We're the Military and Airpower Guys of Jonah Goldberg of National Review Online + a stray we found wandering around looking lost. All original material JHD, BHD, JR, WT, and KA 2003-2007 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:54:17 Z Movable Type 4.12 en Copyright 2008 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification I’m convinced, more than ever, that the people of Iraq want what you and I want.Last Thursday I spoke by phone with Major General Rick Lynch, Commanding General, 3rd Infantry Division (Multi-National Division - Central), currently in Iraq. He answered questions for about 35 minutes, discussing the current security situation, redevelopment efforts, the strains of long/repeated deployments and his attitude toward media outreach. I did not bring up the issue of Iranian influence in Iraq, as he recently spoke about that in great detail here. 3ID is headquarters for MND-C, with an area of operations beginning on the southern edge... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html Mon, 12 May 2008 05:32:48 -0600 Geez! What is it with you always accusing me of going formal on you?! :P I speak too casually and without specificity, and you pick my comments to pieces; I get direct and clear, and you accuse me of getting snobby. That was NOT the Royal We I was using in that comment. *sigh* Luv ya, anyway. :P http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72986 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72986 Tue, 13 May 2008 18:54:52 -0600 That's what we've been hearing, BillT. Fine kettle of fish. Ya hang with the brass and go all *formal* 'n' stuff with us gringo peons... *Red Alert! scuttling for the bunker* ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72984 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72984 Tue, 13 May 2008 15:52:52 -0600 That's what we've been hearing, BillT. Stay safe. :) http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72982 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72982 Tue, 13 May 2008 14:45:09 -0600 I get *so* confused when you mix metaphoricals. BTW, the push is already *on* in Mosul... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72981 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72981 Tue, 13 May 2008 13:41:04 -0600 metaphorical sense rather than the military one. Sorry.]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72976 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72976 Tue, 13 May 2008 09:55:01 -0600 Okay, what we have here is a SERIOUS failure to communicate. :P What I meant was that I believe the developments we are seeing in 3ID's AO (MND-C) are a vanguard of what we will soon be seeing in the areas of Northern and Southern Iraq that are currently not as far along (those areas are NOT part of 3ID's AO. The AO goes southward to Karbala and Najaf, but it's still part of MND-C. You'd think the "C" in Central would mean Baghdad city itself, but it includes just the southern part of Baghdad province). So, have I communicated clearly now? :P http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72975 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72975 Tue, 13 May 2008 09:50:56 -0600 I meant it to refer to everything from Baghdad to the Kurdish territories. I *know* that. However, it's a tad *north* of the of 3ID's AO -- unless MG Lynch is planning to drop by for coffee and a ride in the B-206 FTD...]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72974 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72974 Tue, 13 May 2008 09:42:58 -0600 Yes, Smarty Pants! I know that was a geographically haphazard reference, but I meant it to refer to everything from Baghdad to the Kurdish territories. :P And yes, the above was my FbL Voice, not my Reporter Voice. *double Pbbbttttt http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72956 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72956 Mon, 12 May 2008 15:19:11 -0600 I think we are going to see that 3ID is the vanguard of what will soon start to be obvious in Southern Iraq and the Northern Baghdad/Mosul area as they settle down I take it you're using "the Northern Baghdad/Mosul area" in the same sense you'd use "the Northern San Diego/Santa Barbara area"?]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72955 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72955 Mon, 12 May 2008 15:12:58 -0600 As I saw the Patreus strategy, it was (maybe I oversimplify)...... "OK, everybody go turn off the AC, pack your ruck, and get to work" Soldiers respond to that...........as do their leaders The day we put the first air conditioner in the first Officer/NCO/EM club in Viet Nam we might as well have started packing to come home. Patreus is old enough to remember that lesson......and smart enough to have learned from it. CENTCOM Hq will respond just as well......From what I hear, Adm Fallon put in a lot of air conditioners......... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72954 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72954 Mon, 12 May 2008 13:12:08 -0600 I'm sure they ARE tickled re: Petraeus. As I'll get into in the next post or so, 3ID is a case study in how amazingly fast and how effectively the U.S. military has adapted to Petraeus' strategy/COIN. The changes 3ID has had to move through in tactics/activities just in their deployment are stunning. That wasn't a point that MG Lynch drove home in the interview, but the topics we covered and what I sat and listened to MG Lynch say just hit me like a ton of bricks. The U.S. military has done an incredible thing in Iraq in the last 12 months. Just amazing. I think we are going to see that 3ID is the vanguard of what will soon start to be obvious in Southern Iraq and the Northern Baghdad/Mosul area as they settle down (still coping with significant insugent/AQ/criminal activity). http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72953 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72953 Mon, 12 May 2008 12:39:01 -0600 Point well made FbL. Your prep work always shows, believe me. I, on the other hand, am far too lazy to go through that, and prefer instead to call a cell phone *somewhere* in Florida and go straight to the source....."gottchajournalism" works good on one of your kids......they're used to it. And "boots in the sand in Florida" are tickled to have Gen. Patreaus inbound BTW. