EMBEDDED JOURNALISTS ANGER US ESTABLISHMENT

NEWSWEEK AND THE ADMINISTRATION RESPONSE

Published on May 24, 2005 By Bahu Virupaksha In International

There is mounting anger in the Islamic world against the USA and its allies who call themselves "COalition of the Willing". The War in Iraq, the large scale killing of innocent civillians fo;;owed by a ruthless policy of search and destroy that is being followed, and the story of the descecration of the GOLY QURAN has resulted in palpable anger. The USA could have issued a denial when the sory broke in NEWSWEEK. Instead the spokeman of the State Department issued a statement the the matter is being investigated, making peoplea all over the world believe that the allegations are true. The Abu Gharaib Prison issue itself had angered the Islamic world and coming on the heels of that ascandal was this alarming piece of News. As far as the USA is concerned the people will believe anything given the history of American brutality in Iraq, and the cynical disregard for humna life, values and social well being that the current administration is displying both in Afghanistan and Iraq. In Afghanistan more than a dozen prisoners have been killed in Americzn custody.

Given this state of affairs the US Administration has taken a step worthy of the totalitarian regimes it critisises:it compelled the Newsweek Maganize to issue a denial. US credibility is so low all over the world that this move is being seen as a ham handed excercise in damage control. Shooting the messenger is hardly damage control: this is what passes off as policy in the rarified air of Wasington D C.

Comments

ParaTed2k

on May 24, 2005

GOLY QURAN

Great, now there will be more rioting because YOU just desecrated the good name of The Holy Qur'an! Smooth Move Ex Lax!! ;~D

drmiler

on May 24, 2005

In Afghanistan more than a dozen prisoners have been killed in Americzn custody.

Got any proof? Or is just some more BS?

Lee1776

on May 24, 2005

Given this state of affairs the US Administration has taken a step worthy of the totalitarian regimes it critisises:it compelled the Newsweek Magazine to issue a denial.

Boy, I guess requesting the retraction of a story that was not true, is now considered totalitarian.

So I guess if you published a story about me pissing on my neighbor's rose bushes on a day that I was not there, just to get us to fight and because you don't like my politics. I would be considered a totalitarian if I asked you to retracted it?

Get real and use some common since. I would be an idiot just to let you continue the slandering me.

Bahu Virupaksha

on May 25, 2005

In Afghanistan more than a dozen prisoners have been killed in Americzn custody.Got any proof? Or is just some more BS?

Boy, I guess requesting the retraction of a story that was not true, is now considered totalitarian.So I guess if you published a story about me pissing on my neighbor's rose bushes on a day that I was not there, just to get us to fight and

President Karzai, US factotum in Afghanistan during his recent visit to the US told CNN exactly these. It is another issue that the Busmen did not respond. It is for the US Administration to prove that the Newweek story is not true. Getting it to issue a retraction is not proof theat the event in question did not take place.. Think of this scenario: You wittness a ribbery in your neighborhood. You report the matter to the Police. They are in on the take and force you to state that no robbery took place. How would you like it? The Newsweek story is of the same kind. If the USA wanted to protect its repuation they should have gone in for a full investigation and then issued a statement. In fact more damage has been done by this retraction.

Lee1776

on May 25, 2005

It is for the US Administration to prove that the Newweek story is not true.

You have to be kidding. The story is not true in the first place because Newsweek never proved it was true. It is not the Governments jobs to disprove every theory that the press makes up out of the thin air. It is not the job of the Government to prove that something did not happen (i.e. magically produce film of every jail cell for the last three years, but that would also be against the poor terrorist rights too.); it is the job of the press to prove it did happen. Let the press do their job of informing the public on factual stories and not theories. I'm getting tired of the press making Editorials their front page stories.

This is starting to sound like the bogus National Guard Story again. It is considered true, just because Dan Rather believes it happened.

Bahu Virupaksha

on May 26, 2005

Dan Rather believes it happened.

You reminded me of Dan Rather: Poor Rather he was probably sacked due to the pressue exerted on the management. Before we leave the subject: Think of the football hero Toolman. He was killed in Afghanistan ant the Pentagon had everyone believe that he was killed in enemy action. Now the truth is out: He was killed by "Friendly Fire". How many lies are the people taking in to cover the ineptitude and arrogance of their leaders. The point I am making is just that: disbelieve the govvt until it proves the truth. No giving the benefit of doubt to the Administration. Why did the Pentagon not come out with the truth right at the beginning. The whole tissue of lies has begun to unravel and very soon people will start asking really uncomfortable questions.

Lee1776

on May 26, 2005

He was killed in Afghanistan ant the Pentagon had everyone believe that he was killed in enemy action. Now the truth is out: He was killed by "Friendly Fire".

Yes, the original official statement was that he was killed in enemy action. That was true. It was after the official investigation on the caliber of the round that killed him, that the "Government" made an official statement that he had been killed by friendly fire. It was not the press that ferreted this information out, they did not run the fact until after the report was filed. He was killed during a fire fight with the enemy. He just happened to have been killed by friendly fire during the fire fight. It happens.

There were no lies from the Government, just the ones that the media make up by twisting the story to make it look more exciting to the public. You're trying to make it sound like a cover-up, when it was the Government that broke the story to the press.

The Abbu Grab story was released by the Government a month before the 60 minutes story broke. Those guilty of these events had already been placed in custody and the investigation was already started. This had also been released. The Government had not released the photos, though. It was just that the press had decided not to cover the story until they got pictures leaked to them (not so exciting without photos). If the Government had released the photos, it would have contaminated the jury and could have had legally hurt the cases. But of course to the press, not releasing the photos is against the freedom of the press.

drmiler

on May 26, 2005

Think of this scenario: You wittness a ribbery in your neighborhood. You report the matter to the Police. They are in on the take and force you to state that no robbery took place. How would you like it? The Newsweek story is of the same kind. If the USA wanted to protect its repuation they should have gone in for a full investigation and then issued a statement. In fact more damage has been done by this retraction.

Once again NO PROOF!

Just because Karzai says something, does NOT automatically make it true! Unless he witnessed it personally or has documentation to back it up it's just hearsay (talk)! And just an FYI it's up to NEWSWEEK to prove what "they" say! NOT the other way around.

Texas Wahine

on May 26, 2005

Just because Karzai says something, does NOT automatically make it true! Unless he witnessed it personally or has documentation to back it up it's just hearsay (talk)!

With respect to you, drmiler, I have to say that your categorically denying anything negative about the US government regardless of the source makes it hard for me to take you seriously.

It's true that several detainees died in US custody in Afghanistan. This is not a secret. The US has admitted as much and is investigating it.

Why would Karzai (Bush-approved!) make up something like that?

drmiler

on May 26, 2005

With respect to you, drmiler, I have to say that your categorically denying anything negative about the US government regardless of the source makes it hard for me to take you seriously.

With respect to you ....have you "ever" heard "anything" positive about the US come from Bahu? Maybe this is the *col's* alter ego.

Bahu Virupaksha

on May 27, 2005

It's true that several detainees died in US custody in Afghanistan. This is not a secret. The US has admitted as much and is investigating it.

The situation in Afghanistan is getting quite serious and a major policy reversal is called for. I have said a lost of positive thingsa aboput the USA in the course of my interaction. I only oppose US unilateralism and the imposition of a neo con world order. This neo con world order will destry everything the US stands for including the personal freedom of its citizens.

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