Home from Iraq-Journalist urges Americans to search for truth, freedom'

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050508/OPINION04/505080346/1054/OPINION

We spent 10 months in Iraq, working on a story, understanding who the people are who are fighting, why they fight, what their fundamental beliefs are, when they started, what kinds of backgrounds they come from, what education, jobs they have. Were they former military, are they Iraqi or foreign? Are they part of al-Qaida? What we came up with is a story in itself, and one that Vanity Fair ran in July 2004 with my text and pictures. shot a documentary film that is still waiting to find a home. But the basic point for this discussion is that we both thought it was really journalistically important to understand who it was who was resisting the presence of the foreign troops. If you didn't understand that, how could you report what was clearly becoming an "ongoing conflict?" And if you were reading the news in America, or Europe, how could you understand the full context of what was unfolding if what motivates the "other side" of the conflict is not understood, or even discussed?

Just the process of working on that story has revealed many things to me about my own country. I'd like to share some of them with you:

Lesson One: Many journalists in Iraq could not, or would not, check their nationality or their own perspective at the door.

One of the hardest things about working on this story for me personally, and as a journalist, was to set my "American self" and perspective aside. It was an ongoing challenge to listen open-mindedly to a group of people whose foundation of belief is significantly different from mine, and one I found I often strongly disagreed with.

<snip>

I could go into a long litany of the ways in which the American military has treated journalists in Iraq. Recent actions indicate that the U.S. military will detain and/or kill any journalist who happens to be caught covering the Iraqi side of the militant resistance, and indeed a number of journalists have been killed by U.S. troops while working in Iraq. This behavior at the moment seems to be limited to journalists who also happen to be Arabs, or Arab-looking, but that is only a tangential story to what I'm telling you about here.

[SpiralHawk]

1. To the point

"I could go into a long litany of the ways in which the American military has treated journalists in Iraq. Recent actions indicate that the U.S. military will detain and/or kill any journalist who happens to be caught covering the Iraqi side of the militant resistance, and indeed a number of journalists have been killed by U.S. troops while working in Iraq. This behavior at the moment seems to be limited to journalists who also happen to be Arabs, or Arab-looking, but that is only a tangential story to what I'm telling you about here..."

[FloridaPat]

3. And the first anthrax letter went to a newspaper. A gossip newpaper,

but still the press. How far will Bushco go to keep things the way they want them?

[babsbunny]

2. What if your Son is an American

and Brainwashed by this administration, and by brainwashed I mean I think he should be rescued and de-programed, so he will never even consider looking for the truth?

[chlamor]

4. Nominated-Need One More

Fantastic insights like this:
" How many other American journalists, perhaps not as secure in their position as I, have thought to do a story and decided that it's too close to the bone, too questioning of the American government or its actions? How many times was the risk that our own government might come in and rifle through our apartment, our homes or take us away for questioning in front of our children a factor in our decision not to do a story? How many times did we as journalists decide not to do a story because we thought it might get us into trouble? Or, as likely, how often did the editor above us kill the story for the same reasons? Lots of column inches have been spent in the discussion of how our rights as Americans are being surreptitiously confiscated, but what about our complicity, as journalists, in that? It seems to me that the assault on free speech, while the fear and intimidation is in the air, comes as much from us -- as individuals and networks of journalists who censor ourselves -- as it does from any other source."

[SpiralHawk]

5. I recommended this for GP, too

You should post this over in GD, Rambo, it is provocative -- in the best sense of the word. Lots of people will be stirred to thought -- if they get a chance to read this. Thanks, SH

[Roland99]

12. Just saw this here...I'd posted it in GD a bit earlier

along with a bit more info on Molly. She's actually speaking in Louisville in 2 weeks. It'll cost me $32, though. :(

[reprehensor]

6. BRILLIANT!

snip

Lesson Four: The gatekeepers -- by which I mean the editors, publishers and business sides of the media -- don't want their paper or their outlet to reveal that compelling narrative of why anyone would oppose the presence of American troops on their soil. Why would anyone refuse democracy? Why would anyone not want the helping hand of America in overthrowing their terrible dictator? It's amazing to me how expeditiously we turn away from our own history. Think of our revolution. Think of our Founding Fathers. Think of what they stood for and hoped for. Think of how, over time, we have learned to improve on our own Constitution and governance. But think, mostly, about the words I just used: It was our decision and our determination that brought us where we are now.

Recall Patrick Henry's famous speech encouraging the Second Virginia Convention, gathered on March 20, 1775, to fight the British, "Give me liberty or give me death!" Why is it that we, as Americans, presume that any Iraqi would feel any differently? If the roles were reversed, do you think for a moment that our men wouldn't be stockpiling arms and attacking any foreign invader with the temerity to set foot on our soil, occupy our buildings of government and write us a new constitution?

Wouldn't we as women be joining with them in any way we could? Wouldn't the divisions between us -- how we feel about President Bush, whether we're Republican or Democrat -- be put aside as we resisted a common enemy?

Then why is it that this story of human effort for self-determination by violent means cannot be told in America? Are we so small, so confused by our own values that we cannot recognize when someone emulates our own struggle? Even if it is the U.S. that they are struggling against? I want to be careful to explain that I am not saying that the Iraqis fighting against us are necessarily fighting for democracy, but they are fighting for their right to decide for themselves what their nation looks like politically.

snip

[ewagner]

7. We, on DU have

suspected these truths all along. Now a reputable journalist is sayign the same things we have been saying for two years....

Lord...God....if you are real...let this truth get out....

[Gregorian]

8. Slowly the truth emerges.

"Wouldn't the divisions between us -- how we feel about President Bush, whether we're Republican or Democrat -- be put aside as we resisted a common enemy?"


That says everything, to me. We are not fighting, we are invading. We're not united, we're divided. War is a last resort. If this were a real threat to America, and a real war, we would all be united. This is a phoney war. The truth will not be suppressed. I have much respect for this journalist's bravery. And great shame for those who threaten, in order to keep the truth unknown. This administration will go down in infamy.

[KoKo]

9. Excellent read and all DU'ers would find it worth their time.

I thought this quote from the article was interesting:

The American military is being used to find a solution to what is essentially a political problem,..

[NJCher]

10. real journalists, for a change

Molly Bingham and Steve Connors are a tribute to their profession. How long have we waited for some real, honest journalism? And to think, she was actually afraid to come back home. That's "George Bush's America." While the chimp is bounding around the world shouting about freedom and democracy, a true journalist is afraid to even return.

Look at this sentence from the article, which comments on the Iraq reports that simply quote the view of Americans:

Is this really anything more than stenography?

Remember how we used to make jokes around here about "Steno Sue?"

DU is so prescient.


Cher

[Daphne08]

11. One of the best pieces I've read since the

beginning of this war... indeed, since 9/11.

"We need to begin to be able to look again at our government, our leadership and ourselves critically. That is what the Fourth Estate is all about. That's what American journalism can do at its zenith. I also happen to believe that, in fact, that is the highest form of patriotism -- expecting our country to live up to the promises it makes and the values it purports to hold. The role of the media in assisting the public to ensure those values are reflected in reality is undeniably failing today."