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Good Guys Win in Afghanistan, AP Spins Anyway
By Charlie
HUGE Shout-out to the troops with ISAF, mopping the floor with the Taliban in Musa Qala. But check out this spin from AP reporter AMIR SHAH:
Afghan, international forces retake town
KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghan and international forces on Monday retook a southern town held by Taliban militants since February, although foreign fighters — possibly members of al-Qaida — were continuing to attack invading troops, officials said.
Emphasis mine. We're INVADING the town? The town that was occupied by Taliban and foreign fighters? How about LIBERATING it from an 8th century theocratic death-cult?
And to be fair and balanced, the Taliban was contacted for comment (I wish I was kidding..):
A Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousef Ahmadi, said militant fighters left Musa Qala as a strategic decision to avoid Taliban and civilian casualties. "Because of the massive bombings this morning, the Taliban didn't want to cause more casualties, so this afternoon all the Taliban left Musa Qala," Ahmadi told The Associated Press by satellite phone.
Wow, they are so concerned for civilian life, they just voluntarily withdrew! What nobility! What honor!
The way this war is covered in the press makes me sick. I only hope the other end of that phone call was targeted by a JDAM, and that future press calls to Taliban spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi go straight to voice mail.
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Comments
Why are called invaders? We are doing the right thing dammit.
I mean why are we called invaders?
I'm a journalist and I never defend when my colleagues spin something negatively against the U.S., however, in this case you are over reacting.
There are dozens of operatins that we easily refer as invasions, Normandy, the Philipines, ect. If you are involved in an invasion you are an invader. It is not necessarily a negative.
Could the reporter have used a better word, sure, but these people are also working under pressure (in conditions they are not trained for) to get a story out and that does not always lead to the best prose.
These reporters have editors, probably sitting in a Manhattan office where their biggest pressure is to not getting caught letting positive news get out. This sort of thing doesn't get reported this way by accident.
thats all right doug. the media keep apologizing for the islamic terrorists and their stock prices keep dropping about what. 4%per year. and their stock prices keep dropping a few percent per year.
sooner or later you guys will get the hint.
C
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Sounds like this was a Pelosi, Murtha or Reid press release!