Sensitive Memo From American Embassy In Iraq Details How Bad The Situation Is There

[sinewave]

It sounds like the quality of life in Iraq is deteriorating quickly, despite what the Bush administration says. Here's the article.

'Wash Post' Obtains Shocking Memo from U.S. Embassy in Baghdad

By Greg Mitchell

Published: June 18, 2006 6:20 PM ET

NEW YORK The Washington Post has obtained a cable, marked "sensitive," that it says shows that just before President Bush left on a surprise trip last Monday to the Green Zone in Baghdad for an upbeat assessment of the situation there, "the U.S. Embassy in Iraq painted a starkly different portrait of increasing danger and hardship faced by its Iraqi employees."

This cable outlines, the Post reported Sunday, "the daily-worsening conditions for those who live outside the heavily guarded international zone: harassment, threats and the employees' constant fears that their neighbors will discover they work for the U.S. government."

It's actually far worse than that, as the details published below indicate, which include references to abductions, threats to women's rights, and "ethnic cleansing."

A PDF copy of the cable shows that it was sent to the SecState in Washington, D.C. from "AMEmbassy Baghdad" on June 6. The typed name at the very bottom is Khalilzad -- the name of the U.S. Ambassador, though it is not known if this means he wrote the memo or merely approved it.

The subject of the memo is: "Snapshots from the Office -- Public Affairs Staff Show Strains of Social Discord."

As a footnote in one of the 23 sections, the embassy relates, "An Arab newspaper editor told us he is preparing an extensive survey of ethnic cleansing, which he said is taking place in almost every Iraqi province, as political parties and their militiast are seemingly engaged in tit-for-tat reprisals all over Iraq."

Among the other troubling reports:

-- "Personal safety depends on good relations with the 'neighborhood' governments, who barricade streets and ward off outsiders. The central government, our staff says, is not relevant; even local mukhtars have been displaced or coopted by militias. People no longer trust most neighbors."

-- One embassy employee had a brother-in-law kidnapped. Another received a death threat, and then fled the country with her family.

-- Iraqi staff at the embassy, beginning in March and picking up in May, report "pervasive" harassment from Islamist and/or militia groups. Cuts in power and rising fuel prices "have diminished the quality of life." Conditions vary but even upscale neighborhoods "have visibly deteriorated" and one of them is now described as a "ghost town."

-- Two of the three female Iraqis in the public affairs office reported stepped-up harassment since mid-May...."some groups are pushing women to cover even their face, a step not taken in Iran even at its most conservative." One of the women is now wearing a full abaya after receiving direct threats.

-- It has also become "dangerous" for men to wear shorts in public and "they no longer allow their children to play outside in shorts." People who wear jeans in public have also come under attack.

-- Embassy employees are held in such low esteem their work must remain a secret and they live with constant fear that their cover will be blown. Of nine staffers, only four have told their families where they work. They all plan for their possible abductions. No one takes home their cell phones as this gives them away. One employee said criticism of the U.S. had grown so severe that most of her family believes the U.S. "is punishing populations as Saddam did."

-- Since April, the "demeanor" of guards in the Green Zone has changed, becoming more "militia-like," and some are now "taunting" embassy personnel or holding up their credentials and saying loudly that they work in the embassy: "Such information is a death sentence if overheard by the wrong people." For this reason, some have asked for press instead of embassy credentials.

-- "For at least six months, we have not been able to use any local staff members for translation at on-camera press events....We cannot call employees in on weekends or holidays without blowing their 'cover.'"

-- "More recently, we have begun shredding documents printed out that show local staff surnames. In March, a few staff members approached us to ask what provisions would we make for them if we evacuate."

-- The overall environment is one of "frayed social networks," with frequent actual or perceived insults. None of this is helped by lack of electricity. "One colleague told us he feels 'defeated' by circumstances, citing his example of being unable to help his two-year-old son who has asthma and cannot sleep in stifling heat," which is now reaching 115 degrees.

-- "Another employee tell us that life outside the Green Zone has become 'emotionally draining.' He lives in a mostly Shiite area and claims to attend a funeral 'every evening.'"

