Mediacrity: U.S. Media May Hope Haditha Charges Are Dismissed

...the U.S. media would avoid itself possibly being put on trial for its shortcomings in coverage of the Iraq war. To the extent that the prosecutors’ case relies upon the Iraqi stringers and suspect “witnesses” used by U.S. media, their case will be both weak and will publicly expose the grave shortcomings of the U.S. media’s operations in the Iraq war zone – in effect, functionally often acting as useful adjuncts to our enemies and the secure and free future of Iraq and the region.

With this public statement issued on Wednesday, 20 December...

Lt. Gen. Mattis interview "on Marines" with NC Times Mark Walker

Now you can have any kind of (complaint) about the American media or Western media you want, but there is at least a nod, an effort toward objectivity. The [Iraqi] stringers who are being brought in, who are bringing in these stories, are not bringing that same degree of objectivity.

So on the one hand, our enemy is denying our media access to the battlefield, where anything perhaps that I say as a general is subject to any number of interpretations, challenges, questions, but the enemy's story basically gets there without that because our media is unable to challenge them. It's unwitting, but at the same time, it can promote the enemy's agenda, simply because there is an apparent attempt at objectivity.

JAG Hunter here: Let's follow Lt. Gen. Mattis' logic. Mattis correctly observes, on Wednesday, 20 Dec., Iraqi stringers and Iraqi sources for U.S. journalists are being "brought in," immune from objective challenge, as part of a dedicated campaign to "promote the enemy agenda." And yet on the next day, in the name of the president of the United States (convening authority for the Commander-in-Chief), Lt. Gen. Mattis advanced charges against 8 Marines, last Thursday (21 December) , chiefly based on reports of Iraqi stringers and loyalists (so far immune from challenge) who've accused our Marines (widely observed by many) as part of a dedicated campaign to "promote the enemy agenda."

Lemme get this straight. Mattis first complained about flawed reporting calling for "objectivity" so far gone missing because of a U.S. media blocked and obstructed from the battlefield, but advanced charges against his Marines next day based in large measure upon that same incompetent journalism? Ya mean Marine officer hose reports up the chain of command were right, and the Iraqi based reports were wrong?

Huh?

And whatta know. Mattis just talked his Marines out of their imminent courts-martial. And he's supplied enough justification to efface those courts-martial findings Mattis' already dispensed.

Here's my command to Mattis: RELEASE THOSE MARINES INSTANTLY. RELEASE THE CORPSMAN. DROP ALL CHARGES FACING EVERYONE ELSE. RETURN ALL THESE MEN TO ACTIVE DUTY.

We need their help.

And turn in your retirement papers. NOW!

No one needs you, Lt. Gen. Mattis, any more.

The JAG Hunter. Copyright © 2006