As Harry Shearer has pointed out, NPR owes us all an apology for its deadly lack of journalism leading up to the current horrors in Iraq. But instead of apologizing, NPR seems determined to push on with more lousy reporting on Iraq. Consider what Jackie Northam served up this morning.Reflecting the utter contempt that NPR shows for the November 7th voters' rejection of the continuing occupation of Iraq, Renee Montagne says, "Here’s a look at one way Americans hope to change the situation in Iraq: boosting the number of US military advisors who train the Iraqi army…Jackie Northam examines the promises and challenges of this option." Then Jackie Northam comes on with, "Most generals, politicians, and defense analysts talk of increased training for Iraqi forces as the highest priority and the best shot possible for US success in Iraq."
I was taken aback by the way Montagne describes it as "Americans hope" when she means a tiny minority of political and military leaders--and "promises and challenges." What promises? And then Northam has the gall to describe the Bush-Pentagon plan as "the best shot possible for US success." I hate to break it to Northam, but outside of the closed world of establishment think tanks she lives in the reality is that the US project in Iraq is already a failure, a disaster, a criminally miserable fiasco. There is no "success" for the US to pull from Iraq, and the sooner NPR comes to grips with this the sooner they will quit trying to sell this load of bunk to their listeners. NPR's reporting sounds more and more like the Bush foolery of "turning a corner" in Iraq.
It's no big surprise that Northam is so out of touch with the failure of the Iraq project, almost every report she files is filled with establishment-centrist or right-wing think tank "fellows" or loyal ex-military, ex-government officials. Consider this morning's guests:
- Ret. Army Major General William Nash, senior fellow at the Council for Foreign Relations, who according to Northam “says adding to the number of military advisors is a very reasonable approach…”
- Andrew Krepinevich of the CSBA says, “the US advisors can help the Iraqis improve their military skills..."
- Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
4 comments:
Good progress report on how the infiltration continues to conquer NPRSpeak.
Montange seems to have a pretty combative (for NPR) relationship with the rest of the world. I've noticed her talking about Iranian infiltration of Iraq without any need or reference and generally detected a hint of militarism that might be expected based on her bio:
"Montagne, the daughter of a Marine Corps family, was born in California and raised in locales as diverse as Hawaii and Arizona."
I'm surprised to hear such venom towards NPR's coverage before the war. Back then it was the only place I could go to hear Scott Ritter, while the New York Times reported that there were certainly WMDs.
NPR is a spigot of neoinfo, who like MSM is not accountable to it's audience. If you have ever tried to comment on an NPR or MSM assertion then you know what a brick wall is...and if I can't comment then the source is not accountable.
Impeach
Try
Hang
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