Some Iraqi Officials See Progress Against Insurgents Despite Attack--VOA

[TexasLawyer]

News report from Voice of America, painting the happiest face possible onto the latest tragic bomb attack in Iraq.

Some Iraqi Officials See Progress Against Insurgents Despite Deadly Car Bomb Attack

By Michael Bowman, Washington
01 March 2005

Monday's car bomb attack in Baghdad, which killed at least 125 people and left scores of others wounded, was the bloodiest terrorist incident in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein. Yet, despite the carnage, some see signs of progress in the battle against the insurgency, with the apprehension of the former dictator's half brother and the capture of a lieutenant of terrorist mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

Iraq's anti-insurgency efforts could also get a boost from local television broadcasts of purported confessions of captured terrorist operatives. (All of whom are Syrians, or trained in Syria, by the way).

Amid an almost-daily drumbeat of violence and bloodshed, Iraq's minister of national security, Qassim Dawood, could not help but smile last week when telling reporters about the capture of an al-Zarqawi co-plotter. "We have reached a point very close to al-Zarqawi, and you will hear good news shortly," Mr. Dawood said.

Even more expressions of satisfaction have been heard since Sabawi Ibrahim al-Hasan, half-brother and former advisor to Saddam Hussein, was taken into custody, reportedly with Syrian assistance. Iraqi officials are eager to demonstrate that they are aggressively pursuing every avenue toward a more secure nation. Yet, horrific attacks, like Monday's car bombing, have always been more visible to the public than subsequent investigations and detentions of suspects, until now, that is.

<snip>

http://www.voanews.com/english/2005-03-01-voa3.cfm

[merwin]

1. They keep saying they're very close to catching him, month after month.

And the sad part is, ~45% of Americans believe him...

[applegrove]

2. The poor people there. Soldiers, civilians, Iraqi police. So sad.

[BRLIB]

3. VOA news is, guess what?

Propaganda. Even resorting to the FOX tactic of using "some say" to espouse a fabrication.

[Disturbed]

4. VOA has always been a...

propupganda tool for the Capitalists.

[jmcgowanjm]

5. Here's the AgitProp War

US:

The US military had no immediate word on the attack and it
was unclear if there were any casualties.

Resistance:

US helicopters came in in large numbers to
evacuated casualties from a strike that used heavy rockets of
a type not previously employed for striking that base. The
large number of helicopters suggested that casualties in
the attack were
heavy.

Landstuhl's full
Rota's full
Bethesda's full
Walter Reed is full
Puerto Rico recieving casualties

It added that Puerto Rico is about to start to receiving
wounded and sick soldiers as part of a program to
ease cramming in regular medical
installations.

http://uruknet.info/?s1=1&p=9783&s2=19

[TexasLawyer]

8. Lord, when is this going to end!!!???

"the international press is reporting the total number of US casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan between 42,000 and 142,000 -- including all those killed in action, wounded, or suffering illnesses. "

[jmcgowanjm]

9. There is a magic # in blood and treasure that when reached

will be critical mass.

Hawai'i Reserve officer arrested in Iraq assault/attacking a subordinate staff officer
By: AP

Lt. Col. Alan Ostermiller allegedly assaulted his
operations officer at the battalion's headquarters during an
early morning briefing at Logistical Support Area
Anaconda, nearly choking the officer, the Honolulu Star-
Bulletin reported, quoting unidentified family
members.

Ostermiller was pulled off the officer and thrown to the
ground before being placed under arrest by military police,
the newspaper
said.

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2005/Mar/01/ln/ln07p.html

[jmcgowanjm]

6. Yet, despite the carnage, could not help but smile

Pentagon Casualty Figures.
Don't Add Up

Go to your local newspaper site, or TV station site, and do
a search for "local man woman killed wounded Iraq". Weed
out the duplicates, total the numbers, and then check
them against the casualty lists, because there's
something funny going on
here.

I started to notice something several months ago. The
local papers would interview the mother of someone killed
or wounded in Iraq, and more often than not, there'd be a
bitter aside: "Of course, for some reason, he's not included in
the official totals."


http://uruknet.info/.?p=m10045

[bemildred]

7. There is light at the end of the tunnel ... nt