10/04/2006

if i were pbs, i'd ask, 'who are you to criticize?'

i got a call from a friend at cbs today. he was laughing about fair's alert. you can read an associated press article on it here. why was he laughing? i didn't ask. he read me 1 sentence, here it is:

Its researchers said they couldn't find a single peace activist had appeared on "NewsHour" during the six months studied.

why is that funny? fair (fairness and accuracy in the media - which is a group i like) has studied pbs' newshour. i don't like pbs. i don't care for the newshour. but fair brought the laughter on themselves. why?

a little 1/2 hour program called counterf**k put out by fair that can't address the war. if i were pbs, i would've asked the ap reporter to go back and ask steve rendell what peace activist counterf**k had on their program in the last 6 months?

there hasn't been 1. cindy sheehan hasn't been on. medea benjamin hasn't been on. leslie cagan hasn't been on.

if i were pbs, i would've driven that point home. i would've pointed out that fair has a 30 minute weekly program and week after week, they choose their guests. so if they can't provide peace activists when they chose guests, who are they to criticize pbs' newshour for not providing a guest?

that's why all the cackles and all the goofing off hurts fair. that's why counterf**k needs to get serious. they want to critique the newshour and they argue that the newshour doesn't provide peace activists. neither does fair. you can't count media critics or former heads of fair. they point the finger at pbs for no peace activist.

i can point the finger at pbs for that. but that's because i've pointed the finger at counterf**k for that same issue. due to counterf**k, fair comes off looking like a hypocrite.

now they might argue, 'we critique the mainstream news.' yes, you do and you study it to see what gets covered and what doesn't. when you see that peace activists are shut out, it's your job to provide a peace activist who will discuss that topic. counterf**k never did that.

if i were pbs, i would've responded, 'since fair hasn't been able to find a peace activist worthy of their own show, i think they're coming off like hypocrites and should spend less time issuing a report card on pbs and more time focusing on fixing their own problems.'

the friend is a mutal friend of c.i.'s and mine. c.i. was speaking today, 1st day since the operation last week, and i said i'd drop what i planned to write about tonight if it would mean 1 less call to c.i. i know c.i. was tired today and feeling sick on the plane. so i'm grabbing this topic and it's 1 i have covered before. counterf**k is embarrassing. friends at cbs news feel that they are under the microscope in ways that other networks aren't (i agree with that assessment). that's bad enough. but the fact that they regularly ignore the iraq war is even worse. the fact that they have not provided cindy sheehan or any other peace activist as a guest going back months means they haven't earned the right to point the finger at any 1 else.

the show is still a joke. it's a bunch of titters and giggles. the organization needs a woman's chair because there are so many insulting things going on. where was their look at elizabeth vargas being fired from anchor of world news tonight due to her pregnancy?

that wasn't important to them. doing their weekly i-hate-katie-couric fan club was. citing ratings as a critique was so beyond everything fair is supposed to stand for and the sort of shameful thing that happens far too often. and you know they never critiqued dexter filkins. they couldn't shut up about judith miller but they couldn't devote time to examining filkins' work. when thomas e. ricks outed filkins, in the pages of the washington post, as the go-to-boy for the u.s. military, they reduced that to a headline. and not even a full headline. they mentioned it for a sentence, maybe 2, and then were off on bill o'reilly.

that program has made a joke out of fair and that's why i have grown to hate that weekly thirty minutes of nonsense. fair is an important organization. counterf**k degrades it weekly. i'm not the only 1 that got a call today about this. i know that ___ was circulating the laughable ap story (with that sentence circled and 'hypocrite' written next to it). and the reason for that is counterf**k. the program needs to get it's act together and that's not going to happen by doing a semi-deep (truly superficial) look at new york times op-eds on abortion and acting shocked that women aren't writing the majority of them. what kind of an idiot doesn't grasp that you hardly ever get women on the op-ed pages of the times. maureen dowd's the token and on a good week you might get 2 more women. on a good week.

when men go on vacation, they are almost always replaced by men. once, thomas friedman was on vacation and 3 people filled in for him. 2 were women. that was the exception. but note even with the exception, you didn't get all women filling in for him. you never do.

so when they do these silly little guests that don't know anything they're talking about or when they cover chris hedges outing a source who lied to him and don't bother to point out what any 1 who read the article knows (that there were 2 sources who lied to hedges and he only outed 1).

they treat that show like a comedy show for the really dumb. and that's hurting fair which is why counterf**k needs to get its act together. fair started to hold the media accountable. a noble goal. but counterf**k has made the organization a joke to the mainstream media because it is noted that they cover up for their favorites (as with ignoring the fact that hedges only named 1 source) and that they book silly guests who defend the mainstream and their interviewers just say 'uh-huh.'

