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PULP Journalism
By Richard S. Lowry
Today, the mainstream media made another attempt to shape public opinion, rather than trying to inform and educate. The Washington Post led their recent interview with David Petraeus with the headline - "Petraeus: Iraqi Leaders Not Making 'Sufficient Progress'". They went on to claim that "no one" in the U.S. and Iraqi governments "feels that there has been sufficient progress by any means in the area of national reconciliation,"
The Post's reporters apparently believe that they can write whatever supports their own personal belief, whether it is true, or not.
The Multi-National Force-Iraq shot back with a the following statement.
Richard S. Lowry is the author of Marines in the Garden of Eden and The Gulf War Chronicles.
MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ
PRESS DESK
BAGHDAD, Iraq
http://www.mnf-iraq.com
703.343.8790
Press Release 080314a
March 14, 2008
Transcript of General Petraeus Interview with the Washington Post on Government of Iraq Progress
Today's Washington Post inaccurately characterized the discussions General Petraeus and their reporters had yesterday. During the one-hour interview General Petraeus never intimated or stated that Iraqi leaders have "failed to take advantage of a reduction in violence to make adequate progress toward resolving their political differences."
The Washington Post has been asked to make a correction on this statement and we are awaiting their decision.
The following transcript is from an interview with the Washington Post’s Sudarsan Raghavan, Joshua Partlow and Cameron Barr of Gen. Petraeus’ comments on the Government of Iraq’s economic and political progress.
GENERAL PETRAEUS: ...The government does have to achieve legitimacy in the eyes of many in the Sunni Arab community, if not most. There’s no question. Actually, it has to achieve legitimacy in the eye of all Iraqis…... and that can only come by improving the level of services, again -- some of which are going to take some time, but some of which they can do in a…
WP: But they have political power. Anbar wants political power.
GENERAL PETRAEUS: And they will get it. But again, that’s why they want provincial elections. That’s why the provincial powers law and the subsequent provincial election laws are so important. I mean that’s why Ambassador Crocker and I have repeatedly noted that, you know, it’s crucial that the Iraqis exploit the opportunity that we and our Iraqi counterparts have fought so hard to provide them. And they did start down that road. They have made a start down that road. And, you know, the laws that were passed, some of them are steps toward the kind of progress that is needed to begin to cement the gains that have been achieved in the security arena.
WP: Do you think enough has been done? I mean last year, you know, you’ve even said it…
GENERAL PETRAEUS: Sure.
WP: …a lot of commanders have said it that the key goal of the surge…
GENERAL PETRAEUS: Sure.
WP: …is to foster political reconciliation.
GENERAL PETRAEUS: No. -- Let me take that again—don’t say that……let me just answer that one.
WP: Yeah.
GENERAL PETRAEUS: No one…no one in the government or US…or even in the government of Iraq feels that there has been sufficient progress by any means in the area of national reconciliation, legislation to cement the gains, and so on. They are all keenly aware. And the same with respect to basic services. I mean I actually…today I was invited by the prime minister after we had our weekly meeting with him, the ambassador and I, he said, “Will you stay around and sit in on the meeting with the ministers of oil and electricity?” And so I said, “Okay. I guess so.” I mean after three and one-half years of monitoring daily exports, towers up or down, you know, 400KV, 132KV, 11KV, the different oil lines, the different generators, and everything else, it’s actually helpful. And in fact, I just got a commitment from, you know, an enormous, maybe the biggest, electrical production company in the world to renew its efforts here after some pretty frustrating years, frankly. So…
WP: So you’re going to have…The surge is going to be gone by July. Are you…do you think the government has lost an opportunity to…
GENERAL PETRAEUS: No. I think…no. I think the opportunity is very much still there.
WP: You’re going to have less…you’re going to have the surge troops gone. One of the key goals of the surge troops is not…won’t be achieved by July.
GENERAL PETRAEUS: Well, again, the security progress, again, we certainly will do all that we can. I mean we’re going to fight like the dickens to maintain the progress and where we can to try to build on it. I mean we are really just embarking on the effort in Mosul which is of enormous importance to al-Qaeda and the related groups. It’s just very, very significant because of geography, politics, money.
WP: Yeah.
- 30 -
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE MNF-I PRESS DESK AT: MNFIPRESSDESK@IRAQ.CENTCOM.MIL.
FOR THIS PRESS RELEASE AND OTHERS VISIT WWW.MNF-IRAQ.COM
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Comments
Wow. Reporter needs a new job or just learn to let the interviewee actually finish their sentences.
No one…no one in the government or US…or even in the government of Iraq feels that there has been sufficient progress by any means in the area of national reconciliation, legislation to cement the gains, and so on. They are all keenly aware.
Am I dense, or isn't that what he just said right here. maybe I don't get the nuance before my fifth cup of coffee?
The problem here is that The Post is implying that General Petraeus believes that the Iraqi government is not making progress.
"BAGHDAD, March 13 -- Iraqi leaders have failed to take advantage of a reduction in violence to make adequate progress toward resolving their political differences, Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, said Thursday.
Petraeus, who is preparing to testify to Congress next month on the Iraq war, said in an interview that "no one" in the U.S. and Iraqi governments "feels that there has been sufficient progress by any means in the area of national reconciliation," or in the provision of basic public services."
The post DID quote Petraeus directly, but they took his comments out of context. Please read MNF-I's transcript again. General Petraeus was trying to explain a very complex issue, that of inclusion of the Suni representation in the national government. Several times he indicated that progress is being made in Iraq. Yet the Post led with - "Iraqi Leaders Not Making 'Sufficient Progress'"
At best, this is a mischaracterization of General Petraeus' comments. At worst, this could be detrimental to the reconciliation process. Today on the web, I have seen several instances of this headline being quoted as proof that the surge is not working. The mainstream media needs to be more careful in what the publish. Some people actually still believe everything they read.
Thank you Richard, for your explanation. I've jumped on the press plenty, but I wanted to make sure that I understood the complaint better since first blush seems to show them quoting him appropriately.
I'm actually working on pulling together a ton of reports on the economic and reconstruction progress. Most of which everyone ignores in favor of things that still occasionally go boom and the tedious and tense process of getting multiple representatives of numerous provinces to agree on laws that they can feel are equally beneficial to themselves (or more so) than the state.
Kat,
That is great. I have always said that if it doesn't bleed or explode, you won't see it on the evening news. You might be interested in a post I did a few days ago about the 3rd ID and their successes and projects. It's titled, "The Rock of the Marne."
I truly believe that democracy's are built from the ground up - not the top down. Shortcomings in the Iraqi national government are to be expected. Real progress is being made out in the provinces, from the ground up.
Thank you for your comments.
Richard
Nice job Richard. Please post an update if the MNF or Post updates anything.
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That is about the most pathetic thing I've ever seen...."inaccurately characterized" my ass, flat out fantasy.....