick of and would probably like to frag.<br /> but no, they are still listened to as though they know what they are doing. They have proven time and time again that they do not know what they are doing, unless mayhem is the operative word? Perhaps.</p> Our new boss is still killing folks for their oil and it doesn’t look like he is going to stop. He listens to a pair of fourth rate generals that weren’t man enough to quit the military when they learned they were being ordered to torture civilians in Afghanistan and Iraq. Dirty little cowards that their fellow generals view as scum. Second rate human beings that the troops are sick of and would probably like to frag.
but no, they are still listened to as though they know what they are doing. They have proven time and time again that they do not know what they are doing, unless mayhem is the operative word? Perhaps.

]]> By: Knut http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/10/spinning-the-death-of-a-12-year-old-journalism-fail/#comment-1896993 Knut Mon, 11 May 2009 08:47:22 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/10/spinning-the-death-of-a-12-year-old-journalism-fail/#comment-1896993 <p>I’m still giving Obama a lot of slack in this business. Given the interests involved in the Iraq misadventure, he has had to tread carefully until he’s got his people in place. He may be President, but he is still vulnerable to insider attacks, just like Clinton was. My guess is that he is as disgusted by this story as we are. I think one of the reasons for leaking the torture stuff and linking it with Cheney’s effort to squeeze a <em>casus belli</em> out of the tortured prisoners is to deligetimize the war. The public — not us — need something to get themselves off the hook. The more they are persuaded that they were deliberately lied to, and that the previous administration tortured people to manufacture the lies, the easier it will be to get out of Iraq. As it stands, Obama has to go against the military brass, whose careers are wrapped up in that mess. He is not yet in a position to do that until the case for Iraq is utterly destroyed. In the mean time, more dead kids on the streets of Mosul.</p> I’m still giving Obama a lot of slack in this business. Given the interests involved in the Iraq misadventure, he has had to tread carefully until he’s got his people in place. He may be President, but he is still vulnerable to insider attacks, just like Clinton was. My guess is that he is as disgusted by this story as we are. I think one of the reasons for leaking the torture stuff and linking it with Cheney’s effort to squeeze a casus belli out of the tortured prisoners is to deligetimize the war. The public — not us — need something to get themselves off the hook. The more they are persuaded that they were deliberately lied to, and that the previous administration tortured people to manufacture the lies, the easier it will be to get out of Iraq. As it stands, Obama has to go against the military brass, whose careers are wrapped up in that mess. He is not yet in a position to do that until the case for Iraq is utterly destroyed. In the mean time, more dead kids on the streets of Mosul.

]]> By: libbyliberal http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/10/spinning-the-death-of-a-12-year-old-journalism-fail/#comment-1896981 libbyliberal Mon, 11 May 2009 07:35:32 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/10/spinning-the-death-of-a-12-year-old-journalism-fail/#comment-1896981 <p>Talk about such unholy cherrypicking.</p> <p>Huffpo won’t post any comment I make if I refer to Gaza within it. It just disappears into the ether. Troubling.</p> Talk about such unholy cherrypicking.

Huffpo won’t post any comment I make if I refer to Gaza within it. It just disappears into the ether. Troubling.

]]> By: MarkH http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/10/spinning-the-death-of-a-12-year-old-journalism-fail/#comment-1896902 MarkH Mon, 11 May 2009 05:21:32 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/10/spinning-the-death-of-a-12-year-old-journalism-fail/#comment-1896902 <p>I’ve read that in the Swat Valley of Pakistan the Taliban are using locals as human shields and then there’s the story from Western Afghanistan where a family were blown up and U.S. troops were blamed and now this story from Iraq. There have been stories like this “forever” from the West Bank.</p> <p>I can only assume this is a tactic unifying Al Qaeda type groups across the Middle East.</p> <p>Is the local media in cahoots with them or just reporting ‘juicy’ stories?</p> <p>As was said, this is too similar to Vietnam to ignore. Kids can be very dangerous, consider Somalia for example, and yet their deaths win ‘hearts and minds’ for those who identify with the dead kids.</p> <p>American strategy, one would immediately think, is to back off and avoid such incidents. But, there are many places where that’s the opposite of our current engagements. Still, I think we can do more than a one-size-fits-all strategy in Afghanistan, Pakistan & Iraq.</p> <p>I can’t for the life of me figure why we would’ve been engaged in any kind of military fight in Western Afghanistan. Maybe we weren’t even there? Who knows the truth of these things?</p> <p>Since our focus on military activity is mostly in border areas of Pakistan it would seem we could afford to pull back to some extent in Afghanistan and Iraq. I don’t know the specific approaches being used in Iraq, so it’s too easy to casually comment, but there should at least be some consideration given to altering our approach in less critical areas so we can continue full force in some other areas.</p> I’ve read that in the Swat Valley of Pakistan the Taliban are using locals as human shields and then there’s the story from Western Afghanistan where a family were blown up and U.S. troops were blamed and now this story from Iraq. There have been stories like this “forever” from the West Bank.

