60 Months in the Red Zone
Five Years Later, the American Press Corps in Iraq Is War-Weary and Depleted—Also Committed, Engaged and Desperately Seeking a Narrative to Wake Up Readers; ‘The Press Redeemed in Baghdad,’ Says George Packer, ‘What It Missed in Washington’
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The Observatory
“It’s the oft-stated phrase that truth is the first casualty of war,” said Michael Ware, CNN’s Baghdad correspondent, on the telephone from Iraq. “In this war, as in every other conflict, everybody lies to you. Your government is lying to you. The Iraqi government is lying. The insurgents are lying. The militias are lying. The U.S. military is lying. Even the civilians lie. Or in the best case, there’s confusion and exaggeration. The truth is the most elusive thing in war, particularly in an insurgency.”
Sixty-two months into the war, this is the language of the American journalist in Iraq. It’s not the only language; there are others: Cyclical, monotonous, brutal, strategic, hopeful. But slowly, as Iraq slips from the front pages and Web pages, today’s news starts to sound like yesterday’s; violence explodes; a spectacular military success, or failure. Casualty lists grow until they become incomprehensible, and then unreadable, unquantifiable. Against that metronomic numbness, 90 American journalists (according to a November 2007 study by the Project for Excellence in Journalism) continue to work a dangerous war that becomes a harder and harder story to sell to Americans. As the American press corps gets older, wearier—and simultaneously younger and more untested as the veterans leave—there are truths that some of the reporters of Baghdad have learned about the war in Iraq.
Chief among them is that even if you grab hold of a part of the truth, it has a way of becoming false. Second: If you manage to find a true story, don’t depend on anyone back home wanting to hear it.
Bob Reid, the Baghdad bureau chief for the Associated Press, filed this June 1: “U.S. military deaths plunged in May to the lowest monthly level in more than four years and civilian casualties were down sharply, too, as Iraqi forces assumed the lead in offensives in three cities and a truce with Shiite extremists took hold.
“But many Iraqis as well as U.S. officials and private security analysts are uncertain whether the current lull signals a long-term trend or is simply a breathing spell like so many others before.”
Mr. Reid has been covering conflicts for over 30 years, in Iran, Palestine, Lebanon, the Sudan, the southern Philippines, India, Pakistan, Bosnia. But this, he says, is different.
“Someone the other day told me that they thought Iraq had gone through a sea change,” he said by phone from Baghdad a little before midnight, June 9. “All of us who have been longer know that there is a cyclical quality to the violence here.”
Mr. Reid was sitting in the small house his wire service keeps in the Red Zone of the city, finishing work and planning to go to bed after a workday that started around 8 a.m.
He calls his life “Groundhog Day.” He goes to bed in the same building he worked in—with a book or, if he’s lucky, an English-language movie on Arabic satellite television—falls asleep, wakes up and starts all over again. Like the war, it has its predictable, grinding rhythm, and yet, like the war, every day is completely different.
“Iraq has receded,” said John Burns, from a ferry off the Isle of Man, England, where he’s covering a motorcycle tournament. Mr. Burns was perhaps the Iraq war’s best-known correspondent, who from 2003 to July 2007 was the chief of The New York Times’ Baghdad bureau. “War is surprisingly easy to cover,” Mr. Burns said. “I always said this. The story dictates itself. There’s never one morning when you get up and wonder what you’re going to do today.”
But it’s not a war anymore; it’s an occupation. And for many reporters, one thing that is missing is a narrative, a frame of reference to describe the events they report but can’t quite explain.
“The Best and Brightest was written 5 or 10 years after the events it described,” said George Packer, who has covered the war for The New Yorker. “Books will come out 5 or 10 years from now telling us things we don’t know now. Right now we’ve probably pushed it about as far as it can go from the limited point of view of a Western journalist in the middle of the events he’s describing.”
“For a long time, there was a single thrust of narrative,” said Damien Cave, who went from The New York Times’ Newark bureau to Iraq in July 2006 and returned in December 2007. “Now I think it’s harder to figure out what the narrative is. You’re trying to figure out: What features speak to the news? And because Iraq has become more fragmented, the narratives are more fragmented. A story in Basra is different from a story in Mosul and that’s definitely different from a story a few years ago.”
“I think there are a lot of people who really want information and that’s why we’re there,” said New York Times Baghdad bureau chief James Glanz. “But when somebody asks if it’s getting better? It’s a fine place to start a conversation. But the thing about Iraq, it’s about double exposures and overlays and things like that. It’s a complicated place. It’s a place where if you really want to boil it all down, then the complexities of the systems have defeated all these solutions. And you really can’t think about it any other way. There’s no simple story line.”
