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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: American Spirit who wrote (466789)	9/30/2003 5:48:15 AM
From: Neocon	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 769670

Blackout on progress in Iraq? By Jack Kelly The commentary by Doug Saunders of Toronto's Globe and Mail began in a fashion familiar to readers and viewers of the Western news media: "Six months before, the world had cheered as the statues of the dictator came crashing down. The Americans had seemed heroic. But now things were going very badly. The occupation was chaotic, the American soldiers were hated and they were facing threats from the surviving supporters of the dictator, whose whereabouts were uncertain. "Washington seemed unwilling to pay the enormous bill for reconstruction, and the president didn't appear to have any kind of workable plan to manage the transition to democracy. European allies, distrustful of the arrogant American outlook, were wary of cooperating." Doug Saunders was writing not of Iraq in September, 2003. He was writing about Germany in November 1945. His article provided something rare in the news media today: perspective. Biased, unbalanced news accounts are giving Americans a false picture of what is going on in Iraq, and are harming our prospects of creating a democracy there, said Georgia's Rep. Jim Marshall, after a visit to that country. The news media "are dwelling upon the mistakes, the ambushes, the soldiers killed, the wounded," Mr. Marshall said. "Fair enough. But it is not balancing this bad news with the rest of the story, the progress made daily, the good news. The falsely bleak picture weakens our national resolve, discourages Iraqi cooperation and emboldens our enemy." Mr. Marshall's comments could be written off as just another Republican defense of the embattled president. Except Mr. Marshall is a Democrat, one of the few in the Copperhead party to put the welfare of the country ahead of short-term partisan advantage. "Outside of Baghdad, things really aren't as bad as they look on the news," said UPI defense correspondent Pamela Hess in an interview last week with CSPAN upon her return from Iraq. "Now, naturally on the news, we're gonna focus on where the troubles are, because that's what makes news. But there are places in Iraq where things are going pretty well. You can't say 'just fine' because the power is down, there is no phone service. But things are pretty peaceful. People are patient and are slowly rebuilding things back together." Last week, I covered the return to Pittsburgh from Iraq of a Marine reserve military police company. These Marines made the march of Baghdad with the 1st Marine Division, and spent the bulk of the postwar period escorting convoys between Basra and Najaf. Each of the seven Marines I interviewed said that more than 90 percent of the Iraqis they encountered were friendly. The accounts of these Marines square with those of most other servicemen returned from Iraq, and with my own experiences as a reporter embedded with the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment in western Iraq, and with the 1st Armored Division in Baghdad. But it's a story you hardly ever hear on the evening news. Iraq is a dangerous place. Saddam Hussein is still at large, as are thousands of his diehard supporters. They've been joined by hundreds, perhaps thousands of foreign terrorists. Though these "insurgents" cannot challenge the U.S. military for control of any part of the country, they'll be able to conduct remote ambushes and terror bombings for months to come. But viewed in historical perspective, things in Iraq are pretty good, and getting better. The insurgents are a tiny — and dwindling — minority. Most of the country is at peace. Nobody is starving. Signs of reviving economic activity are everywhere. In no country in the Arab world are Americans as popular as they are in Iraq. Contrast this with Germany in November 1945: "Six months after VE Day, the New York Times reported that Germany was awash in unrest and lawlessness," Saunders wrote. "More than a million displaced persons roamed the country, many of them subsisting on criminal activities." Iraq hasn't been transformed into Switzerland in less than six months. No reasonable person ever expected that it could be. But an unrealizable ideal should not obscure the significant progress that has been made. Jack Kelly, a syndicated columnist, is a former Marine and Green Beret and a former deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force in the Reagan administration. He is national security writer for the Pittsburgh (Pa.) Post-Gazette. washtimes.com

To: American Spirit who wrote (466789)	9/30/2003 6:01:33 AM
From: Neocon	Respond to of 769670