-- Fuel lines have grown so long that one staffer spent 12 hours in line on his day off. "Employees all confirm that by the last week of May, they were getting one hour of power for every six hours without. ... One staff member reported that a friend lives in a building that houses a new minister; within 24 hours of his appointment, her building had city power 24 hours a day."

-- The cable concludes that employees' "personal fears are reinforcing divisive sectarian or ethnic channels, despite talk of reconciliation by officials."

The final line of the Cable is: KHALILZAD

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002690071

 

[FunBobPants]

June 6? the antichrist is the US Ambassador?

 

[Son Of Logan]

Sounds like Vietnam all over again.

 

[bored]

I wonder how long until someone complains about how this story is somehow unfair, because it doesn't talk about a school in Baghdad getting new chalk or something.

 

[Son Of Logan]

Or why it has nothing but negative spin. Then they try to find something positive in it.

"Well...the Iraqi guards that are flashing the embassy credentials of Iraqi workers should be applauded for inspecting everyone at the check-point."

 

[kane9321]

wow

 

[jaguarr]

It's like "Footloose" with guns and less Kevin Bacon over there.

jag

 

[TheSumOfGod]

It's like "Footloose" with guns and less Kevin Bacon over there.

jag

You just made a small piece of my brain implode with your metaphor.

And you know what's wrong with Iraq right now? Too many goddamn LIBERALS, that's what! Those goddamn LIBERALS, blowing stuff up and giving homosexuals free abortions and stuff...

 

[sinewave]

as strange as it sounds, iraq may have been better off under saddam. i thought bush was against nation building? i can see why, we're horrible at it.

 

[jaguarr]

You just made a small piece of my brain implode with your metaphor.

You're welcome. I will be happy to bill your insurance after you have covered your portion of the co-pay.

jag

 

[TheSumOfGod]

as strange as it sounds, iraq may have been better off under saddam. i thought bush was against nation building? i can see why, we're horrible at it.

It's a sad truth of life that democracy cannot be imposed upon a people, the mere notion of "imposing democracy" is ironic and ridiculous in of itself. Some people prefer dictatorships, or can only live in a state of relative peace and order under military totalitarianism. Was Saddam a bastard? Yes. Was he necessary? Most probably. Do the people of Iraq (and most Middle-Eastern nations, for that matter) need to be ruled over with an iron fist? It seems so, unfortunately. The democratic ideals of western civilization only apply to western civilization itself. The Arab/Persian world is another story, just as Africa and Asia are another story. Different people, different cultures, different forms of government. Simple as that.

 

[lazur]

Three questions:

1) Is the memo even legitimate? If so, how can that be proven? I mean, why can't any nitwit off the street write something up and fax/mail it in with that name (not even a signature) at the bottom? In other words, has the authenticity of this memo been verified?

2) Does anyone really expect American Embassy employees NOT to be targeted by the insurgents/terrorists/various malcontent factions? This seems par for the course to me, even if it does indeed suck.

3) Once again, why is a single memo, article, letter, whatever being used to make blanket "the situation in Iraq is all bad" statements?

Mind you - not taking any side here. Just curious about the adherent one-sidedness to this discussion is all.

 

[Darthphere]

Three questions:

1) Is the memo even legitimate? If so, how can that be proven? I mean, why can't any nitwit off the street write something up and fax/mail it in with that name (not even a signature) at the bottom? In other words, has the authenticity of this memo been verified?

2) Does anyone really expect American Embassy employees NOT to be targeted by the insurgents/terrorists/various malcontent factions? This seems par for the course to me, even if it does indeed suck.

3) Once again, why is a single memo, article, letter, whatever being used to make blanket "the situation in Iraq is all bad" statements?

Mind you - not taking any side here. Just curious about the adherent one-sidedness to this discussion is all.

Maybe because as hard as some try to close their eyes to the truth, there really is only one side.

 

[jaguarr]

3) Once again, why is a single memo, article, letter, whatever being used to make blanket "the situation in Iraq is all bad" statements?

Mind you - not taking any side here. Just curious about the adherent one-sidedness to this discussion is all.