on the chris hedges issue, before counterf**k had the guest from mother jones, c.i. had already noted that article on the chris hedges piece (falsely) linking saddam hussein to 9-11 (oh, you thought judith miller wrote that piece - a lot of media critics on the left credit it to her, but chris hedges wrote it). c.i. likes chris hedges but that didn't prevent c.i. from stating the obvious - the story, the new york times story not the mother jones 1, the new york times story that linked saddam and 9-11 mentioned 2 sources. hedges only outed 1.

and was the easiest 1. it was 'i don't know his name, he told me his name was __ but it turns out that's not his name. he was iraqi.'

and there was the increasingly dopey janine jackson interviewing the mother jones writer and never bothering to ask the obvious question: 'chris hedges mentioned 2 sources. did you ask him who the other source was?'

that never gets mentioned. it should have been asked. if you are truly a watch dog it should have been asked.

c.i. loves chris hedges' work. but that didn't mean c.i. played stupid. c.i. tackled the story before counterf**k did. click here to read c.i.'s critique.

and if you're in doubt that there were 2 sources, here's the link to the article hedges wrote followed by an excerpt, 'A Nation Challenged: The School; Defectors Cite Iraqis Training For Terrorism:'

Two defectors from Iraqi intelligence said yesterday that they had worked for several years at a secret Iraqi government camp that had trained Islamic terrorists in rotations of five or six months since 1995.
They said the training in the camp, south of Baghdad, was aimed at carrying out attacks against neighboring countries and possibly Europe and the United States.
The defectors, one of whom was a lieutenant general and once one of the most senior officers in the Iraqi intelligence service, the Mukhabarat, said they did not know if the Islamic militants being trained at the camp, known as Salman Pak, were linked to Osama bin Laden.

'two defectors.' 'they.' 'defectors.' why was only 1 source outed since they both lied? if you're a watchdog, you're a watchdog. you don't play patty cakes or look the other way when you're covering a story just because some 1's a nice guy.

this is only 1 example of how they look the other way and attack some people and give others a pass. and the fact that they do that is why fair is losing impact with the mainstream media.

that's it for tonight. i'll cover planned topics tomorrow. here's c.i.'s 'Iraq Snapshot:'

Wednesday, October 4, 2006. Chaos and violence continue in Iraq; the spin on the 'peace' plan of the puppet continues; 'Who's killing Iraqi educators?" is the question no one's asking; World Can't Wait calls for mass resistance on Thursday; Willie Caldwell continues to state the obvious; and an occupation riddle: When you think you've found killers and those who aid them, what do you do? Retrain them apparently, retrain them.


Those reading this morning's New York Times were greeted by Michael Luo's report on the increased violence in Iraq and the new that, on Monday alone, eight US troops died (highest single day number since July 2005). The AP noted 52 Iraqis reported dead on Tuesday. CNN notes that the US military announced two more deaths this morning (announced this morning, both died on Tuesday) and noted the two deaths bring "the number of U.S. troop fatalities in the first three days of October to 15." Iraq Coalition Casualties, the count we follow, states that 17 US troops have died since the month began (the total since the start of the illegal war: 2733 US troops killed).


That's the reality. Someone tell the United Nations' IRIN News, "Don't fluff so, don't fluff so, don't fluff so close to me. Please, don't fluff so, don't fluff so . . ." In part one of an intended series of articles examing Nouri al-Maliki's so-called 'peace' plan, IRIN ignores not only plank 3 but also seems unaware that the 'security councils' the puppet of the occupation is recommending already exist. Don't fluff so, don't fluff so
. . . AFP gets closer to the truth referring to it as "Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's last plan to stop the country sliding into chaos." Rest assured, it probably is his "last" (not "latest") plan. He's lost all US support and a puppet with no one pulling the strings is just a doll that no one wants to play with.

And why would they? AFP reports a mass suspect in the mass kidnappings: the Eighth Brigade of the Second Division of the Iraqi National Police. Willie Caldwell IV, the Giddiest Gabor in the Green Zone, happy to finger point, states: "There was clear evidence that there was some complicity in allowing death squad elements to move freely, when in fact they were supposed to be impeding their movment. It was realized that removing them from Baghdad would, in fact, enhance security." Now take the 'news' with a grain of salt. It's an allegation. But considering the severity of the allegation, it's interesting that, AP reports, only the police commander in charge was "discharged and arrested for investigation in the kidnapping." And the rest? CNN reports that it's time for retraining. As though deciding to let 'death squads' pass your security check point is akin to not knowing how to use the office copier. AFP reports they're on a US military base being retrained. BBC reports: "A programme has been under way for more than a month for comprehensive assessment and re-training of all national police unites -- a process called by the Americans 'transofrmational training.'"
James Hider (Times of London) reports that since 2004, "US forces have been re-training the Iraqi police, but the programme has had little impact" and that a "survivor of Monday's mass kidnapping . . . described how half a dozen vehicles, with official security forces markings on them, pulled up and men in military fatigues rounded up all the Sunnis in the shops."


