News from the front...but not via CNN

[Mairead]

31 December: (ICH) Today on Palestine Street near Mustanceria University in Baghdad, a car packed with explosives was exploded as a US patrol passed. I saw at least one Humvee flipped upside down and another sitting nearby, completely incinerated; as soldiers, tanks, Bradleys, and Hummers had the area completely sealed. Razor wire was strung across the street, keeping the area clear.

Meanwhile soldiers went building to building pulling out all the men, and inside of their sealed perimeter stood a group of at least 25-35 men, all most likely to be detained. I stood by the razor wire watching them taking men with their hands tied with plastic
ties out of buildings. The young soldier near me saw an Iraqi man staring at him, and yelled at him,

“What the fuck are you looking at mother fucker!?”

...

Each scene I’ve visited like this has revealed a policy that seems to be that the military will seal off the area for several blocks around where a patrol has been hit, then go house to house, building to building, and just pull men out for either questioning, or more likely, detaining them.

We were hoping to take pictures, and find out what happened. But the usual policy of the military here of preventing photos of US military hardware wreckage was in force. The first soldier we’d come upon said to us, “Sure you can take pictures. Then I’ll take your
camera.”

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article5446.htm

[DuctapeFatwa]

1. Dahr Jamail is one brave mofo and a reminder of what journalists

are supposed to do in a war zone - report.

In another thread, I asked for those who pray to please include Dahr and his family in your prayers.

The crusaders have already murdered 17 or maybe it's more now, journalists, and maimed and dissapeared I don't know how many.

[aquart]

2. He has my prayers.

Courage when it counts is a precious thing and we can't afford to lose him.

[spanone]

3. CNN has effectively put the war on page 9 & 10 of it's reporting

CNN has become the "today show" of news. The happier news. War just isn't quite entertaining enough. Michael Jackson is an entertainer....

[Mercurius]

4. That sounds like

Fox News, as well. But their schtik is to make the war entertaining. Happy, happy war.

[Nevernose]

5. That's not really fair

The "Today Show" has far more in-depth reporting on far more important stories than does CNN.

[truthspeaker]

6. someone buy that man a cameraphone

or some other easily-concealed digital camera.

[baggypants]

7. You have to admit though, if Saddam was rounding them up.....

it would not have been to "question" them or to "detain" them. They would have been dead so like so many other thousands of civilians at Saddam's hands.

[Andy_Stephenson]

8. How do we know theses men that were picked up...

are still alive after interrogation? We don't have anyway of knowing.

[goddess40]

9. Detaining

I don't think we should use Saddam as a model for US actions.

[drdigi420]

10. bush has killed more iraqi civilians than saddam

dont even go there

why do republikkkans always deflect?

its always about Clinton, or Hussein, or something else.

how about taking responsibility for the lies?