Richard Engel of NBC News acknowledged the recent drop in violence, and said it gave reporters more room to report.
“How much you can move is impacted by the level of danger. … I recently went down to Najaf, which is south of Baghdad. I was walking around the city doing interviews, without any kind of security protection or back up at all. That felt great. I hadn’t done that in years. A Chinese restaurant, takeout, just opened up down the street from our bureau. There were no businesses opening in ’06 and ’07. People are getting out more. You see more people on the streets going to markets. When I go to do interviews, I can stay longer.”
The conventional wisdom has always been that a reporter can’t stay in one place for more than 20 minutes—the amount of time security experts think it takes for eyewitnesses to report their whereabouts to potential kidnappers, and for the kidnappers to lay their trap. Journalists are routinely increasing their stays to 45 minutes or more.
The BBC’s Jim Muir visited the National Archive, which is currently being patched back together after the war, for an hour and a half. But his security people were not happy about it.
“In general terms, it has made life a bit easier,” he said. “Six months ago, I was able to go to one of the worst Sunni neighborhoods, a place called Ameriya, which had been a really, really rough neighborhood. But you could go there because one of the developments, which has fed into the security improvement, is that a lot of the young Sunni guys have turned away from Al Qaeda and have signed up to fight them alongside the Americans. In that sense it’s expanded the range of stories you can do, and the places you can go with relative security. … Violence is down, but it’s down to like more than 500 Iraqis being killed violently every month rather than 2,000. Those levels are still not very nice.”
“There’s no question it’s not the same front-page story it was last year,” said Tina Susman, the Baghdad bureau chief for The Los Angeles Times. “It just needs to be approached differently. It’s human-interest-oriented. … That’s the way wars work. They go in ebbs and flows. In March and in the first half of April, we were on the front page frequently. It’s inevitable. It doesn’t mean the story is over, but, O.K., if the daily news isn’t grabbing attention, then what is? What’s another way to tell the story?” Next Page >
This propaganda isn't worthy of comment.
Wow... congratulations on proving the whole point of this article.
Wow, there's something disgusting about a journalist like George Packer, who was a cheerleader for this horribly misguided war to begin with, suggesting that he's been "redeemed" by his reporting on it. There's no redemption for those who put forth the dangerously inaccurate and misleading journalism that helped lead us into this war in the first place.
Just when I think the media circle jerk can't get any more maudlin or overwrought an article like this appears...
I thought this article was interesting. The fact is hardly anybody cares anything about this war except for the date when we're removed from it. So, that makes reporting it a footnote to our actual lives. It's more like something you would care about if you lived in Iraq. Presumably, the new administration will end this disgusting crap immediately.
I want real journalism - not body count journalism from the media. The comment about it being easy to cover a war is exactly what I mean. For 5 years it was simply fill in the blank _____Americans/__ Iraqis killed in a roadside/car/other bomb at __________. It was like listening to the Vietnam radio reports.
This is what would be useful. Tell us what the other 100,000 soldiers who are alive are doing. Tell us what is happening in reconstruction. Tell us about the ridiculous amounts KBR and Halliburton are getting. Tell us what it's like for the Iraqi legislators (Some of the most courageous politicians on earth). Tell us about the emptying out of Baghdad. Tell us about refugee camps. And SHOW US. I learn more watching LinkTV or Current. Break it up a bit. We don't need a number every day - that's what numbs your audience. Give us pictures of how the living are coping/suffering/overcoming and being overcome. Show us the positives - in Afghanistan. Give us narrative on the 10 million Afghan refugees to come home. Now that would be journalism. And it's not a dishonor to skip the body count for a month - (frankly it's the laziest journalism I can think of). Describe what the Al Qaeda is doing to terrorize and recruit. Michael Ware is seeing a lot - give him time to show us the whole picture of war. Show us the victims in Iraq. And for God's sake - please start trying to develop an INDEPENDENT picture of what is happening in Iran - and not just the speeches of the president - give us information on their PRIME MINISTER and legislature - so this country isn't rushed into a third war that the rest of the world is not going to stay out of this time.
