No Country For Gutless Reporters

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There is one thing in common between every American soldier who returns from Iraq, Afghanistan, or wherever they’ve been fighting the war on terror: none seem to believe the press is reporting their fight accurately. We all see it everyday-the politicization of a war-any way-so that it fuels personal political agendas or personal careers, media agendas, outlet demographics, etc. This story, however, really caught my eye today.

Afghanistan is not an easy place to live. The winters are some of the most brutal on the planet. The mountains are arguably the roughest in the world. There is almost no infrastructure. Bandits and terrorists are everywhere. It’s just a bad place.

So, if you’re a self-centered reporter with little guts and a desire to start a no-war-in-Afghanistan theme because (dammit!) things are going better in Iraq and on track for success….well, I’m thinkin’ going to one of the worst place on Earth and seeking to report first hand on a fight just isn’t the brightest idea.

It’s not
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Some people just should be ashamed of themselves.

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You have to read Meo’s full story in Blackfive’s link first to get the full picture on this. It sounds right out of the pages of a typical Vietnam War correspondent’s book of tall tales.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/onthefrontline/3223963/Afghanistan-The-night-I-was-killed-in-action-by-a-Taliban-ambush.html

There were a number of comments by Meo that were not only inaccurate, but reveal him as a Vietnam style anti-war propagandist:

Scott Dimond, a 39-year-old father of four. I didn’t talk to him before we set off, which in a way I am now grateful for. Less than an hour later he was dead.

Agree with Blackfive, totally uncalled for, but I say so for different reasons. Professional journalists know it’s taboo to give full names and family information on individual military members killed in action in front lines report. This is to afford the military support systems back home time to contact the family first and provide them counseling and assistance as needed. Would Scott had preferred his daughter accidentally stumble on this information from this hack? Absolutely not. Meo’s reason for doing this could only be as a cheap and shoddy anti-war journalistic trick to “put a face” on the military actions. Reprehensible.

The New Yorkers in the unit said they were in Afghanistan because of September 11. Others insisted they were stopping terrorism.

Both answers would ring true and are one in the same to our troops. Meo’s mention of it suggests he thinks we are there for some other reason.

The bomb hit us about half an hour’s drive west of Kandahar

You can clearly hear on the video the Guardsmen saying the “Bomb” was an “IED” (Improvised Explosive Device). To “hit” the vehicle, the bomb would have to be in motion. IEDs set to stop a vehicle in a convoy, so insurgents can stage an ambush, while others in the convoy stop to render aid to any wounded, retrieve the fallen and/or survivors before moving on. A cowardly tactic. An ambush did occur, as Meo at first confirms, then later denies so he can try to twist the story again with;

The British would have regarded this level of fire as excessive, and perhaps even trigger-happy. Thousands of rounds must have been used.

It dawned on me that there could be Afghan homes out there. I thought of all the villages I have driven past on this road when it was safe for journalists to travel in a taxi.
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A sergeant switched on a night-vision camera and saw what he decided was a bunker, although God knows what it really was. He directed one of the heavy guns to fire at it. I hoped it wasn’t an Afghan family’s house.

You can tell in his 20/20 hindsight he is trying to depict himself as the only clear-minded sensible person present. Going to great lengths to exaggerate the emotions supposedly playing over the troops’ faces (As if these details were what stuck in his memories). He’s worried his butt might get caught by Taliban, then he suddenly halts this self pitying train of thought to wonder if our soldiers are “panic firing” upon innocent civilian homes? What a load of rubbish! He noted before he got out of the damn truck he could hear suspected Taliban machine gun fire outside of the convoy. Yet he decides to twist the story again to make it sound like frightened Americans military members are attacking innocents again. Meo, you were scared sh!t-less and it comes through on the tape.

Excellent job from Blackfive on catching the disappearing/re-appearing night-vision goggles gag. I have no doubt that was added intentionally by Meo to play off of the “Republican’s aren’t supplying our troops with what they need to fight,” Democrat propaganda. Not trying to effect our General Elections from Afganistan are you Meo? Of course you are. We are well aware European Socialists want Socialist Dems & Obama to take over managing our government. Nice try A-hole, but you got caught in your lie.

I agree with Blackfive. This Meo is a P.O.S., and his attempt to portray Afganistan as another Vietnam is yellow journalism at it’s worst, comparable to Obama’s own, “…Air-raiding villages and killing civilians…” propaganda.

LOL! OMG, I can’t believe I missed that.

After posting here I was reading the; “Where Did the Public Get the Idea that McCain is Running A Negative Campaign?” And hit Custer’s #12 post.

Now I had long ago noted with little humor Oprah calling Obama, “The One” as a reference to the Matrix and Neo being that movie’s “The One” messianic figure. How could you miss it with the Oprah/Oracle older Black female schtick. But it totally went over my head that the Brit reporter on this original story is calling himself “Meo”.

LOL, Now I’m even more convinced that turkey was in the tank for the Obama & our Dems.