What Is NOT Being Reported

[rushmc 23]

What the Media Isn't Reporting
by Oliver North (more by this author)
Posted 10/03/2008 ET

The potentates on the Potomac have been so busy ranting about an imminent financial “catastrophe,” dissecting Sarah Palin’s debate debut and prognosticating John McCain’s political demise that other news – particularly about the war being waged against radical Islam – has been hard to find. Here are some facts about the campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan that haven’t captured the attention of our so-called mainstream media:

First, and most importantly, the campaign in Mesopotamia is all but won. This week the 2nd Battalion 9th Marines arrived in Al Anbar Province – once the bloodiest place on the planet – to assume the mission of honing the skills of Iraqi forces who now have responsibility for security in the largest of Iraq’s 18 provinces. Iraqis – instead of Americans – are now conducting most combat operations against Al Qaeda remnants and Shiite militias throughout the country.

Second, despite predictions that “it couldn’t be done,” the Maliki government has announced plans for provincial elections before year-end. The Iraqis are also completing an oil-revenue sharing plan and are quietly concluding a Status of Forces Agreement with the U.S. on the disposition of American troops. Though Iranian interference in Iraq’s internal affairs continues, U.S. and Iraqi Special Operations Forces have been quietly rolling up terror networks set up by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

General Ray Odierno, the new U.S. commander in Iraq demurs from describing the current situation a “victory” because bloodshed still occurs. This week Sunni suicide bombers in Salahidin Province and Baghdad killed 28 and wounded more than 30 Shiite worshipers celebrating Eid – the end of their Ramadan fast. Rather than pushing the country toward “civil-war,” events like these have increasingly alienated insurgent groups from the civilian population. Despite these attacks, violence is at a four year low. Though widely unreported, U.S. military and diplomatic officials express quiet confidence that Iraq is well on its way to becoming our closest ally in a part of the world where we need reliable friends.

There is also good news from Afghanistan that is generally ignored by our political and media elites in their efforts to find only gloom and doom in the campaign against a resurgent Taliban and the remnants of Al Qaeda. On Tuesday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, reported that this year, 30 aid workers have been killed, 92 were kidnapped and 22 World Food Program convoys have been attacked. On Wednesday, President Bush met with General David McKiernan, the senior U.S. military commander in Afghanistan. Both men acknowledged the current spike in violence in Afghanistan precipitated by cross-border activity from Pakistan and Iran. Though they also observed that there have been improvements in health care, education and transportation, press reports of the meeting emphasized that 2008 has been the bloodiest year for U.S. troops since 2001.

General McKiernan made clear that he needs more troops, military hardware and reconstruction aid “as quickly as possible” in order to prosecute an effective winter campaign against a “surge” in foreign terrorists that includes Pakistanis, Chechens, Saudis, Uzbeks and Europeans. It is a point we made repeatedly in our FOX News Channel reports from Afghanistan in August and September.

We also noted that relying on our “NATO partners” – the consequence of a United Nations resolution – has not worked. Today there are 33,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan – but only 20,000 of them are under direct U.S. operational control. The rest report to NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) – 31,000 personnel from 39 other countries. With the exception of the British and Canadians, most ISAF troops have so many “national caveats” on how and where they can be employed that they are effectively non-combatants.
Unlike Mesopotamia where U.S. troops have trained and equipped more than 400,000 members of the Iraqi Security Forces since 2003, the Afghan National Army and Police – supposedly advised and outfitted by ISAF – still number fewer than 60,000. None of this is good news – but it is about to change.

General David Petraeus has ordered Central Command to quietly review the disposition of U.S. forces in his theater – and equally important – NATO roles and missions in Afghanistan. In the aftermath of the September 20, Marriott Hotel suicide bombing in Islamabad, the Pakistani government is renewing efforts to reign in Islamic radicals. Last week Afghan Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak urged creation of a combined Afghan, Pakistani, U.S. Security Force for the porous, mountainous and largely ungoverned Afghan-Pakistani border region where 10-15,000 Al Qaeda and Taliban insurgents have havens. Pakistan’s new President Zardari apparently likes the idea – as do U.S. commanders in the field.