Bombs?

Mussab Al-Khairalla and Alastair Macdonald (Reuters) report the US military announcement that "Bomb attacks in Baghdad have hit an all-time high." In reply, insert Goldie Hawn's two-word reply when, in Private Benjamin, she's told she's not fit for the uniform.


A 'series' of bombs went off in Baghdad. Sameer N. Yacoub (AP) reports that "a car bomb and two roadise bombs blew up in the span of 10 minutes in a shopping district of the Camp Sara neighborhood . . . left 15 dead and injured 87". Devika Bhat, James Hider and wires (Times of London) report: "Corpses were seen scattered in the streets next to the smoking wreckage as people frantically placed the wounded in their cars to take them to hospital before ambulances arrived at the scene. A woman sat weeping over the crumpled body of her son, refusing to allow police or rescue workers to take him away, while officials warned residents to leave the area for fear that more bombs were planned." Sameer N. Yacoub (AP) reports another bomb, close by, that was part of an attack on "a convoy carrying the Iraqi industry minister" which killed three guards and left nine more injured. There has been back and forth reporting all day on whether or not Fawzi al-Hariri (Industry Minister) was in the convoy or not. AFP notes the denial by the ministry and the confirmation by the police before reporting: "Security sources say that such denials are standard whenever there is an attack on an official convoy."


In addition, Reuters reports that, in Baghdad, another car bomb left one dead and four more wounded while, outside Baghdad -- three police officers, "two soldiers and nine civilians" were injured in Tal Afar in a bombing; and mortar rounds targeting an army recruiting center left four dead and eight wounded in Mosul.


Shootings?

Devika Bhat, James Hider and wires (Times of London) report the shooting death of two police officers in Baquba.Reuters notes a translator for the US military was shot dead in Siniya.


Corpses?


AFP reports that seven corpses were discovered in Baghdad and four in Kut. Reuters reports that two corpses were discovered in Mosul, three in Tuz Khurmatu and one in Tikrit.


Reporting for Tuesday's Free Speech News, Aaron Glantz and Salam Talib explored the issue of the deaths of Iraqi professors. 161 professors, minimum, have died in Iraq since the beginning of the illegal invasion. In addition, an estimated 3,250 have fled the country as part of the continue 'brain drain.' Interviewing a variety of people, Glantz and Talib explored this topic with one man interviewed noting that the killings are not accidental, they are targeted and another explaining that he and other professors had suggested living on or near unviersities only to have that idea shot down as well. (This report also aired on yesterday's The KPFA Evening News.)

As you read the above, you may be wondering, "What can I do about any of the above?" World Can't Wait is calling for a day of mass resistance tomorrow (Thursday). Meredith May (San Francisco Chronicle) reports that: "Activists in San Francisco have been working late into the night this week, building a 40-foot statue of President Bush. It's not idolatry. They plan to jail his likeness for war crimes Thursday at Justin Herman Plaza as part of nationwide round of protests calling on Bush to step down. Anti-Bush demonstrations are planned in more than 150 cities across the nation, as well as in Canada and Switzerland, as part of a movement that has been coalescing on the Internet for the past year." Gary Leupp (Dissident Voice) reports that "World Can't Wait has done some excellent work in uniting a wide range of war opponents in numerous actions and events. Daniel Ellsberg, Ray McGovern, Alice Walker, Howard Zinn, Rabbi Michael Lerner, Ralph Nader, Gore Vidal, Ed Asner, Sean Penn, Harry Belafonte, Tom Morello, Martin Sheen, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Gloria Steinem, Viggo Mortensen, Margaret Cho, Susan Sarandon, Jane Fonda, Bianca Jagger, Kurt Vonnegut, Rev. Jess Jackson, Gen. Janis Karpinski, Ron Kovic, U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney and thousands of others have endorsed the group's call to 'drive out the Bush regime' and to 'stop the attack on Iraq.'"


Sean Penn (at CounterPunch) states: "We the people of the United States have a unique opportunity. We can show each other and the world that what the Bush administration claims is their mission is not ours. And, by leading our country as a citizenry and demanding of our government an immediate end to our own military and profit investments in Iraq, display for the entire world that democracy is a government of people. What more powerful message to send the world than that we ourselves can choose in policy, in peace, and in humanitarian support." For more information, including events in your area, visit World Can't Wait.