I'll at least speak to this part, lazur. I can't speak for any others, but in my case, this letter isn't the end all piece of proof I needed to know that things over in Iraq are very bad. It's more of a cumulative effect from all the things I have seen, read, and heard (including from my friends in the armed services who have either been over there or are still in country). One letter doesn't amount to much, but when added to everthing else it does contribute to my overall opinion of the situation over there.

jag

 

[Mr Sparkle]

Three questions:

1) Is the memo even legitimate? If so, how can that be proven? I mean, why can't any nitwit off the street write something up and fax/mail it in with that name (not even a signature) at the bottom? In other words, has the authenticity of this memo been verified?

2) Does anyone really expect American Embassy employees NOT to be targeted by the insurgents/terrorists/various malcontent factions? This seems par for the course to me, even if it does indeed suck.

3) Once again, why is a single memo, article, letter, whatever being used to make blanket "the situation in Iraq is all bad" statements?

Mind you - not taking any side here. Just curious about the adherent one-sidedness to this discussion is all.

I will not argue on "authenticity".

I will say this.

2 years ago there was a big banner on an aircraft carrier just north of wher I'm sitting right now. it read "mission accomplished" since then a lot more people have died,

nobody questioned anything, all had gone according to plan.

some months before that, the world was sold the idea of a dangerous Iraq, memos from people where produced, about Iraq both , hacing and not having hostile capabilities. the world didn't buy it, but the US set out to proove the world wrong.nobody questioned anything, all had gone according to plan.

years before that, Bush's own father had decided against invading Iraq, because of the lack of exit strategy, yet now, when people are fed the "stay the course" line, nobody questions anything.

Iraq, the world is told, is the main concern of the US.

nobody questions anything, all is going according to plan.

 

[bored]

Three questions:

1) Is the memo even legitimate? If so, how can that be proven? I mean, why can't any nitwit off the street write something up and fax/mail it in with that name (not even a signature) at the bottom? In other words, has the authenticity of this memo been verified?

2) Does anyone really expect American Embassy employees NOT to be targeted by the insurgents/terrorists/various malcontent factions? This seems par for the course to me, even if it does indeed suck.

3) Once again, why is a single memo, article, letter, whatever being used to make blanket "the situation in Iraq is all bad" statements?

Mind you - not taking any side here. Just curious about the adherent one-sidedness to this discussion is all.

1. It's the Washington Post, not some tabloid, so it's got at least some standards.

2. Par for the course does not justify it, and with the level it has reached, as described in the memo, it's beyond that, anyway. It sounds like it's at Tiger-Woods-trying-to-qualify-for-the-US-Open.

3. See what Jag said. It's not just this. This memo is the latest in a long line of things.

 

[lazur]

1. It's the Washington Post, not some tabloid, so it's got at least some standards.

Writing a story about a possible memo coming from the Embassy does not = a memo was definitely written by someone from the Embassy. I'm not calling into question the honesty of the agency reporting the memo. I'm calling into question the authenticity of the memo itself.

See, there's a difference between saying "I saw someone shoot that dog!" and "A memo said someone might have shot that dog!" I can say either one and still maintain my credibility as an observer. But one isn't actually bearing witness to anything.

2. Par for the course does not justify it, and with the level it has reached, as described in the memo, it's beyond that, anyway. It sounds like it's at Tiger-Woods-trying-to-qualify-for-the-US-Open.

What do you mean "justify it"? These are inurgents and terrorists we're talking about. You can't "justify" anything to fanatics such as these. Nor could they ever justify killing innocent people. What are you proposing, that the world suddenly become paradise and everyone just get along?

3. See what Jag said. It's not just this. This memo is the latest in a long line of things.

The answer to this is quite simple: Good news doesn't sell. The 'cumulative effect' is obviously going to be overwhelmingly negative. You won't see "Power restored to 50 Iraqi schools today" as a front page headline in the Washington Post. But "50 Iraqi schools blown up today" will sell a bundle.

