The days you do not hear on the news of some new killing of American troops
in Baghdad is a day when the news really should announce: "No Americans Were
Killed in Baghdad Today" or even "In Iraq Today." Such days are progress, a
change in the situation on the ground. We are getting many more of them.
Iraq the Model carries this report (Feb. 23 post) on the Surge. As you will
see, it is news, the sort of thing Americans would be interested to see in
the mainstream media if the MSM--especially editors--wished to report it.
"Military wise the (Iraqi) spokesman for the operation said the first week
left 42 militants killed and over 250 militants and suspects captured and
good amounts of weapons and munitions were found. The troops had also
defused 13 car bombs and many IED's.
"The best part of the results remains the return of displaced families to
their homes; the latest count for this shows that more than 600 families
have returned so far.
"While the return went with little problems for most families some forty
families are complaining about receiving new threats from terrorists
immediately after they returned to al-Adl district.
"More occupied mosques are also being returned to their original keepers and
earlier today Sunni and Shia worshippers gathered to hold joint prayers in
several places in Baghdad as we saw on TV.
"Last week, Maliki made his first public appearance on the streets of
Baghdad when he visited the area of Palestine Street in Resafa the day that
followed the bombings in the New Baghdad district. The same day general
Aboud Qanbar, the commander of the operation walked in Haifa Street.
These public appearances are apparently part of a PR campaign to show that
senior officials are not afraid of leaving the green zone anymore, and
frankly this has left a good impression among the public."
This latter development that shows political and military leaders appearing
in public in the Red Zone (anything outside the highly protected Green Zone)
seems especially significant to me. When I was in Baghdad two and a half
years ago, it was unsafe for an American to go anywhere near Haifa Street,
even though it is a key shopping district. It apparently is safe enough now
for the Iraqi leadership to make a staged appearance, at least. I hope to
learn soon that ordinary people--even American reporters--can travel about
the city with a modicum of safety.
My point is that things slowly are getting better and the Surge may, indeed,
succeed. Who would like to bet on the date when the first MSM stories begin
to report the good news? If, in fact, there continue to be days with no
killings of Americans, and especially if there are days with no attacks on
Iraqis INSIDE BAGHDAD, where the Surge is taking place, I personally expect
to see MSM coverage within a week. Even if, as one British reporter told me
in late 2004, editors at home only want stories about blood, the actual
improvement of the military situation is of such interest--and such a
novelty!--that it has to be reported as news. And there really are a number
of fine reporters who want to tell about it.
Of course, there will be many more days of bad news, too. Never fear, THAT
will be covered.