Easy: http://michaelyon-online.com/
This war is never far from my mind and I never stop wanting to read about it and I often wonder why any articles are moved to the back pages and not on the front where they belong. I am a Marine vet and the mother of 2 children serving. My son is a Marine who recently returned from his second tour in 2 years. He has had enough. Michael Ware is the only journalist that gives us an accurate assessment of what this war is. He doesn't mince words and that's exactly how it should be. This is the quagmire of Rumsfeld's nightmares. (If he still isn't sure of the definition of what a quagmire is, he can look up Iraq in the dictionary.) Michael Ware gives us what he sees. Not what Bush wants us to see. He has guts, which is sorely lacking in the media these days. The media have failed us. First they push for the war and then when all the lies that got us into it came to light they changed the subject. Pushed it to page 10. This country is so starved for honesty from someone. It's a shame, but also as it should be that a journalist with some integrity is trying to heal that first casualty of war. Truth. Keep up the good work Michael. Godspeed you and our kids.
Here in the New Orleans area, there is no "body count" journalism. Our Republican newspaper buries the war dead on page 13, at the end of a story whose title does not even mention dead people.
Of course, this is the newspaper that had George Bush and Colin Powell lionized on page 1, while a two-paragraph article on page 8 mentioned briefly that the aluminum tubes that were supposed to be for enriching uranium were found to be unsuitable for that purpose.
The headline should read "The Media Has no Balls" I remember back when the press asked hard questions and would not let up til they got right answers. They asked the tough questions like good reporters used to do, theydidn't report on the Britney Spears of this world( Did I spell that correct?), I feel like I am living in the world of the movie "Network", I'm ready to throw my TV out the window as I am sick and tired of all the fluff. Where are the reports even on Huff about the Impeachment on the floor, table? where is it????Keith Olbermann had a talk about how vets feel today, why are we not paying more attention to our men and women over there and what is happening to them, ???????What the hell is wrong with America now??????? Everyone just sits back and eats their hamburgers and watches TV, they don't get out and stand up for what is right, or was Wright right????????
For many years trust in the media has declined.
Have any of these journalists thought that the "mythologizing" of their predecessors was only by them and not the general public?
As for news editors, why isn't the declining violence and death toll of interest to them? Why don't they want that on the front page?
Iraq should be front page news every day, just as Vietnam was. "What's news" should not be decided by the readers and viewers alone, especially readers and viewers who were misled about getting into the war in the first place. Or is journalism just like every other business, where the truth can be ignored for profits? We have about 300,000 military and civilian personnel there, and an oil crisis. That's reason enough for the coverage. And what about all the Iraqis suffering, and dying? Don't they count?
I used to trust Michael Yon's assessment of this war. Then Basra happened in March and I understood all of his flag waving was BS.
Sure, the IA and IP are getting better. But they're not even close to having the ability to keep control over there. Basra is a key example of that.
Once the Brits left that place it descended into anarchy and hell. If things were really going so swimmingly, why did they need to go back in? Because the militias -- which the Brits never defeated and the IA/IP couldn't control -- took over. Of course, the IA/IP were the militias so that just bolsters my arguement.
Michael Yon is a good writer. And he has taken The Brass to tack on Iraq. Don't believe his flag waving though.
Your insightful article on the shifting, and dangerous, coverage of the war in Iraq reminds me of the comment of Time's correspondent Joe Klein, whom I met in the Green Zone last June: "This war makes your brain hurt." In my new book, "Red, White or Yellow: The media and military at war in Iraq," (Stackpole Books, September publication) your readers can learn more about the brave coverage of the New York Times' Damien Cave and explore other issues of finding the "ground truth" in Iraq.
Charles Jones
Richmond, Virginia
Interesting read, but I'm not overly impressed. I align myself with most of the previous comments. Through the years, I've come to respect the work of Burns and Ware; they deserve our thanks. And, I CANNOT miss the opportunity to give the finger to the Fox reporter in Baghdad -- She talks a good game now, but I challenge anyone to show me a transcript or video clip of her reporting back to FauxNews where she comes ANYWHERE near what she said in this article!!
"Redeemed"? Are you kidding me?? The MSM just had a 'I'm shocked, SHOCKED'!! moment recently with Bush's mouthpieces' book, "What Happened." I've seen ALL of this over the past few years on "Frontline." You want to talk about truth? Watch PBS. I want the truth about how we got into this war! I want the truth about the trampling of our Constitution! Billions missing!!!! Billions in war profiteering!! The truth about contracting out a war!!!!
We can't just sit this out until a new president is sworn in, we deserve to know ALL.
Iraq should be front page news every day, just as Vietnam was. "What's news" should not be decided by the readers and viewers alone, especially readers and viewers who were misled about getting into the war in the first place. Or is journalism just like every other business, where the truth can be ignored for profits? We have about 300,000 military and civilian personnel there, and an oil crisis. That's reason enough for the coverage. And what about all the Iraqis suffering, and dying? Don't they count?