Wednesday, September 24, 2003 This is a partial transcript of Special Report with Brit Hume, September 23, that has been edited for clarity. Watch Special Report With Brit Hume weeknights at 6 p.m. ET BRIT HUME, HOST: A bipartisan group of members of Congress have just returned from Iraq and they seem to be in agreement, Democrats and Republicans alike, that the news media are not telling the whole story of what's going on there. One member of that group was Democratic Congressman Jim Marshall of Georgia who joins me now. Congressman, welcome. REP. JIM MARSHALL, D-Ga, ARMED SVCS. COMMITTEE: Happy to be here. HUME: I think anyone in America reading the kinds of headlines that we have been seeing in our major newspapers and seeing in the news coverage…there you see the cover of Newsweek, So what's Plan B? How Peace Became So Elusive. These are just a sampling of U.S. soldiers' persistent resistance. You get the idea. MARSHALL: Right. HUME: I want to read to you part of an e-mail we've just received from one of our Washington correspondent Molly Henneberg, who was in Iraq before and just gone back. And this is from her e-mail to friends and colleagues. What a difference three months makes. Yes, there is still violence here, but oh, my goodness, this place feels like a city again. The city looks, seems so much more alive. More traffic, more stores open, more people coming and going. More parties. Don't get me wrong, there are still a lot of problems here, but the infrastructure, this country appears to be getting its act together. How does that comport with what you saw in your delega…congressional delegation? MARSHALL: I guess I should say to start out with, the reason I went on this trip is because there is a real disconnect between the impressions you are left with about our progress over the news media and the word we were getting from Department of Defense representatives. I wanted to see for myself. HUME: So you wanted to go see who was right. MARSHALL: Right. It's Vietnam (search) deja vu. I was a recon sergeant in Vietnam and went through this process of trying to deal with a guerrilla war. It is a very difficult thing to do and could be that things weren't going well. Well, I came away with the impression that things are going well. Certainly a good bit better than seems to me, the overall American seems to thinks. And the important thing is for Americans to understand that the news media tends to dwell on the negative. It happens in your own hometown, the typical TV show, the typical newspaper article focuses on murders and rapes. And that's what you're seeing right now. What you don't see is the progress. HUME: Isn't there a different, though, really in what you see at home? If you and I hear a story about murder and rape or outbreak of violence in some American city, we kind of know because we live here what that is. And we fit it into a certain perspective. But we don't really have perspective or context on Iraq, do we? MARSHALL: Well, that's an interesting observation. What I'd say is that you if you take news media at home and you…however you handle it personally, in trying to assess what's really going on. And then take that and apply it to the situation over in Iraq, same sort of thing's happening. There are an awful lot of good…there's a lot of good news that could... HUME: Give me examples. MARSHALL: Well, we are reconstructing an awful lot of schools. Troops that I talked to said money is ammo. With money, which is being districted to brigade and battalion level, a lot of Americans don't even know that. We are hiring Iraqi contractors, working side by side with Iraqis, reconstructing schools. Imagine thousands of them, by the way, imagine effect on the kids. What that does is it builds relationships; the relationships lead to intelligence, cooperation, information, saves lives. Saves lives for our troops. There are a lot of positive things going on. It would be nice if the news media had a more balanced picture of what's going on over in Iraq. And I understand the bad sells, the good doesn't. As far as our involvement is concerned, it's important that we maintain our resolve, that Iraqis are willing to come forward and fight alongside of us. And the two of us together can actually win this thing. HUME: Now, apart from the obvious negative effect of having people misinformed in this country, what are other dangers you see from this kind of coverage that's been going on? MARSHALL: Well, it is a guerrilla war. And if we don't appear to have resolve, then Iraqis are going to be a lot less likely to cooperate with us, a lot less likely to be willingly in the Army and willingly out there, going after the guerrillas. We can't force freedom on the Iraqis. The Iraqis have to take it for themselves. They can distinguish one from another. We can't do that. We can't read the street signs. We don't know the language. They do. They can go in there and deal with this guerrilla situation. It's not like Vietnam. In Vietnam, you had the Chinese and Russians... HUME: Right. Behind them. MARSHALL: Behind them. You don't have anything like that here. We can take care of this as long as the Iraqis step forward. They're less likely to step forward if we're pessimistic. We're more likely to be pessimistic if we're getting a lot of negative news coverage. And that's the connection. HUME: Congressman Marshall, thank you for joining us. MARSHALL: Thank you, sir. foxnews.com

To: American Spirit who wrote (466789)	9/30/2003 6:15:58 AM
From: Neocon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

