WSJ Reporter's Private E-mail: Iraq "a disaster" (and Worse)

[UTUSN]

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http://www.ctnow.com/hc-email.artoct02,0,4258333.story

Private E-Mail Portrays Iraq Headed For Disaster
October 2, 2004
By LIZ HALLORAN, Courant Staff Writer

A Wall Street Journal foreign correspondent's revealing e-mail to friends, in which she details deteriorating conditions in Iraq and the growing danger for journalists, has become an Internet phenomenon, driving home stark facts familiar to reporters in the war-riven country. ....

"For those of us on the ground," she wrote, "it's hard to imagine what if anything could salvage (Iraq) from its violent downward spiral."

Contacted Friday by e-mail in Iraq, Fassihi, upset that her personal missive has become public fodder, declined to comment on reaction to her assessment of Iraq as "a disaster," and her life as a reporter there as akin to being under "virtual house arrest" because of threats to Westerners.

But Fassihi's colleagues in Baghdad say her analysis of the situation is dead-on: from the increasing inability of reporters to move around safely to do their job, to the dangers of assassinations, kidnappings and beheadings, to the growing strength of an insurgency that appears more organized every day. ....

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[NewJeffCT]

1. well, it's hard work, don't you know?

That's why our Esteemed President has gone from 40% of his time on vacation in his first year to only about 30% since!

[charlie]

2. Full text here

http://poynter.org/forum/?id=misc

[BlueEyedSon]

3. Link to the whole email

http://www.countercurrents.org/iraq-fassihi011004.htm

[MatrixEscape]

4. So we foot the bill now and lose it all ...

"Staying the course" is looking worse and worse all the time. For the lack of any tangible strategy by our whiz-bang Administration, the situation could easily be declared a major, strategic disaster.

While this situation may trump our previous error in Asia, at what stage are we going to call it what it is, Viet Nam Redux?

Bush made the big mess on his own and now wants support to keep it going with no foreseeable benefit to anyone. We won't even get an apology for the blunder. Even his Dad avoided getting in that mess. Since Bin Laden has always hated Saddam, they could have had him, (one of our best operatives in Afghanistan) put his energies into taking out Saddam, and he would have done a better job, it seems.

When I think of all the money that is going into this and how much we need here for problems across the board ... well, its sickening.

Even if I were for all the suggested PNAC invasions, I would not pick this Administration to handle it.

[UTUSN]

5. What My Wingnut Vietnam Vet Answered to This:

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Poor baby she wants her panty hose, she should take a few lessons from Ernie Pile in W.W.II, it's not all roses, you & I know that for sure>>>>>>> (No relation to Gomer Pile)

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