Iraq: Reports of My Demise Have Been Greatly Exagerated
In the great story of the Iraqi-Civil-War-that-Wasn't, every day that passes is more proof of media bias in reporting on the war. Ralph Peters remarks that the media protrayal of Iraq has little to do with the actual situation on the ground:

Plenty of serious problems remain in Iraq, from bloodthirsty terrorism to the unreliability of the police. Iran and Syria indulge in deadly mischief. The infrastructure lags generations behind the country's needs. Corruption is widespread. Tribal culture is pernicious. Women’s rights are threatened. And there's no shortage of trouble-making demagogues.

Nonetheless, the real story of the civil-war-that-wasn't is one of the dog that didn't bark. Iraqis resisted the summons to retributive violence. Mundane life prevailed. After a day and a half of squabbling, the political factions returned to the negotiating table. Iraqis increasingly take responsibility for their own security, easing the burden on U.S. forces. And the people of Iraq want peace, not a reign of terror.

But the foreign media have become a destructive factor, extrapolating daily crises from minor incidents. Part of this is ignorance. Some of it is willful. None of it is helpful.

The dangerous nature of journalism in Iraq has created a new phenomenon, the all-powerful local stringer. Unwilling to stray too far from secure facilities and their bodyguards, reporters rely heavily on Iraqi assistance in gathering news. And Iraqi stringers, some of whom have their own political agendas, long ago figured out that Americans prefer bad news to good news. The Iraqi leg-men earn blood money for unbalanced, often-hysterical claims, while the Journalism 101 rule of seeking confirmation from a second source has been discarded in the pathetic race for headlines.

Some bloggers have made two other major points:

1. Since the "civil war" started, US casualties have dropped considerably.

2. Civilian casualty figures reported in the mainstream media may have been greatly exagerated.

It is not an exaggeration to say that Iraq is at a crossroads. Another major terror attack could have unpredictable effects. But judging by these headline, the press was reporting the story it wished for, not the story that happened.
- posted by Base10 @ 8:18 AM