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72952 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72952 Mon, 12 May 2008 12:14:16 -0600 No extra prep required: simply assume he's a liar and use a single data point to attempt to "prove" YOUR point. In such cases, it becomes all about you rather than the story. Then again, that's probably another reason why we see so much bad journalism: ego. i wouldn't go totally with "no extra prep time", I believe people do and have done a lot of work to get their story, but it reminds me somewhat of some bad thesis that I've read (my own included) that had a lot of info and then, with a deadline approaching, rushed to conclusions to make the story fit, make it work and make it to deadline. But, the most important aspect of that is that there is a huge bit of egoism that goes into writing a story and conveying a point. Journalism school doesn't beat that out of you, it just gives you new names and ways to shove it under a rug. Journalists are no different than we are, they put their pants on one leg at a time. I know that, when I write something here, there is a good bit of ego that goes into it, so I have to imagine that it is the same for anyone writing any story. I keep that in mind when I read. I believe that people's experiences do shape them and how they interpret information. That is liberal or conservative, Democrat, republican, atheist or faithful...name it, and I believe it does. It actually takes a significant amount of control and concentration to try to edit out such concepts as "bias" from either the writing or the publishing aspect. Very little of any such purity exists. Therefore, I take the Fox Maulder approach to journalism: trust no one. ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72951 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72951 Mon, 12 May 2008 12:12:53 -0600 Addendum to my comment to R Jewell: My suspicion that many in the media are lazy has come about both by observing how much they get wrong that could be easily checked, and by realizing how hard it really is. Preparing to interview all these senior leaders of 3rd ID (and the ambassador) has been a huge education for me. I had to not only be aware of what has happened to the 3ID in Iraq since they arrived, I had to make sure I knew as much as possible about recent Iraq history and culture, current issues in Iraq, economics, tribalism, and the interactions of the various sects and ethnicities. Beyond that, I had to brush up to be sure I was clear in my knowledge of military structure, culture, and COIN theory. On a personal level, even learning about each interviewee's background and resume gave me clues about what to expect. I already knew a great deal about many of these things, probably much more than the average American. But that wasn't enough. In order to gain the kind of credibility that would get me serious answers to serious questions, I needed to be extremely well-informed. I also needed to know and understand enough that I could recognize if I were being spun, comprehend the answers I was given, and know enough about the subject at hand to ask meaningful follow-up questions (sadly, my success in doing that is not 100%). I spent hours and hours of prep time for what at times could be as little as 20 minutes with an interviewee. Rather than do all that, it is so much easier to simply assume the worst about my interviewee and engage in Gotcha journalism. No extra prep required: simply assume he's a liar and use a single data point to attempt to "prove" YOUR point. In such cases, it becomes all about you rather than the story. Then again, that's probably another reason why we see so much bad journalism: ego. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72950 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72950 Mon, 12 May 2008 11:41:32 -0600 R Jewell, the points you make are why I hesitate to ascribe ideological intent to the situation. And the talk shows (I do not listen to most of the ones you describe) talk more politics than straight news, so they may say Iraq is improving, but they are not reporting details or the "big picture" that MG Lynch talks about communicating. But when you look at the national newspapers, national news, and AP/Reuters/AFP from which the newspapers and radio news breaks draw their stories, good news has been largely ignored. However, it seems that recently there is more "good news" reporting than a couple months ago. I'm beginning to suspect that's because in many places in Iraq it's becoming extremely difficult to find the bad news--and one thing I AM becoming convinced of is that far too many in the media are terribly lazy. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72948 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72948 Mon, 12 May 2008 11:10:51 -0600 My own personal "awakening" to this issue came in 1992, when the media obsessed over the "bad" economy. At first, I had the same thought as FbL: Certainly, they're just reporting the news. I gave them the benefit of the doubt, but asked myself this: Even if they're reporting the economic news "objectively", the constant reinforcement of "bad" economic news would undoubtedly result in a growing downward spiral, like a snowball rolling downhill, as people who hear the bad news worry and become increasingly reluctant to buy or invest. The economy would just get worse. We now know that the economy was actually in an upswing. But none of this positive news was reported. And then I saw the media's obession with the Clintons in the 1990's, and everything since. The revelations of bias since new media and the internet has simply solidified my opinion that there is, indeed, not just negligence and lazy work being done by the MSM, academia, and Hollyweird, but that much of this is being done with serious intent. They've learned much from the examples of Riefenstahl, Eisenstein, Goebbels, et al. Even with the inroads that new media has made, they know the power they still hold. They know they can shape and mold people's opinions. They do it everyday with commercial advertising, creating needs and preferences, overtly and subliminally. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72947 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72947 Mon, 12 May 2008 10:45:49 -0600 "fair and balanced" and there never has been, at least in my lifetime. Back in the 60's, the Repubs watched Channel 5 news in Cincinnnati (NBC national).....the Dems watched Chanel 9(CBS national)....... Now, you may jump....... ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72946 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72946 Mon, 12 May 2008 10:43:45 -0600 Funny how they think everyone else is lying to them instead. Innit, though? I told a photojournalist to wait by the helicopter while I went to get a briefing and warned him that there were Khmer Rouge in the forest who would kill him if he went into the trees. He did and they did. ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72945 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72945 Mon, 12 May 2008 10:13:24 -0600 See why I love him? LOL Good job, FbL! http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72944 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72944 Mon, 12 May 2008 10:05:36 -0600 Unfortunately, we've got a somewhat similar, but reversed, case here: stories of our successes in Iraq are just not being reported at all by the liberally dominated MSM simply because these stories don't fit their bias and their agenda, especially in an election year You know, it stems from a long history of journalism that has never been unbiased or objective, a profession that has attracted as many charlatans and liars as great writers, a profession that decided that it had not only a responsibility to inform people's decisions, but to help shape them. I think that last is where they got into trouble. There is something about the ego that believes its own press. For instance, some people keep touting that the media will fall to outside pressure from alternative media. I don't know about that. We may crow at our victories, but remember that somewhere out there the young are already text messaging via blue tooth technology to every phone within a three mile radius while I still wait for this comment to post. For old media, though, the day they hit the pinnacle and then started sliding for the bottom? It was 1972. Richard Nixon was a crook and a liar. A newspaper brought down a president. And, ever since then, the media has not focused on information so much as created the great white hunters of journalism who each sees that pinnacle as the one they must surpass in order to achieve their own fame and fortune. It's not about the truth or objectivity. It is not about serving people, whatever lie some first year journalism student may tell him or herself. Funny how they think everyone else is lying to them instead.]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72943 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72943 Mon, 12 May 2008 09:50:30 -0600 " ... I honestly hesitate to paint the MSM with a broad brush that attributes to them active malice or conscious bias ... " You're much too generous, IMHO, FbL. Oh, certainly, there are exceptions to every rule. And there are some professionals within the MSM who stand out in my mind as being as honest, unbiased, and balanced as they can be, even though I know how liberal they are. But I'm firmly convinced that a majority of them have very clear biases and agendas, and are using the powers they enjoy by virtue of their positions in the MSM, as well as in academia and Hollyweird, to advance their agendas and goals in the larger cultural war(s) in which we're engaged.]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72942 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72942 Mon, 12 May 2008 09:36:15 -0600 I remember that quote, too. I honestly hesitate to paint the MSM with a broad brush that attributes to them active malice or conscious bias, but I am honestly at a loss to explain what we are seeing. Like any good military officer, MG Lynch refused to speculate on why, just merely described his experience and situation in relation to the media. But he was passionate about the problems this causes and about how important it is to keep people informed. I have often lamented that a biased/incompetent/lazy media is a terrible liability for us. Citizens require information in order to make good decisions about who we want to lead us and where we want to be led. Incomplete or misleading info damages our ability to govern ourselves. It was sad to see another example of that, but encouraging to talk to a senior officer who so clearly "gets" this in relation to the greater government/society. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72940 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72940 Mon, 12 May 2008 08:54:39 -0600 I read a quote somewhere recently (I forget where) that said the Japanese people knew how badly they were losing the war because the state-run media kept reporting Japanese "victories" closer and closer to home. Unfortunately, we've got a somewhat similar, but reversed, case here: stories of our successes in Iraq are just not being reported at all by the liberally dominated MSM simply because these stories don't fit their bias and their agenda, especially in an election year. Like a 2-way street, propaganda flows both ways. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72938 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/05/live_from_iraq_6.html#comment-72938 Mon, 12 May 2008 08:14:23 -0600