This propaganda isn't worthy of film izle comment.
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XYZ軟體補給站 ~
XYZ軟體補給站 看似平凡，卻讓我在第一時間記住了這個名字，為甚麼呢？我也不知道，也許是上一輩子已經刻在我的記憶裡了。
窗外的楓葉已經轉紅了，八月....我一直在想你。
2008 年是為你我而來的，沒有你， 2008 年對我沒有意義。
我感到世界上的一切，全部屬於我了，因為你愛上了我。
我的世界從此以後多了一個你，有時天晴有時雨，陰天時候我會告訴你：我愛你,勝過彩虹的美麗！
佛說：前世的五百次回眸，才換來今生的擦肩而過。我用一萬次換來與你的相遇，希望能親口告訴你：「永遠永遠愛你」。
寶貝寶貝我愛你,就像老鼠愛大米,你是天上的鳳凰飛啊飛,我是地上的烏鴉追啊追,我不打你不罵你,我用感情折磨你.
我就像你送的巧克力，在你的口中被溶化。
有你的日子你是一切,沒你的日子一切是你.
我自你出生以前就愛上了你了。
第一眼見到你，我就對自已說：你就是我今生的奮鬥目標，我要追求你，擁抱你。我要宣佈：我愛你……
你像一股暖暖的春風，漾起了我心海裡愛的波瀾；你像一片輕柔的雲彩，縛獲住我多情的視線；你像那沾滿露珠的花瓣，給我帶來了一室芳香，你像那劃過藍天的哨鴿，給我帶來了心靈的靜遠和追求。你是那樣的美，美得像席慕容的一首抒情詩，你是那樣的純，純得像一塊冰瑩剔透的水晶石。你清麗秀雅的臉上始終蕩漾著春天般美麗的笑容，在你那流轉顧盼的眼睛裡，我總能捕捉到你的寧靜，你的熱烈，你的敏感，你的聰穎。倘若西子再世，見到你她也會自慚形穢，無顏見人，唯有投水自溺而死；假如昭君復生，在你面前也會黯然失色，自歎弗如，只能遠避邊塞，從此不敢再回中原。
如果有一千個人從我身邊走過。我也可以聽出你的腳步聲。因為有999個是踏在地上。只有你踏在我的心上......
很多事情因你而改變了。愛情因為你的出現而變得吸引；牽掛因你而變得實在；承諾變得長久；思念一個人時不再孤單；信賴變得堅定；親吻等同浪漫；擁抱令人熾熱；關懷感到甜蜜；人生覺得更圓滿；這個世界，好像變得更實在、更堅定、更浪漫、更甜蜜……你的出現，改變了我的世界。
相識在於有緣，相知在於有心，相惜貴於友情，相知、相惜的日子，我願意，陪你一起走過。
親愛的，你的腿一定很酸痛吧？因為你在我的腦海裡跑了一整天！
在空中飛舞的 不是蝶 是我繽紛的夢， 唯有你思念我牽繫 才能擔保它不墜。
喜歡看你微笑的我及喜歡對我為笑的你,彼此度過你我這 365 天的歲月,當你適時的出現,不管淺笑也好,開懷大笑也好...都給予我無比的溫馨。
從今天開始，我跟你的夢想一起作連結，讓我陪著你，一起去實現「 大補帖 」
沒有你就沒有 DBT 。
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Horde Leveling Guide
This wow power leveling guide starts at level 21, if you need wow powerleveling guides for any other powerleveling level range (from 1-21 for example) please take a look at this power leveling page.
This wow power level guide is optimized for FAST leveling with a minimum of grinding sessions. wow powerlevel Quests are important, they give rewards and faction and are less boring than pure wow powerleveling grinding, BUT sometimes some quests are really a time waste and we will skip those and replace them by good wow power leveling grinding session when it is necessary.
Some people say that wow power leveln grinding is always faster than questing, this is true in theory when you don't know which wow powerleveln quests to take and which to avoid, and what is the best order to do them. With this fiesta online guide, questing will be very efficient and much better than pure grinding. Follow each fiesta online instruction carefully and you will see for yourself.
The last chaos quest choices and order to do them are optimal so that you run as few as possible while doing the most possible and then turning several last chaos gold quests in at the same time. This lastchaos gold guide will be very useful for both veteran and novice players. I try to keep the amount of last chaos gold information as short as possible. So even the guide itself is optimized for the minimum reading possible, to save time! Let's get started immediately then! Everything described in this lastchaos gold guide can be done solo (besides when I say otherwise). However you can follow this guide while duoing, grouping, it's not a problem, it works too.
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