Fewer Deaths Offer Hope, Ignore Reasons

What follows in an op-ed submission following my continued disgust with the media’€™s reporting on conditions in Iraq.

On Sunday, June 1, 2008 you ran an AP article on the decreasing number of deaths in Iraq. Like many previous articles and proclamations that conditions are getting better, the lower levels of violence seem to have no cause or reason. These articles ignore the cease-fire arranged between Muqtada Al-Sadr, the Iraqi government and the occupation forces. These articles also ignore the continued attacks on occupation forces which result in injuries but not death. For more insight on the mental, physical, and equipment damage caused by attacks I urge you to view a video put on youtube by U.S. troops. The interviewee is a Wisconsin native who was almost killed when a mortar attack hit the vehicles he was working on. You can see this video, entitled Miller’s Story at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLY0-aLcDeY.  Of course you cannot find stories about the daily danger that Casey Porter’€™s other videos show during his second tour of duty in the news because the media is trying to paint a picture of things going well and improving. This ignores the true cost of the occupation to both Iraqis and the occupation forces. Our media is failing us when it takes our troops using their off-duty time to edit and upload videos revealing the reality of the occupation and the media only gives us stories from reporters who dare not venture beyond the Green Zone.

Originally submitted as an op-ed to The Leader-Telegram and reposted to gnn.tv.