 

[tomahawk53]

NEW YORK The Washington Post has obtained a cable, marked "sensitive," that it says shows that just before President Bush left on a surprise trip last Monday to the Green Zone in Baghdad for an upbeat assessment of the situation there, "the U.S. Embassy in Iraq painted a starkly different portrait of increasing danger and hardship faced by its Iraqi employees."

This cable outlines, the Post reported Sunday, "the daily-worsening conditions for those who live outside the heavily guarded international zone: harassment, threats and the employees' constant fears that their neighbors will discover they work for the U.S. government."

It's actually far worse than that, as the details published below indicate, which include references to abductions, threats to women's rights, and "ethnic cleansing."

Didn’t they have all of this under Sadam…except ALL OVER Iraq? Yes they did.

So basically this is a story of trouble and hardship faced by the Iraqi people that work the US embassy that live away from the “Heavily guarded international zone” correct?

As a footnote in one of the 23 sections, the embassy relates, "An Arab newspaper editor told us he is preparing an extensive survey of ethnic cleansing, which he said is taking place in almost every Iraqi province, as political parties and their militiast are seemingly engaged in tit-for-tat reprisals all over Iraq."

Ok no real reason not to believe the guy BUT it is hearsay at this point. It comes from a source that comes from a source and the source is not even named…it’s just like saying “A guy told me that…”

Besides that what he is saying that ‘the guy’ told him is kinda sketchy too. Ethnic cleansing in almost every province. It wouldn’t take that long to finish the job would it? Well we may find out in a few weeks if one entire group ends up dead I guess. But anyway he says that the militia is engaged in a ‘tit-for-tat reprisal all over Iraq’. Shock anyone? It shouldn’t. Is the militia is fighting with terrorists or US forces? Is it fighting with itself or political adversaries? Besides they are in fact only ‘seemingly engaged’ in them all over Iraq.

Didn’t Sadam also try to do ethnic cleansing on the Kurhds with a WMD? Yes he did.

Among the other troubling reports:

-- "Personal safety depends on good relations with the 'neighborhood' governments, who barricade streets and ward off outsiders. The central government, our staff says, is not relevant; even local mukhtars have been displaced or coopted by militias. People no longer trust most neighbors."

This stuff happens when a new government is starting out. This shouldn’t shock anyone either.

-- One embassy employee had a brother-in-law kidnapped. Another received a death threat, and then fled the country with her family.

Kidnappings happened before we were there and will continue to happen for quite some time as well. As horrible as it is it’s not shocking. No where did anyone report that kidnappings have stopped in Iraq.

-- Iraqi staff at the embassy, beginning in March and picking up in May, report "pervasive" harassment from Islamist and/or militia groups. Cuts in power and rising fuel prices "have diminished the quality of life." Conditions vary but even upscale neighborhoods "have visibly deteriorated" and one of them is now described as a "ghost town."

‘Diminished the quality of life’? You just went through an F’N WAR for crying out loud. Of course it’s been diminished. It’s not going to be ‘roses’ for quite some time. IF it EVER becomes roses over there.

-- Two of the three female Iraqis in the public affairs office reported stepped-up harassment since mid-May...."some groups are pushing women to cover even their face, a step not taken in Iran even at its most conservative." One of the women is now wearing a full abaya after receiving direct threats.

Did I read that right? 2 of 3 women have stepped-up harassment? Who are they harassing?

Also I always thought Iran ladies do indeed cover their face? Am I wrong? I know that they did when the Ayatollah was in power.

-- It has also become "dangerous" for men to wear shorts in public and "they no longer allow their children to play outside in shorts." People who wear jeans in public have also come under attack.

I would like to see some proof that the jeans are the reason they were attacked and to what degree they were attacked.

-- Embassy employees are held in such low esteem their work must remain a secret and they live with constant fear that their cover will be blown. Of nine staffers, only four have told their families where they work. They all plan for their possible abductions. No one takes home their cell phones as this gives them away. One employee said criticism of the U.S. had grown so severe that most of her family believes the U.S. "is punishing populations as Saddam did."

