who would have thought that the mainstream media would allow themself to get caught in this questionsble activity. I thought that they were above the fray. Seems that they are funding the fray.

I couldn't agree with you more. I have been linking to other sites and following the story.

NOTE: FoxNews is carrying the story now.

Key points in their coverage...This is a big counterintelligence issue...credentials can be used to access sensitive areas.

However, the analyst also stated that the "insurgency" is growing. I don't believe that is true...I believe the media (aka MSM/DNC) are simply reporting more and stirring up the stories.

Any input from those in Iraq?

Air Force Voices

I've written to Mr Lutz over at General Motors asking him to explain how he can drape his products in the Flag and fund terrorist cameramen at the same time.

More binary thinking from Greyhawk.

How conveniently you forget all the rogues the US Government and CIA paid off to do our dirty work. Saddam Hussein himself comes to mind.

If the CIA "jacks up" who they hire and trust w/ secrets, how can you logically fault CBS with far less investigatory resources at their disposal?

Again, making a mountain out of a molehill.

RETIRE ALREADY!!!

With each passing day you further betray the tradition of active military members being "non political."

Who are you? What would your senior rater think of all of this?

Please allow me to play devil's advocate for a second or two.

Wouldn't it be correct to say that these journalists are "embedded" with the terrorists?

We all watched the coverage of the "Thunder Runs" into Baghdad... how is this any different?

If a U.S. journalist, embedded with American troops were shot while covering their combat operations, would we be calling on that media outlet's advertisers to stop patronizing them?

Not to be too cynical, but it's not very surprising that a) journalists -- freelance or otherwise -- are counterintelligence liabilities, b) CBS News is employing the most rabidly anti-American of them, or that c) the journalistic community comes to their knee-jerk defense.

Having said that, it's clear that there should be no outrage over his wounding. Journalism is a dangerous vocation, and covering warzones is the most virulent type. But someone needs to disabuse journalists all over the world that they are somehow special by virtue of being journalists. If this story is true, this journalist was a combatant, just as all of the US embeds were. To hear Reporters without Borders, the Pulitzer people, et. al., journalists are such noble people, so as to be Olympian, so high that they shit marble.

Oh, and "IRR Soldier", you're a real douchebag. I'm not sure that you understand the idea of "active military members being 'non political.'" They're non-political in terms of domestic political partisanship. Not in terms of US vs. rest of the world. And, speaking of binary thinking, there is no more mindless an analysis than the old "the US Government and CIA does horrible things" gambit. You know, the one that says that America -- and by extension, Americans -- have no standing to make moral statements because of actions conducted by the US intelligence services. I've heard it more times than I can count. And it is always deployed in the same manner, by the same morons: even though i have nothing material to add to the conversation and advance our understanding of the issue, shut up you -- you're American, you can't say anything, I won't allow it! Talk about binary thinking.

Terrorist or insurgent?
Do the victims care what they're called?

I can't help wondering how many of these attacks would NOT have taken place if there was no news media "thirst" (did I mean "blood thirst"?) to have pictures and/or video to plaster over TV screens all over the world...

The media's complicity doesn't pass the "smell" test for me.

Yaah, go CBS for bringing us all sides of the story, and in the process helping the funding of these poor downtrodden misunderstood "insurgents" who only want to kill all the minions of the Great White Satan. Thankfully they don't let any possible concern for US soldiers to mar their clearheaded thinking over who they hire and pay in such an area.

Hopefully CBS will continue to financially support their efforts and do their part to stop the evil warmongering US from bringing Democracy into the Middle East...

Hmm, how much is required for "material aid and support" in a legal sort of sense...? I doubt we're there yet, but what would it take?

IRR -- and why did we supoort those "rogues" to engage in proxy warfare?

Because people like you, more afraid of the appearance of American "imperialist arrogance" than the reality of tyranny, discouraged us from the decisive use of American force when it was called for.

As I said, from the link above:

Instead of removing these melanomas from the skin of the world, we kept them there to avoid the "failure" of warfare ... and even used them as our proxies, to avoid the "failure" of direct confrontation with our biggest enemy.

And, from the comments associated with that link ...

We have a responsibility to mitigate the damage ... and our knee-jerk refusal to wage DECISIVE war over the last five decades made the inevitible more protracted, more costly ... and more deadly.

