Re: the 2 good news blogs from Iraq, are they manufactured?

[texpatriot2004]

I couldn't help but wonder while watching KO tonight, specifically the segment about * quoting 2 blogs to claim his "surge" is working, if the blogs were manufactured propaganda. You know, like the previous news stories that were later revealed to be bought by the Administration. Or those news stories here that were also purchased, I think some of them were about the Dept. of Education, the "no child left behind" etc. I don't remember exactly when they came out but it was later revealed the sources were bought by the Administration.

Anyway, that is what went through my mind. How do I know that they didn't pay people in Iraq to draft the rosy blogs? And, forget for a minute how stupid it makes * look to quote "blogs." Nothing against blogs but in his idiotic frat boy (man is that routine old and worn out) way doesn't he get who he's supposed to be? I mean he's faking, he's a fraud, but at least he could respect the position and not resort to quoting blogs, real or manufactured.

Anyone else wonder if these rosy blogs were made up?

[Newsjock]

1. In a word, yes

Here's the story:
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/columns/pressingissues_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003564636

This is how far he, and his argument for continuing the slaughter in Iraq, has fallen: President Bush today was reduced to quoting two anonymous bloggers from Baghdad.

He cited them as evidence that his surge/escalation is working. One problem: their posts were written weeks ago, and re-published in the Wall Street Journal on March 7.

So the bloggers weren't even talking about current conditions in Baghdad. That left it to Rajiv Chandrasekaran, former Baghdad bureau chief of The Washington Post -- and author of the heralded 2006 book "Imperial Life in the Emerald City" -- who appeared on MSNBC's "Countdown" tonight to debunk this idea of a newly-safe Baghdad. "I talk to Iraqis all the time," he said.

... Only hours later did the White House reveal that the bloggers were brothers, Mohammed and Omar Fadhil, and these supposedly little-known average Joes had met Bush in the Oval Office in 2004. They are dentists and write an English-language blog from Baghdad called IraqTheModel.com, also available via Pajamas Media.

The White House admitted that Bush had plundered the lines from an op-ed that the brothers wrote for The Wall Street Journal way back on March 5. The White House couldn't even get the date right, as it turned out it actually appeared on March 7.

[Suich]

7. That's pretty funny!

I didn't know any of that...thanks for posting!

Do you suppose shrub knew the real story or does he just read what's put in front of him?

:shrug:

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

8. I was about to ask if the blogs were hosted at gwb43.com before I read your post, LOL.

[TomInTib]

9. This is beyond crazy

They have nothing left.

Unreal

[grasswire]

2. the two dentist-bloggers have visited the White House!

That's what Keith or Dana reported. So what do you think about objectivity?

[texpatriot2004]

6. Yeah, I heard that too. Figures. nm

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. Probably.

Li'l George most likely thinks they are real, but there's a better than even chance they were produced by some junior staffer (another recent graduate of Crazy Fundy Snake Handler State U.) who knows how to stuff a lot of crap in them Internets tubes.

[Atman]

4. They're so totally bogus I can't even believed they tried this shit!

Oh, sure...the bloggers just happen to be using the EXACT SAME LANGUAGE as Bush's speechifiers...ie: phrases like "lessen our resolve" or whatever it was. Bullshit bullshit bullshit. The bloggers just happened to sound just like Bush on any given day. Yeah, sure. I buy it.

.

[Blue_In_AK]

11. I was struck by the "lessen our resolve" language, as well.

Dead giveaway.

[Venus Dog]

5. Nothing that comes out of the mouth of * is true

NOTHING!

[subterranean]

10. It does seem a tad ridiculous, doesn't it?

With our massive presence on the ground over there, the president is relying on anonymous blogs to tell him what the "real" situation is. Of course, he only quotes from the blogs that say what he wants to hear. It would not surprise me at all if these blogs (if they even exist) were set up by the Pentagon.

[texpatriot2004]

12. I know, right. I wouldn't put it past them either. nm

[MadMaddie]

13. Yea...ignore the daily bombings and murders of 20-50 Iraqi's

a day, and 1-5 US soldiars a day.

But dumbass quotes two bloggers.....

[potisok]

14. Not a riverbend blog quote

Have been reading her blog for several years and George did not find a quote he could use there, pretty sure hers are the real life blogger vision of our occupation.