I can only assume this is a tactic unifying Al Qaeda type groups across the Middle East.

Is the local media in cahoots with them or just reporting ‘juicy’ stories?

As was said, this is too similar to Vietnam to ignore. Kids can be very dangerous, consider Somalia for example, and yet their deaths win ‘hearts and minds’ for those who identify with the dead kids.

American strategy, one would immediately think, is to back off and avoid such incidents. But, there are many places where that’s the opposite of our current engagements. Still, I think we can do more than a one-size-fits-all strategy in Afghanistan, Pakistan & Iraq.

I can’t for the life of me figure why we would’ve been engaged in any kind of military fight in Western Afghanistan. Maybe we weren’t even there? Who knows the truth of these things?

Since our focus on military activity is mostly in border areas of Pakistan it would seem we could afford to pull back to some extent in Afghanistan and Iraq. I don’t know the specific approaches being used in Iraq, so it’s too easy to casually comment, but there should at least be some consideration given to altering our approach in less critical areas so we can continue full force in some other areas.

]]> By: oldoilfieldhand http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/10/spinning-the-death-of-a-12-year-old-journalism-fail/#comment-1896891 oldoilfieldhand Mon, 11 May 2009 05:07:13 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/10/spinning-the-death-of-a-12-year-old-journalism-fail/#comment-1896891 <p>“Puff Post” on my bookmark bar…</p> “Puff Post” on my bookmark bar…

]]> By: greenwarrior http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/10/spinning-the-death-of-a-12-year-old-journalism-fail/#comment-1896883 greenwarrior Mon, 11 May 2009 03:27:08 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/10/spinning-the-death-of-a-12-year-old-journalism-fail/#comment-1896883 <p>i’m very glad to see that. i wonder if this article had something to do with it.</p> i’m very glad to see that. i wonder if this article had something to do with it.

]]> By: macaquerman http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/10/spinning-the-death-of-a-12-year-old-journalism-fail/#comment-1896882 macaquerman Mon, 11 May 2009 03:21:38 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/10/spinning-the-death-of-a-12-year-old-journalism-fail/#comment-1896882 <p>Good with me , also. Be well.</p> Good with me , also. Be well.

]]> By: Siun http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/10/spinning-the-death-of-a-12-year-old-journalism-fail/#comment-1896881 Siun Mon, 11 May 2009 03:14:26 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/10/spinning-the-death-of-a-12-year-old-journalism-fail/#comment-1896881 <p>Thanks - it was relaxing. </p> <p>I actually have no desire to play debate this evening - the news from Iraq and Afghanistan leave me with little spirit for it.</p> Thanks – it was relaxing.

I actually have no desire to play debate this evening – the news from Iraq and Afghanistan leave me with little spirit for it.

]]> By: Siun http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/10/spinning-the-death-of-a-12-year-old-journalism-fail/#comment-1896880 Siun Mon, 11 May 2009 03:12:07 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/10/spinning-the-death-of-a-12-year-old-journalism-fail/#comment-1896880 <p>Huffington Post has now changed the headline to that of McClatchy and changed the summary as well. It’s good to see this addressed.</p> Huffington Post has now changed the headline to that of McClatchy and changed the summary as well. It’s good to see this addressed.

]]> By: macaquerman http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/10/spinning-the-death-of-a-12-year-old-journalism-fail/#comment-1896879 macaquerman Mon, 11 May 2009 03:11:45 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/10/spinning-the-death-of-a-12-year-old-journalism-fail/#comment-1896879 <p>(And before we argue further, I hope you had a good M’s D).</p> (And before we argue further, I hope you had a good M’s D).

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