When are you and the Leftist fellow-travelers you appear to support going to acknowledge the abject errors in policy, that were derived from your knee-jerk disdain for the decisive use of American force?

IRR I'm confused. Are you implying that Democrats are in favor of CBS imbedding photographers with terrorists and Republicans are opposed? I never thought about it in those terms. The videos alledged to be in the cameramans possession were of roadside bombs. Are you implying Democrats are in favor of roadside bombs? I disagree. Not everything is political.

And a one time warning: the comment section here is open to all viewpoints, and although I'm open to criticism and will admit when I'm wrong I find personal attacks are simply tiresome. If you want to defend CBS do so - I think they'll have few defenders. Keep it civilized, stay on topic, and you might win converts to your point-of-view.

Same warning applies to any who respond to such comments. Don't stoop to that level.

Everyone seems to be missing the point that the US is at WAR with the terrorists!! CBS having reporters "embedded" with them is the same thing as if CBS had "embedded" reporters with the German army in WWII! The word treason comes to mind....

Anyone want to get a pool going on how this flames out and CBS has no egg on it's face whatsoever! I'd like to see the NYT's, LAT's, NBC, ABC, CBS (oops) headline this repeatedly like they did and continue to do with Abu Ghraib. Then you have a pretend IRR Soldier trolling and talking about black helicopters running behind him. I think he's from the 70's.

Toni,

"Anyone want to get a pool going on how this flames out and CBS has no egg on it's face whatsoever"

Any one want to bet what will happen to CBS's advertising revenues when advertisers that drape their products in the flag start getting e-mails from Family Members of Soldiers in Iraq accusing them of (indirectly) supporting the terrorists that are trying to kill the Sons and Daughters of America??

IRR is at it again. Hope you don't have an AKO E-mail, Greyhawk. He'll be happy to post info about you! The executives at CBS that hire the "embedded with terrorists" camera operators that have foreknowledge of a danger to U.S. and Iraqi citizens, and don't inform the authorities should be tried for treason. They should take this tape, work the money trail back, and hang anyone that touched it if anyone was killed in those bombings. If you support (pay) terrorists, you are providing aid and comfort to the enemy. Period.

Thanks ACE. You hit the nail on the head. You are so right.

IRR - Maybe you should read the regulations again. US military members are ALLOWED to be politically active. However, military members are not allowed to represent their views as the views of the military service that they are attached to. Also I would think Greyhawk's Senior Rater would be thrilled that he was exercising his constitutional rights that he is defending by engaging in a lively political debate.

SC: That whole thing about "Senior Rater" folk sounds like something that can backfire when used by a blowhard trying to threaten people into silence and/or retirement.

From another soldiers dad. IRR is just hiding behind his status. What do you expect. If he had any class he would re-activate and do his duty.

David A,

When one enlists or gets commisioned into the military they do not join for life. In fact, almost 75% of first term Marines leave the Active Duty Marine Corps after 4 years. The Army number is about 49%. The overwhelming majority of these men go to the IRR to complete their 8 year MSO. Are you asserting that those that have already deployed, seen combat and then chose to return to civilian life lack "class"?

I certainly hope not. I'm sure that a good reactionary like youreslf loves the notion of the "volunteer" military. Why the beef when others do their time, perform their duty and then move on as is allowed by law and regulation?

Does Blackfive lack "class" for pontificating about Iraq and military life in general when he is no longer in uniform? Be consistent now...

I've done my active duty - thank you very much and even volunteered to stay an extra year from what I signed on for. Now, I'm continuing to do my duty that I signed on for - in the IRR - as provided by law.

A lot of you are mssing something significant here. You assume IRR soldier is a male - but read the "voice" of her comments carefully - she's not. There are numerous women serving honorably these days and IRR Soldier is a female too.

To IRR. No I am not asserting that these people have no class. That was addressed to you alone. I am also going by what I have read in these blogs as to what some IRR soldiers have done. As for your accusation of my being a reactionary loving the voluntary army, careful with your assumptions,I'm old enough to be your father. So don't go there. And finally, my son just got home from serving 15 months of his 2 years of IRR in Iraq, which he volunteered to activate for active duty and served with his unit. And I am darn proud of him.

Old Soldier,

Last time I checked, I was a male.

My bad IRR - your shrill tone when you show up here once a month screaming about binary thinking threw me off.

My apologies to women everywhere.

priceless Old Soldier

Sucked 'em right in....

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