[azurnoir]

15. When was the last time Riverbend posted?

I am asking because we have a friend living in Iraq, nonmilitary or contractor, he is a Kurd who is an Iraqi citizen. We and his relatives in the US email him frequently but we rarely receive replies, he writes them but they don't get out. What I have noticed is that he can get email out at about the same time Riverbend can get a post out, meaning there are wide spread email blackouts. These 2 "bloggers" seem to able to get around that, curious isn't it.
I vote FAKE faux phony as hell.

[potisok]

17. Her last post was February 20, 2007

http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/ hope its OK to post, my apologies in advance if I have broken a rule.

[entanglement]

22. Just curious, who is she and how long has she been in Iraq?

n/t

[rec_report]

16. I'm sure their ISPs can be traced to Houston, Texas. :) n/t

[texpatriot2004]

18. Wouldn't doubt it. nm

[Contrary1]

19. How does one go about doing that?

I've got lots of time. :hi:

[blitzen]

20. actually, it's abilene...no kidding...check out juancole.com

[blitzen]

21. oops...looks like juan cole has removed his comments on the bloggers

he was catching a lot of heat from people who thought he was calling them out as CIA--although he didn't really go that far

[bluedawg12]

23. They are two Iraqi dentists who run Model Iraq the blog

they met shrub at the WH two years ago, they are more balanced than the quote that was used.

I think they were taken out of context, unlike McCain who claims walking tours in sunny Baghdad and shopping malls in the streets, still dripping with the blood and hanging flesh from the last suicide car bomb.

[bluedawg12]

24. Here's the blog he cited: check it out for yourself!

http://iraqthemodel.blogspot.com/
I wanted to talk about this because recently we've been watching the debate in America about redeployment of troops and identifying the real front we must focus on.
I see that al-Qaeda and terrorists in general didn't hide their position in this respect—despite the fact that they still operate in many parts of the world, they are clearly redirecting most effort and resources to the war in Iraq.
The war here has a lot that to do with drawing the future prospects of spreading religious extremism and this in turn is connected to the agendas of countries that have mutual goals with al-Qaeda in spite of the difference in ideology. This collaboration is complex but it clearly shows the priorities of the terrorists and rogue regimes and in turn suggests what our strategic priorities should be.

There are greater examples than killing barbers of course so I'd like to include some more to remind those who try to naively oversimplify the issue in the context that the commanders of al-Qaeda are hiding in a cave in the mountains of Afghanistan or Pakistan far away from civilization.
..............
It's true that what's happening in Iraq doesn't meet the ambitions of Iraqis or Americans and everyone admits that many mistakes were made.
I agree that the Iraqi government should be pressed to speed up the effort to establish rule of law and achieve reconciliation. And I also agree that the American administration needs to revise the way it's been handling and planning for this critical war.
But abandoning this front or failing to recognize its priority is a terrible mistake that can lead to disastrous consequences to all of us.


..............
No doubt people who follow the news as it is being reported in the West get the impression that we’re fighting a lost war, and I feel that there won’t be a day when our struggle to live a normal life and what we achieve in this path will make headlines that run above those of death.

You look around in Baghdad now and see hundreds of men working in the streets to pick up garbage; to plant flowers and paint the blast walls in joyful colors. Many of Baghdad’s squares are becoming green and clean. The picture isn’t perfect, but it’s a clear attempt to beat violence and ease pain through giving the spring a chance to shine.

Nights in Baghdad now are far from quiet, but the sounds cause less anxiety for me than they did before. I recognize the rumble of armor and thump of guns and they assure me that the gangs and militias do not dominate the night as they once did.
When an Arabs or westerners ask me about the situation and I answer that hope remains and that we’re looking forward to a better future most would say ‘Are you living in this world?’ I answer, ‘Yes, it’s you who live in the parallel world the media built for you with images of only death and destruction’.

If it surprised some of them that a poll found Iraqis optimistic, then I’m surprised that someone finally bothered to ask Iraqis how they feel.
Just as free birds would never return to the cage, we don’t want to return to the days of the tyrant.


...................
Here's Rudy ad on the blog:

http://iraqthemodel.blogspot.com/search?q=

[texpatriot2004]

26. Thanks for the link nm

[radfringe]

25. let get this straight....

bush is now listening to 2 Blogging dentists on the ground regarding Iraq?

HEEE-HAWWWW - slap some stars on their white coats and promote them to the rank of 5-star Dentists....

[bluedawg12]

27. There are more bloggers there he just chose these two

out of context.

The interesting thing is how many over seas bloggers I found from intersting places like India, etc. their blogs are in English and it is a way to by pass big media's news spin to see what is going on in the world.

[texpatriot2004]

28. I know, right. nm