22 September 2003 Tom DeLay, Ander Crenshaw See Democratic Iraq Emerging Op-ed column by Republican Congressmen from Texas and Florida (This column by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, Texas Republican, and Rep. Ander Crenshaw, Florida Republican, was published in the Washington Times September 22 and is in the public domain. No republication restrictions.) (begin byliner) From Bullets to Ballots By Tom DeLay and Ander Crenshaw For security reasons, our military transport plane tucked into a steep descent toward its final approach at Baghdad Airport. The cargo we were carrying - a truck, mail for our troops and various supplies under green tarps - bounced only slightly when the wheels touched the tarmac. A caravan of soldiers, armor and weaponry hastily welcomed our arrival and hustled us into bullet-resistant vehicles. This was a war zone. This is a burgeoning democracy. A soldier with his hands on an M16 and eyes aimed out the window greeted us, "Sirs, welcome to free Iraq." It is not surprising that "free Iraq" is not yet an entirely "safe Iraq," but we're making progress every day. In the months since the end of major combat, an international force led by the United States has been pushing progress on three fronts: democracy, the economy and security. Democratic governance is taking shape. Discussions of political reform that would have brought a death sentence six months ago are now openly occurring. In the last few days, Iraq's 25-member Governing Council has named a cabinet to administer government operations. The council is already working out the planned number of employees per ministry and which ministries from the old regime should be shuttered. The council is also preparing for free elections and exploring the best way to draft a constitution. Every day this council continues its work is another day the Iraqi people are closer to a free, democratic and peaceful society. On the economic front, the chief challenge is setting the country on a path toward prosperity. That path begins with restoring basic services and leaving an infrastructure sufficient to foster economic growth. Under the leadership of Ambassador Paul Bremer, essential services are being restored and brought to areas where they never existed. Mr. Bremer says prewar Iraq produced no more than 4,000 megawatts of electricity per hour. Through U.S. assistance, the country is headed toward meeting the country's actual demand of 6,000 megawatts. In addition to power, running water and health-care services are also becoming commonplace. Long-term economics deals with more fundamental questions. Proposals are being sought from international banks and management groups on how to overhaul Iraq's two largest banks, the first step in constructing a viable banking system. The proposal asks for detailed suggestions on how the two banks could develop new business strategies, expand loans to small and mid-size companies, develop a reliable private deposit base and create a consumer credit market in Iraq. In the area of security, we are making progress, but we must be realistic about our opposition. There are remnants of the old regime and terrorists who wish nothing more than for tyranny to return. The attacks on our soldiers and the bombing of the United Nations headquarters building in Iraq should serve to steel our resolve to continue the work already begun. The primary reason the United States toppled Saddam Hussein's regime was national security. In testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Central Intelligence Agency Director George Tenet confirmed "solid reporting of senior level contacts between Iraq and al Qaeda going back a decade." Further, "al Qaeda leaders sought contacts in Iraq who could help them acquire WMD capabilities." Put simply, progress in Iraq is progress in the war on terrorism. Walking on the ground in Iraq presents views of progress and a vision of what the Iraqi people would like to see in their future. Whether it was the 30,000 farmers who signed and presented a letter of appreciation to the United States, or the groups of children who chased our military convoy smiling and cheering our arrival, the message is clear: we are creating a framework for democracy and we are making progress. Without question, we will face obstacles. Through these we must remain strong and we must remain committed. And through that commitment, we will achieve success. (House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, Texas Republican, and Rep. Ander Crenshaw, Florida Republican, visited Iraq in August.) globalsecurity.org

To: American Spirit who wrote (466789)	9/30/2003 6:19:45 AM
From: Neocon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

Madeline Albright group finds Iraq to be progressing rapidly Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2003 3:17 am -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yes, you read that right: Full text: ndi.org Here's what the Wall Street Journal said about a report that was virtually unreported in the mainstream press from a group called the U.S. National Democratic Institute, which sent an assessment mission to Iraq this summer (www.ndi.org). NDI's chairman is Madeleine Albright and its advisory committee includes Richard Gephardt. Both of whom have been very loud in their criticism of the Bush Administration's efforts: The report's first sentence: "NDI's overwhelming finding--in the north, south, Baghdad and among secular, religious, Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish groups in both urban and rural areas--is a grateful welcoming of the demise of Saddam's regime and a sense that this is a pivotal moment in Iraq's history." Touring the southern cities of Basra, Nassiriya and Aamara, NDI found, "Despite all of the obstacles, virtually every individual and group NDI met with in southern Iraq perceived this as a time of opportunity. . . . Iraqi citizens in the south demonstrated a hunger for information about the functioning of democracy." In the Kurdish-controlled north, NDI saw "clear evidence of a developing economy, relative security and prosperity and an active civil society and culture. . . . Local municipal councils are active and appear to be working." The institute's advance delegation called Iraq "fertile ground for democracy promotion initiatives on a scale not seen since the heady days of the fall of the Berlin Wall." Sounds like a good story. " But of course, it wasn't covered well by the media, which is odd given that it came from a Democratic group...Then again, in the last week a group of Democratic congressmen have blasted the media for it's poor reporting of the full story in Iraq... forum.chronwatch.com

To: American Spirit who wrote (466789)	9/30/2003 6:22:47 AM
From: Neocon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