And this doesn’t make sense to me either… The US is so criticized over there that her family believes the U.S. is “punishing populations as Saddam did”? Again this is one ladies family first of all. Secondly could it be that they are just so used to this ‘punishment’ going on that they assume it still is? Or could it be that all of that was made up? I mean after all she still HAS the job and her family is brave enough to speak out about the US…something you wouldn’t survive long under Saddam doing…so obviously they aren’t too scared of our ‘retort’.

I’m not going to go through the rest of it because it’s more of the same. Now I’m not saying that things are all hunky dory over there. Frankly I’d imagine that it really sucks over there…but it was that way long before we went in the very first time.

But parts of this article seem sketchy at best and other parts don’t really give us any new info.

Again I don’t think things are going as smoothly over there as they could be going nor do I believe that we are going and have gone about everything the ‘right way’. But we are making a difference over there and I believe that it will take some time but it will eventually come out a lot better than it has ever been over there.

 

[tomahawk53]

Also I can't find that article on the Washington Posts website?

Has anyone else?

I know that you linked to the article but since the memo was sent to the Washington Post you'd think they'd have it up...

Maybe I'll look in the archive sections

 

[sinewave]

Didn’t they have all of this under Sadam…except ALL OVER Iraq? Yes they did.

So basically this is a story of trouble and hardship faced by the Iraqi people that work the US embassy that live away from the “Heavily guarded international zone” correct?

True, a lot of this stuff was going on before we invaded, but that's the point. We haven't changed anything by ousting Saddam. It's still the same, if not worse. They've got their government in place but, due to the feuding between the different religious groups, the insurgency and al qaeda, they're still not able to govern their people and quell the violence there. All this goes against the rosey picture the Bush administration tries to paint it as.

Ok no real reason not to believe the guy BUT it is hearsay at this point. It comes from a source that comes from a source and the source is not even named…it’s just like saying “A guy told me that…”

Besides that what he is saying that ‘the guy’ told him is kinda sketchy too. Ethnic cleansing in almost every province. It wouldn’t take that long to finish the job would it? Well we may find out in a few weeks if one entire group ends up dead I guess. But anyway he says that the militia is engaged in a ‘tit-for-tat reprisal all over Iraq’. Shock anyone? It shouldn’t. Is the militia is fighting with terrorists or US forces? Is it fighting with itself or political adversaries? Besides they are in fact only ‘seemingly engaged’ in them all over Iraq.

Didn’t Sadam also try to do ethnic cleansing on the Kurhds with a WMD? Yes he did.

You know, I remember a politician, I think it was Joe Biden, proposing that, instead of a centralized government in Iraq, that they should elect leaders for each religious group, Sunni, Shiite, and Kurds, and let them govern themselves. That way they can take care of their own needs rather than relying on a combined government. I don't know if it would work, but it doesn't sound like a bad idea to me.

As for your quote about Saddam trying to perform ethnic cleansing on the Kurds, see my response to your first paragraph. We were supposed to make things better over there and if it's the same or worse without Saddam, why did we invade in the first place?

This stuff happens when a new government is starting out. This shouldn’t shock anyone either.

What are you basing that claim on. What other nation building effort are you comparing this to?

Kidnappings happened before we were there and will continue to happen for quite some time as well. As horrible as it is it’s not shocking. No where did anyone report that kidnappings have stopped in Iraq.

I'd be interested to see some stats on the number of kidnappings, violent crime, civilian casualties, etc... before and after we invaded Iraq.

‘Diminished the quality of life’? You just went through an F’N WAR for crying out loud. Of course it’s been diminished. It’s not going to be ‘roses’ for quite some time. IF it EVER becomes roses over there.

Well, they had working electricity and water before we invaded, but now it's very sporadic, so obviously the quality of life has diminished. Your answer that the reason it has diminished because of the war only proves their point that if we hadn't declared war on them their quality of life would be greater. It might not have been heaven on Earth when Saddam was in power, but they didn't have nearly as many terrorist attacks, plus they had working electricity and plumbing, and much lower fuel costs.

Did I read that right? 2 of 3 women have stepped-up harassment? Who are they harassing?

Also I always thought Iran ladies do indeed cover their face? Am I wrong? I know that they did when the Ayatollah was in power.

