WTF??

[toasty]

So I guess we're making up quotes and attributing them to "unidentified Iraqis" in press releases now?

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/07/25/military.release/index.html

Highlights:

U.S. military admits error in news releases
Statements had similar quotes from 'unidentified Iraqi'

Monday, July 25, 2005; Posted: 4:38 p.m. EDT (20:38 GMT)

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- The U.S. military expressed regret Monday for issuing news releases about two separate attacks in Iraq that included almost identical quotes attributed to an unidentified Iraqi.

In both statements, the military quoted an Iraqi calling the attackers "enemies of humanity" and vowing to "take the fight to the terrorists," the latter an expression President Bush frequently has used in speeches.

...

After the media contacted officials Sunday on the similarities, the military reissued the latest release without the quote.

...

Below are the two news releases from the U.S. military with the similar quotes:

From Sunday:

" 'The terrorists are attacking the infrastructure, the ISF and all of Iraq. They are enemies of humanity without religion or any sort of ethics. They have attacked my community today and I will now take the fight to the terrorists,' said one Iraqi man who preferred not to be identified."

From July 13:

" 'The terrorists are attacking the infrastructure, the children and all of Iraq,' said one Iraqi man who preferred not to be identified. 'They are enemies of humanity without religion or any sort of ethics. They have attacked my community today and I will now take the fight to the terrorists.' "

Seriously, this is just embarrassing. Forget ideology or politics. Bush and his buddies are just flat out fucking incompetent. Jesus H. Christ in a chicken basket. Is it 2008 yet?

[thesightless]

Re: WTF??

i think the fact that anyone who does anything against the insurb\gency seems to be killed has something to do with it.

[toasty]

^^not really following you here. That would obviously explain why Iraqis aren't too jazzed about making public statements that would identify them. The only explanation for the repeated statements, however, would seem to be:

1. We have one Iraqi at our disposal that makes the same statement over and over again when necessary.
2. We give prepared statements to Iraqis for sound-bite quoting purposes.
3. Our Arabic-English translator only knows one English phrase, and uses it regardless of what is said in Arabic.
4. There is no "unidentified Iraqi," and we're making up quotes.

I understand that there is a certain degree of propaganda and psychological operations that is present in any war effort. I just wish we could do it without it being so obvious about it.

[thesightless]

Re: WTF??

i hear you, but you really think the military is ordering CNN,MSN,FOX and others to put out quotes?

frankly i couldnt care. you know my view, extend the isreali fence around the whole area and let em be. just cut all ties so they cant bitch and we cant bitch. no trade, no money, no invasions, nothing. eventually they will realize they need a change to advance themselves. and then maybe they will open up to the world. if not, thier depsied way of life will be the end of them. nothing like beating a woman because she talked to a non-family member male.

[toasty]

Re: WTF??

i hear you, but you really think the military is ordering CNN,MSN,FOX and others to put out quotes?

I don't know about "ordering," but these quotes are from military press releases, so I do think the intent is that those and other news outlets pick up the story and inevitably repeat the quotes. I'm not sure what other reason there could be for including them in a press release...

[eye-p]

Re: WTF??

i hear you, but you really think the military is ordering CNN,MSN,FOX and others to put out quotes?

I don't know about "ordering," but these quotes are from military press releases, so I do think the intent is that those and other news outlets pick up the story and inevitably repeat the quotes. I'm not sure what other reason there could be for including them in a press release...

Psy-Ops, pure and simple.

The government, and the military in particular, seeds the media with information every day.

Google Operation Mockingbird.


Even if you dont want to believe that our trusted Govt would do such things, does anyone really believe ANYTHING AT ALL from CNN, Fox, or MSNBC?

Parent companies Time Warner/ AOL, News Corp, and GE dont stand to gain anything from war, right?

[rewing3]

It is a damn war. People die in war. So some journalists made a mistake. Now lets go make huge deal about this and blow it way out of portion.

[toasty]

So some journalists made a mistake.

Not exactly. Journalists report, which is at least theoretically supposed to be without any spin [insert laughter here]. Press releases, in contrast, are provided to journalists and are designed to put the best spin possible on the subject matter as it pertains to whomever is issuing the press release. The folks at the military botched this one in issuing the release -- not the journalists who caught the error...