What is going on in Iraq right now???

[ShaneGR]

Anybody else notice a lack of coverage the last two days? Are our troops being ordered to stand down and take cover? From my perspective, this is good because of less casualties but bad because Iraq is completely unpoliced. Just seems odd that nothing is coming out of there, at all.

[laruemtt]

1. the dog has been wagged

to africa, but it's doo-doo there too for smirk, so they'll either have to come back to covering iraq or start a new crisis somewhere else, god help us...

[Divernan]

2. Yeah, there are a number of possible explanations.

First of all, we never hear about anything unless a journalist - usually for a foreign media outlet happens to be on the spot when it happens or before it's been cleaned up, or they quote native Iraqis.
Second, as you suggest, our troops have elected not to move around as sitting ducks and are keeping undercover - which I could understand.
Third, the Iraqis are gathering forces for a major attack or series of attacks.
It's like waiting for the other shoe to drop.

[IndianaGreen]

3. US media is self-censoring!

They don't want to erode Bush's popularity by the endless reporting of Iraqis dancing on burned out Humvees.

[arcane1]

4. I found this little gem interesting...

it's from June 3 but the first I heard of it was 3 days ago


http://www.floridatoday.com/!NEWSROOM/peoplestoryA1172A.htm

On May 25, while scanning the Air Force Defense Meteorological Satellite Program images pipelined into his desktop from 450 miles in orbit, Hank Brandli skidded at a nighttime photo of Iraq. It looked familiar. But not exactly.

Brandli retrieved another DMSP image he'd archived from May 3. He compared the two. The most recent photo showed a blazing corridor of light running the length of Kuwait, south to north, all the way to the Iraqi border. The image wasn't there on May 3.

"It's going right up to Iraq's oil fields," says the retired Air Force colonel from his home in Palm Bay. "Maybe I'm full of s---. Maybe all they're doing is building a highway to put in McDonald's and sell hamburgers. But why go that way? I think we're in bed with Kuwait. I think we're pumping oil out of Iraq to pay for this war."

-snip


I imagine there are lots of little stories like this in Iraq right now, it's now a lawless garden for evil tycoons to play in

[SoCalDem]

5. this is what's going on..:=(

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=15979&mesg_id=15979&page=

[Solly Mack]

6. The troops are beyond tired.

Iraqis being trained as police/security are being killed by other Iraqis.

There was a soccer game not too long ago near Karbala between troops and Iraqis.

Cholera is on the rise. Water is bad.
Munition dumps keep blowing up.
Spain is in Kuwait preparing to go in and relieve some American units.
Soldiers get shot at constantly.
Iraqi doctors refuse treatment without cash
Massive weight loss among American troops
Last MASH unit about to be retired...and that spells more deaths due to lack of quick treatment. You will now have combat lifesavers (limited..very limited care) then Combat Medics (2:100 soldiers-limited care) then Combat Support Hospitals that are located 3 eschelons back (waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back..as in another country often times) ...the MASH units were the much needed inbetween medical facilities located between 15-45 miles from front.. that saved lives then transported to CaSH(combat support hospitals) without those MASH units...bad juju