Poll: Baghdad Residents Glad Saddam Gone Wed Sep 24,12:06 AM ET By WILL LESTER, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - Most residents of Baghdad say that ousting Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) was worth the hardships they've endured since then, says a Gallup poll that shows they are divided on whether the country is worse off or better off than before the U.S. invasion. Two-thirds, 67 percent, say they think that Iraq (news - web sites) will be in better condition five years from now than it was before the U.S.-led invasion. Only 8 percent say they think it will be worse off. But they're not convinced that Iraq is better off now — 47 percent said the country is worse off than before the invasion and 33 percent said it is better off. The Gallup poll of 1,178 adults was conducted face to face in the respondents' household from Aug. 28 through Sept. 4 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Gallup plans to poll extensively in the coming months and years in Iraq and has established a center in Baghdad to coordinate the polling effort. The survey found that 62 percent think ousting Saddam was worth the hardships they have endured since the invasion. In the five months since coalition forces defeated Saddam and his armies, Iraq has faced continuing violence, electrical outages, job shortages and civil unrest. Six in 10 said they have a favorable view of the new Iraqi Governing Council, but most see its priorities as set by coalition authorities. Half said the coalition authorities are doing a better job now than two months ago, while 14 percent said they were doing a worse job. Richard Burkholder, head of the Gallup team in Baghdad, said residents of the city of more than 6 million were eager to talk with his researchers and most who were contacted agreed to be interviewed in their own homes. Gallup drew its sample from different neighborhoods throughout the capital. story.news.yahoo.com

To: American Spirit who wrote (466789)	9/30/2003 6:30:27 AM
From: Neocon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

Press slants Iraq news: Members By Hans Nichols Journalists are giving a slanted and unduly negative account of events in Iraq, a bipartisan congressional group that has just returned from a three-day House Armed Services Committee visit to assess stabilization efforts and the condition of U.S. troops said. Lawmakers charged that reporters rarely stray from Baghdad and have a “police-blotter” mindset that results in terror attacks, deaths and injuries displacing accounts of progress in other areas. Comparisons with Vietnam were farfetched, members said. Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.), the committee’s ranking member, said, “The media stresses the wounds, the injuries, and the deaths, as they should, but for instance in Northern Iraq, Gen. [Dave] Petraeus has 3,100 projects — from soccer fields to schools to refineries — all good stuff and that isn’t being reported.” Skelton and other Democrats on the trip said they plan to reach out to all members of their caucus and explain what they observed. The seven member congressional delegation (Codel) was briefed by U.S. civilian administrator L. Paul Bremer; Maj. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, overall commander of military forces in Iraq; and Petraeus, commander of the 101st Airborne Division. The lawmakers said they worry that the overall negative tone of American press outlets’ reports did not do justice to the progress being made by an occupying force reconstructing a country after years of neglect and in the face of remaining hostile elements that profited under the old regime. Skelton also trained his sights on the administration for its postwar policy. Joined by Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) at a Democratic press conference, Skelton said, “Failure is not an option.” He warned that should the reconstruction effort fail, Iraq would become “a snake pit, a haven for terrorists.” Skelton also demanded that the administration’s supplemental spending request receive hearings in his authorizing committee as well as in the Appropriations Committee. But Skelton tempered his dire warnings with anecdotal evidence that progress is being made on the ground. He said he was impressed with the flexibility and innovative spirit of the American forces, as they shift their strategy from defeating the Ba’athist regime to earning the trust of the population. It is precisely that innovative spirit, Skelton said, that gives him hope that Iraq will be stabilized. “Foreign troops would not have that kind of improvisation,” Skelton said. Another member of the delegation, Rep. Gene Taylor (D-Miss.), agreed that the stabilization effort is making headway. “In fairness, the war is neither going as well as the administration says it’s going or as badly as the media says it is going,” Taylor said. Republicans were left out of the press conference, but they stressed that they shared their Democratic counterparts’ assessments about the bravery of the troops and the innovative programs, especially in the northern part of the country. Democrats concurred that the delegation of Armed Services Committee members was a model of harmony and bipartisan consensus. “We agreed on 99 percent of what we saw,” Skelton told The Hill. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) said: “We were all like-minded in our conversations, not robotic at all, but we saw the real progress that is being made, that we are not at all mired.” Wilson, once a print reporter, strongly criticized the balance of his former profession’s story selection. “Sure, show the bloody side, but get away from this police-blotter mindset. There’s much more going on, ” he said. “Just on Friday, I heard a CBS radio report on the three deaths and then they had this analysis that just bordered on the hysterical,” Wilson said. Adding, “CBS got it exactly wrong, the media portrayed it as an act of sophistication and a regrouping of Saddam’s forces, when in fact, it’s an indication of disorganization and desperation.” Rep. Jim Marshall (D-Ga.) explained that the longer he was in Iraq, the more skeptical he became of his previous assumptions. Some of the media reports led him to believe that “it was Vietnam revisited,” he said. But he said there was “a disconnect between the reporting and the reality.” Marshall also claimed that there now are only 27 reporters in Iraq, down from 779 at the height of the war. “The reporters that are there are all huddled in a hotel. They are not getting out and reporting,” he told The Hill. He added, “The good news is not being reported in the conventional press.” Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.), noting that the reconstruction effort includes over 6,000 projects, said, “The positive nature of that is just not being reported back here. “We came away with the realization that a lot of the debate back here is really irrelevant.” Reps. John Spratt (D-S.C.) and Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) also were on the trip. thehill.com