Meanwhile, Baitullah Mehsud, titular head of the Taliban in Pakistan, is dead and the Pakistani Army is prosecuting a successful campaign against Al Qaeda militants in Bajour Agency in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Area. Though Defense Secretary Robert Gates predicts that it will be “springtime” before an additional 10,000 U.S. troops will arrive in Afghanistan, General McKiernan has already received some of the aviation assets he needs to support his planned winter offensive.

In their constant effort to paint a dismal picture of the war, the masters of our media failed to report all this. Perhaps they will do better next week.


Lt. Col. North (Ret.) is a nationally syndicated columnist and the author of the FOX News/Regnery books, "War Stories: Operation Iraqi Freedom," "War Stories II: Heroism in the Pacific" and "War Stories III: The Heroes Who Defeated Hitler."

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"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[jraf 0]

Aha...what you are implying is that the ocupational force increase in Iraq euphemistically called 'The Surge' (Why they did not call it The Belch I don't know) did not work.

Well if it did not work then why is John McCain and his VP candidate tell us it was a great success? Are they lying or are they just clueless?

jraf

Me Jungleman! Me have large Babalui.
Muff #3275

[mnealtx 0]

Quote

Aha...what you are implying is that the ocupational force increase in Iraq euphemistically called 'The Surge' (Why they did not call it The Belch I don't know) did not work.

Well if it did not work then why is John McCain and his VP candidate tell us it was a great success? Are they lying or are they just clueless?

Where do you get THAT from the article, pray tell?

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[rushmc 23]

Quote

Quote

Aha...what you are implying is that the ocupational force increase in Iraq euphemistically called 'The Surge' (Why they did not call it The Belch I don't know) did not work.

Well if it did not work then why is John McCain and his VP candidate tell us it was a great success? Are they lying or are they just clueless?

Where do you get THAT from the article, pray tell?

What we have here is a future campain add creator

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[jraf 0]

"First, and most importantly, the campaign in Mesopotamia is all but won. This week the 2nd Battalion 9th Marines arrived in Al Anbar Province – once the bloodiest place on the planet – to assume the mission of honing the skills of Iraqi forces who now have responsibility for security in the largest of Iraq’s 18 provinces. Iraqis – instead of Americans – are now conducting most combat operations against Al Qaeda remnants and Shiite militias throughout the country.

General Ray Odierno, the new U.S. commander in Iraq demurs from describing the current situation a “victory” because bloodshed still occurs. This week Sunni suicide bombers in Salahidin Province and Baghdad killed 28 and wounded more than 30 Shiite worshipers celebrating Eid – the end of their Ramadan fast."

OK, while US diplomats claim that Iraq is on it's way to becoming our closest allies in the region I say that they are both incompetent and dilusional. So where do I read that the surge did not work? In the statements above.

jraf

Me Jungleman! Me have large Babalui.
Muff #3275

[rushmc 23]

Quote

"First, and most importantly, the campaign in Mesopotamia is all but won. This week the 2nd Battalion 9th Marines arrived in Al Anbar Province – once the bloodiest place on the planet – to assume the mission of honing the skills of Iraqi forces who now have responsibility for security in the largest of Iraq’s 18 provinces. Iraqis – instead of Americans – are now conducting most combat operations against Al Qaeda remnants and Shiite militias throughout the country.

General Ray Odierno, the new U.S. commander in Iraq demurs from describing the current situation a “victory” because bloodshed still occurs. This week Sunni suicide bombers in Salahidin Province and Baghdad killed 28 and wounded more than 30 Shiite worshipers celebrating Eid – the end of their Ramadan fast."

OK, while US diplomats claim that Iraq is on it's way to becoming our closest allies in the region I say that they are both incompetent and dilusional. So where do I read that the surge did not work? In the statements above.

Hm, so it make a provable difference yet it did not work.

Let me think on that one a while

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[mnealtx 0]

Yeah, speaking of 'delusional' - ever wonder why Iraq ISN'T in the news? Because the violence IS down - the MSM has absolutely NO problems with trumpeting it across the airwaves whenever violence spikes.