Starying with peace news. War resister Darrell Anderson turned himself in at Fort Knox Tuesday afternoon after self-checking out in January 2005 and moving to Canada. Peter Smith (Kentcky's The Courier-Journal) reports that Anderson told people who'd turned out to show their support, "I am proud to be a resister of this war . . . I believe the tide is turning in America." Armina Ligaya (Canada's Globe & Mail) reports Anderson stating, "They broke their contract before I broke mine.". AP reports Anderson declared, "I feel that by resisting, I made up for the things I did in Iraq. I feel I made up for the sins I committed in this war." Among those present when Darrell Anderson turned himself in were his wife Gail Greer, his mother Anita Anderson, his step-father Stephen Dennis and his attorney Jim Fennerty. Jim Warren (Lexington Herald-Leader) reports that Fennerty believes Anderson "could be released by Friday if things go as they Army says." Fennerty's referring to what an officer involved in the case stated last week, "that the Army had decided not to court-martial Anderson, and plans to release him within three to five days. Fennerty said the officer told him that a discharge would be mailed to Anderson a few days after that."


Darrell Anderson is one of many in and from the military resisting the Iraq war -- those resisting publicly include Camilo Mejia, Jeremy Hinzman, Carl Webb, Brandon Hughey, Pablo Paredes, Kyle Snyder, Patrick Hart, Mark Wilkerson, Ricky Clousing and Aidan Delgado. September 2nd saw another war resister take action. That's when Augustin Aguayo self-checked out the Army. Last week, Aguayo turned himself in at Fort Irwin. Aaron Glantz (IPS) reports that Helga Aguayo (Augustin's wife) is attempting to "raise enough money to fly to Germany to testify at her husband's trial." As noted at Augustin Aguayo's home page, the military refused to let Helga or their two daughters have any contact with Augustin prior to his being deported to Germany to stand trial. Those wishing/able to donate can do say at AguayoDefense.org.


Ehren Watada is another war resister and the first officer to publicly refuse to serve in Iraq. He has stated that the war is illegal and, were he to participate, he'd be guilty of war crimes. His father, Bob Watada, has begun a second speaking tour to raise awareness about his son.


Wed. 10/4 7:00 pm Southern California Library for Social Studies and Research
6120 S. Vermont Ave, Los Angeles
Contact: So Cal Library 323-759-6063

Thurs 10/5 5:00 pm World Can't Wait March & Rally
(March starts at noon at pershing S1/Bob speaks in front of Federal Bldg 300 N. Los Angeles St. at 5:00 pm.
Contact: Nicole Lee 323-462-4771 email: la@worldcantwait.org


Thurs 10/5 5:00 pm World Can't Wait March & Rally
(March starts at noon at pershing S1/Bob speaks in front of Federal Bldg 300 N. Los Angeles St. at 5:00 pm.
Contact: Nicole Lee 323-462-4771 email: la@worldcantwait.org


Fri. 10/6 7:00 am Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace (ICUJP)
Immanuel Presbyterian Church, 3300 Wilshire Bl., Los Angeles
Contact: Thalia 626-683-9004 email: incuip@pacbell.net


Fri 10/6 12:30 San Fernando Valley Japanese Community Center
SFV Japanese American Community Center, 12953 Branford St., Pacoima 91331
Contact: Phil Shigkuni 818-893-1851, cell: 818-357-7488, email pshig2000@yahoo.com.


Sat 10/7 2:00-4:00 pm Welcome Reception for Bob Watada
JACCC Garden Room, 244 S. San Pedro St., Los Angeles
Contact: NCRR 213-680-3484, email: ncrrla@yahoo.com.


Sun 10/8 2:00-5:00 pm Forum with Bob Watada
Nat'l Center for the Preservation of Democracy, 111 N. Central Ave., Los Angeles.
Contact Ellen Endo 213-629-2231 or Mo 323-371-4502


Sun 10/8 6:00-8:00 pm An Evening of Discussion and Learning hosted by Rev. Phyllis Tyler
11326 CherryLee Dr., El Monte (Rev. Tyler is Senior Pastor of Sage Granada Park United Methodist Church in Alhambra) Co-sponsored by NCRR and the National Japanese American United Methodist Church Caucus
Contact: NCRR 213-680-3484 email: ncrrla@yahoo.com


Mon 10/9 7:00pm Veterans for Peace (Chapter 112) and Citizens for Peaceful Resolution
E.P. Foster Library, Topping Rm. 651, E. Main St., Ventura
Contact: Michael Cervantes 805-486-2884 email: mcervant@mindspring.com


For a complete schedule, click here. If you're unable to atten, Bob Morris (Politics in the Zeros) provides an MP3 file of Bob Watada speaking yesterday in Los Angeles.
And those wishing to donate to Ehren Watada's defense fund can make out checks to "ECCOR"; P.O. Box 235511, Honolulu, HI, 96823 or (for a tax deduction on your donation), "Hawaii People's Fund"; 810 N. Vineyard Blvd., Honolulu, HI 96817 *write "Lt. Watada legal defense" on the memo of the check. More information on war resisters can be found at Courage to Resist












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