What a mess!

On Friday, ABC's Nightline was billed as a Big Event. A discussion in Iraq with Iraqis about the state of affairs. I certainly sounded promising, but hope quickly shifted to dismay.

Host Terry Moran started out by saying that they could only have the discussion in the Green Zone, and then showed video of the zone from two years earlier - while saying that the situation had deteriorated since then. Also, the television set-up was in a bunker, reinforced with blast walls. Several invited guests were unable to get into the Green Zone. U.S. civilian and military were invited, but declined to participate.

In any event, the discussion was with 12 Iraqi participants. Here is the list:

• Wafa Kareem (f) - student
• Maha Ahmed (f) - student
• Arouba Said (f) - student
• Dr. Jama Taha - Yarmouk Hospital
• Dr. Haider Abed - Yarmouk Hospital
• Bassen al-Fadli - TV anchor, al-Iraqiya
• Zainab Hussein (f) - Los Angeles Times
• Mowaffak al-Rubaie - Iraq Nat'l. Security Advisor
• Laith Kubba - Iraqi Gov't. Spokesman
• Col. Ali Abu al-Hassan - Deputy Commander Wolf Brigade
• Adnan Pachachi - Former President Iraqi Governing Council
• Nesreem Sadiq Barwari (f) - Iraqi Public Works Minister

So, 3 students, 2 doctors, 2 media, and 5 Iraqi government (current & former).

But wait! What's that guy, Bassen al-Fadli - TV anchor for al-Iraqiya - all about? From CNN: 28 November 2003

U.S.-funded Iraqi network challenges Arab stations

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- One of the chief U.S. weapons in the battle to win Iraqi hearts and minds is Al-Iraqiya -- a Pentagon-funded TV station with an optimistic, pro-American slant.

Announcers on Al-Iraqiya, which reaches 85 percent of Iraqis, decry the guerrillas attacking U.S. military and Iraqi civilian targets as "terrorists."

ABC did not make the viewer aware of the nature of al-Iraqia.

In any event, how about that mix of guests? Half are Iraqi government, or aligned with it. Who knows about the person identified as "Los Angeles Times". Leaving 5 civilians.

Nightline viewers were not given a realistic snapshot of Iraqi attitudes. (Probably doesn't matter since the interview clips were short.)   We should point out that Nightline did manage to catch a few words from "outsider", and presumably spokesman for the insurgents in some way, Saleh al-Mutlaq of the Iraqi Nat'l. Dialogue Council.

The overall impression we got from this Nightline special was that things are really falling apart in Iraq.


posted by Quiddity at 12/03/2005 05:21:00 AM