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[rushmc 23]

Quote

Yeah, speaking of 'delusional' - ever wonder why Iraq ISN'T in the news? Because the violence IS down - the MSM has absolutely NO problems with trumpeting it across the airwaves whenever violence spikes.

I am starting to wonder if Obama has spent some money. Have you noticed all the "new" ID's on this site?

Google searchs and the thought police. (not insinuating anything here) Really scarey

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[jraf 0]

OK, so you I trying to say that we are trimphant in Iraq. Yes, to the tune of $10,000,000,000 a month of my hard earned money the military has brought down bombings by 20% by increasing the occupational force by 20%. And now they are equipping and training the guys who will be shooting at them in two months - we are so succesful!

jraf

Me Jungleman! Me have large Babalui.
Muff #3275

[Amazon 7]

Quote

I am starting to wonder if Obama has spent some money. Have you noticed all the "new" ID's on this site?

Google searchs and the thought police. (not insinuating anything here) Really scarey

OMG... the DNC is trying to take over DIZZY DOT COM.....roll the presses

[Frenchy68 0]

Quote

the campaign in Mesopotamia is all but won

Cool. Now we can move on to Rhodesia, Belgian Congo, Persia, and the likes. In addition, we should patrol the waters off the Afar and Issas territory and make sure them pirates stop hi-jacking ships to Italian Somaliland.
Things sure are looking up.

"For once you have tasted Absinthe you will walk the earth with your eyes turned towards the gutter, for there you have been and there you will long to return."

[jraf 0]

Quote

Quote

Yeah, speaking of 'delusional' - ever wonder why Iraq ISN'T in the news? Because the violence IS down - the MSM has absolutely NO problems with trumpeting it across the airwaves whenever violence spikes.

I am starting to wonder if Obama has spent some money. Have you noticed all the "new" ID's on this site

Quote

Rush, I was posting on this web site while you were still hanging in a dried condom on your grandma's clothes line... that just for the record.

jraf

Me Jungleman! Me have large Babalui.
Muff #3275

[jraf 0]

Quote

Quote

the campaign in Mesopotamia is all but won

Cool. Now we can move on to Rhodesia, Belgian Congo, Persia, and the likes. In addition, we should patrol the waters off the Afar and Issas territory and make sure them pirates stop hi-jacking ships to Italian Somaliland.
Things sure are looking up.

Also we should start carpet bombing other countires regions. I suggest an approachdifferent to yours though. I suggest we systematize it and go down the alfabet:

1. Abkhasia
2. Abisinia
3. Alberta
4. Algiers
5. Aachen...oh shit, wait we did that one in WWII
6. Avignon (get them French fuckers for not helping us with the WMD and Al Quaida in IraQ)
7. Astrakhan
8. Argentina
9. Berlin (did that one alrready but once more won't hurt)
10. Brussels (close to rance)
11. Bristol (undeclared as trully british)
12. The Bayou - again those French fuckers....
13. And so on and so on and so on....

jraf

Me Jungleman! Me have large Babalui.
Muff #3275

[Andy9o8 2]

Hey, I'd be up for bombing Alberta. Just on principle. Then we can move on to B.C., where they really have it coming.

"I love the smell of napalm in Vancouver."

[headoverheels 334]

Quote

What the Media Isn't Reporting
by Oliver North (more by this author)
Posted 10/03/2008 ET

He should be writing from jail. Not surprising
to see him writing for FOX.

[kelpdiver 2]

Quote

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What the Media Isn't Reporting
by Oliver North (more by this author)
Posted 10/03/2008 ET

He should be writing from jail. Not surprising
to see him writing for FOX.

Yes, there's no shortage in irony of North writing about things 'not being reported.'

I liked the bio they listed for him too...Faux News at its best. At the least they could list him as a patriotic traitor to the Constitution.

[pbwing 0]

Actually, I like what IS being reported.

Troops on the ground kinda have a bit more credibility than good old Ollie!!

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article4887927.ece

[Capt.Slog 0]

Oliver North - there's a guy with credibility.

I guess you've forgotten Iran Contra, his lies, and his conviction that was only overturned with the assistance of the ACLU because his admission of guilt was immunized!

You are a funny guy.