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Iraq-Jordan
Pentagon debate rages over 'information operations' in Iraq
2004-12-03
If this was posted earlier, please delete.
Amid a debate over the use of misinformation by the U.S. military, the Pentagon says it is investigating an October incident in which a Marine spokesman gave CNN misleading information about an attack on the Iraqi city of Falluja. In an October 14 interview from Iraq, 1st Lt. Lyle Gilbert announced that a major U.S. military operation was under way in Falluja -- three weeks before the offensive that eventually recaptured the city began. A senior Pentagon official told CNN that Gilbert's remarks were "technically true but misleading." It was an attempt to get CNN "to report something not true," the official said....
Yeah, that last remark was not meant to be a joke. But let's talk about misleading: Judy Woodruff reporting that the insurgency in Iraq is increasing, and at the same time showing pictures of combat operations from weeks, months, or who knows how long ago. Of course, this is supposed to give the impression that full-scale warfare is happening every day and night in Iraq. And they have the @#$^% to complain about the Pentagon providing misleading information???
Posted by:Rafael

#10  When did lying to a nosy newsie become a no-no?
Posted by: mojo   2004-12-03 1:19:05 PM  

#9  The newsies are pissed because they are shown to be ignorant, gullable, not resouceful, and just plain stupid. Like the Russians say, "Tough Schitskis."
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2004-12-03 1:14:04 PM  

#8  If Lt. Gilbert saved one soldier or Marine from a hangnail by head-faking the jihadis, then the only debate should be over whether he gets the Bronze Star.
Posted by: Matt   2004-12-03 12:03:13 PM  

#7  Am I the only one who thinks that the CNN reporters are all retirees from the Playboy mansion or Chipendales? Button up their collars and give them a pair of geeky looking glasses and viola! A CNN reporter. It would certainly explain why they are all such a bunch of airheads.
Posted by: 2b   2004-12-03 11:52:07 AM  

#6  If CNN does not want to lose what little credibility they have left amongst the folks, they'd better be careful about how they pursue this. They tend to forget that most Americans have a deep love of their military and will almost always side with the military more then the media.
Posted by: Phiter Glolung1555 (aka Jarhead)   2004-12-03 11:37:07 AM  

#5  Scott Ott at Scrappleface is on top of this one with CNN Duped by Pentagon Into Portraying Iraq as 'Quagmire' "It makes me wonder whether things are going as badly in Iraq as we've been reporting," said one CNN producer.Ya gotta love Ott for his great satire.
Posted by: GK   2004-12-03 5:03:59 AM  

#4  The facts appear to be Lt. Gilbert said something which was true. The reporter's ignorance resulted in s/he mis-interpreting the statement. The Lt. is at fault for not properly appreciating the extent of the reporter's ignorance or taking sufficient action to alleviate that ignorance.

What is breathtaking is CNN publicizing this in the belief it's news. So I humbly suggest Fred change the headline to - CNN demands military compensates for their reporter's ignorance.
Posted by: phil_b   2004-12-03 3:05:41 AM  

#3  So, only terrorists and totalitarians should be able to manipulate the media? Oh, that's right, it isn't manipulation when it is voluntary. These complaints emanate from the same shills who systematically concealed Saddam's crimes for a decade in the holy name of access. Now, they are outraged at a single incident of manipulation whose purpose was not to conceal atrocities for the sake of ratings, but to save the lives of American and Iraqi soldiers. The arrogance of these media beasts is unequalled in human history. They are a disease, a blight, a cancer on the Earth. The sooner they are eradicated, the sooner human progress can resume.
Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy   2004-12-03 2:23:25 AM  

#2  ..the Pentagon says it is investigating an October incident in which a Marine spokesman gave CNN misleading information about an attack on the Iraqi city of Falluja.

Unless it's illegal to give false information to a news service, I don't see what the problem is. The military's plans are no one else's business but their own, and it is up to them to decide how and what they're going to reveal, if they want to, when they want to. End of story.
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama   2004-12-03 2:20:50 AM  

#1  Add to this the dreaded "e" word, escalation, and Judy is already having flashbacks of Vietnam. How friggin pathetic.
Posted by: Rafael   2004-12-03 1:15:22 AM  

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