I think they're saying that the level and frequency of harrassment towards women has increased in recent months, despite the installation of a Democratic government.

I would like to see some proof that the jeans are the reason they were attacked and to what degree they were attacked.

I have no idea if these are true, but it doesn't sound too farfetched that hardcore fundamentalists might equate blue jeans with the western world and attack people wearing them. They've done a lot worse than that.

And this doesn’t make sense to me either… The US is so criticized over there that her family believes the U.S. is “punishing populations as Saddam did”? Again this is one ladies family first of all. Secondly could it be that they are just so used to this ‘punishment’ going on that they assume it still is? Or could it be that all of that was made up? I mean after all she still HAS the job and her family is brave enough to speak out about the US…something you wouldn’t survive long under Saddam doing…so obviously they aren’t too scared of our ‘retort’.

I'm not sure why you would question whether people would believe themselves to be punished if they are not being punished, that doesn't seem logical. It's not made up. I think they're pissed about all the civilian deaths and maimings as a result of all the fighting between coallition forces and terrorists and insurgents. Not to mention strange instances like when some British security contractors were found to have fired randomly at Iraqi civilians on an interstate and filmed it all. Stuff like that is probably the reason they believe they are still being punished.

I’m not going to go through the rest of it because it’s more of the same. Now I’m not saying that things are all hunky dory over there. Frankly I’d imagine that it really sucks over there…but it was that way long before we went in the very first time.

But parts of this article seem sketchy at best and other parts don’t really give us any new info.

Again I don’t think things are going as smoothly over there as they could be going nor do I believe that we are going and have gone about everything the ‘right way’. But we are making a difference over there and I believe that it will take some time but it will eventually come out a lot better than it has ever been over there.

Most of this report goes along with what I've heard has been happening for months now. I didn't really find anything to be "sketchy" about this memo. It's sad that we have to hear what's really going on through leaks and aggressive, non-mainstream journalism, rather than from our own government or the mainstream press.

 

[lazur]

True, a lot of this stuff was going on before we invaded, but that's the point. We haven't changed anything by ousting Saddam. It's still the same, if not worse. They've got their government in place but, due to the feuding between the different religious groups, the insurgency and al qaeda, they're still not able to govern their people and quell the violence there. All this goes against the rosey picture the Bush administration tries to paint it as.

You're seriously expecting everything to be better DURING a wartime situation? I think the true measure of success will be what happens AFTER the war has been fought. Will the country be better off or worse off THEN? Wait and see.

I can't believe people actually expect things to be better DURING a war. These things don't happen over night, instantaneously, as we'd all very much like.

You know, I remember a politician, I think it was Joe Biden, proposing that, instead of a centralized government in Iraq, that they should elect leaders for each religious group, Sunni, Shiite, and Kurds, and let them govern themselves. That way they can take care of their own needs rather than relying on a combined government. I don't know if it would work, but it doesn't sound like a bad idea to me.

Then you'd have to carve up the country into three sections, which would ultimately encourage civil war between three factions. Bad idea.

As for your quote about Saddam trying to perform ethnic cleansing on the Kurds, see my response to your first paragraph. We were supposed to make things better over there and if it's the same or worse without Saddam, why did we invade in the first place?

It was still far worse under Suddam. And the country still is AT WAR.

I'd be interested to see some stats on the number of kidnappings, violent crime, civilian casualties, etc... before and after we invaded Iraq.

If I had to guess, I'd say the amount of human tragedy was far greater under Saddam. It just stands to reason that that kind of stuff runs rampant in dictatorial societies where the "law" can do whatever the hell it wants to anyone it wants.

Well, they had working electricity and water before we invaded, but now it's very sporadic, so obviously the quality of life has diminished. Your answer that the reason it has diminished because of the war only proves their point that if we hadn't declared war on them their quality of life would be greater. It might not have been heaven on Earth when Saddam was in power, but they didn't have nearly as many terrorist attacks, plus they had working electricity and plumbing, and much lower fuel costs.

This is so subjective, it's not even worth discussing. Some neighborhoods now have electricity that haven't had it in 20 or more years. Other neighborhoods that had it before now don't. I'm not sure there's a way to measure on a grand scale in percentages, but if I had to guess, I'd say that the RAW percentage of people who have power now as compared to who had it before under Saddam is greater.

I think they're saying that the level and frequency of harrassment towards women has increased in recent months, despite the installation of a Democratic government.

You base that off of one memo? LOL, please. You can't say that for sure, just as someone can't say the contrary for sure. But what MAKES SENSE is that there'd be less harassment toward women given the overwhelming presence of Western forces (and therefore culture). But please, if you have evidence demonstrating that women are actually treated worse now than they were under Saddam (despite how laughable that sounds), please provide it. Until then, you're guesses are nothing more than that ... UNeducated guesses.

I have no idea if these are true, but it doesn't sound too farfetched that hardcore fundamentalists might equate blue jeans with the western world and attack people wearing them. They've done a lot worse than that.

Yeah, so I guess that means no one over there should wear jeans? Or does it mean that everyone who doesn't like others who wear jeans should be arrested 100% of the time? What, exactly, is the big deal here? We have more idiotic problems in THIS country on a much larger scale, but you don't see society collapsing do you? Point is, people in large numbers can be stupid. That's all this is. What's next, you blaming the U.S. military (or government, pick one) because a movement erupts over there in which they declare a jihad against anyone who owns a house cat? Wtf? Are you asking us to regulate thought over there?

I'm not sure why you would question whether people would believe themselves to be punished if they are not being punished, that doesn't seem logical. It's not made up. I think they're pissed about all the civilian deaths and maimings as a result of all the fighting between coallition forces and terrorists and insurgents. Not to mention strange instances like when some British security contractors were found to have fired randomly at Iraqi civilians on an interstate and filmed it all. Stuff like that is probably the reason they believe they are still being punished.

War is hell.

Most of this report goes along with what I've heard has been happening for months now. I didn't really find anything to be "sketchy" about this memo. It's sad that we have to hear what's really going on through leaks and aggressive, non-mainstream journalism, rather than from our own government or the mainstream press.

Of course . As I said before, good news doesn't sell. You listen to the bad news all day long, so of COURSE this sounds similar to that. You will believe the news that alligns itself with your own ideological beliefs. This is how humans, in all of their short-sighted feebleness, work. Whatever can substantiate your already strong feelings about something or someone, you, just like everyone else (well most people anyway), will eat it up and take it as Gospel.

 

[bored]

Writing a story about a possible memo coming from the Embassy does not = a memo was definitely written by someone from the Embassy. I'm not calling into question the honesty of the agency reporting the memo. I'm calling into question the authenticity of the memo itself.

See, there's a difference between saying "I saw someone shoot that dog!" and "A memo said someone might have shot that dog!" I can say either one and still maintain my credibility as an observer. But one isn't actually bearing witness to anything.

Fair enough.

What do you mean "justify it"? These are inurgents and terrorists we're talking about. You can't "justify" anything to fanatics such as these. Nor could they ever justify killing innocent people. What are you proposing, that the world suddenly become paradise and everyone just get along?

You misunderstand me. I was saying writing it off as 'par for the course' doesn't mean it can be shrugged off. Sorry if my choice of words wasn't clear.

The answer to this is quite simple: Good news doesn't sell. The 'cumulative effect' is obviously going to be overwhelmingly negative. You won't see "Power restored to 50 Iraqi schools today" as a front page headline in the Washington Post. But "50 Iraqi schools blown up today" will sell a bundle.

I'm well aware that good news doesn't sell, but what's reported loses relevance when so many things happen.

 

[Mr Sparkle]

welcome all to the never-ending war. the justfication needed ofr every single action that the US deems necessary.
just so you know.

it's not a war, it's an occupation.

 

[Fred_Fury]

yes thats right liberals, you can defeat america by reading news articles

when will you people learn your opinion on the war wont change anything?

 

[Mr Sparkle]

yes thats right liberals, you can defeat america by reading news articles

when will you people learn your opinion on the war wont change anything?

is it, like , extra warm in fantasy-lala-land?