Iraq conflicts
I've been preparing for my starring role in Pedro Almodovar's epic on bloggers with a small piece to camera for 3rd year student Kristy Woodhams' TV project. She's been investigating the military's view of how the conflict in Iraq is reported. Many soldiers feel angry and upset at the coverage and feel they have not been given enough 'support'. She asked me what I thought about this.
There are very few 'good news' stories when reporting war. Just ask Caroline Hawley, until recently the BBC's correspondent in Baghdad. I went to the Frontline club in London recently to hear her talk. You might remember that she was once accused of being able to 'smell shit in a rose garden' by Paul Bremer, the former chief US administrator in Iraq.
Several ex-soldiers and representatives of NGOs said they were despondent because much of the good work they were doing for civilians was unreported. Caroline said she had reported several positive stories (including one on Iraq's version of Pop Idol) but that there were more important news priorities: the coalition forces' inability to provide water and electricity for civilians, abuses at Abu Ghraib, kidnappings, bombings, killings and insurgencies.
Perhaps the lack of public support and ebbing of political will is at the heart of the frustration felt by those in the army. Few of them cannot have asked the question: why did we go to war? Ben Griffin, an SAS soldier, quit Baghdad after only three months. He told his commanders that he could not take part in an 'illegal war.' Was he court-martialled, reprimanded or called a coward? No, the army discharged him and gave him a glowing reference.
For a US veteran's perspective read Paul Rieckhoff's blog for the Huffington Post.
There are very few 'good news' stories when reporting war. Just ask Caroline Hawley, until recently the BBC's correspondent in Baghdad. I went to the Frontline club in London recently to hear her talk. You might remember that she was once accused of being able to 'smell shit in a rose garden' by Paul Bremer, the former chief US administrator in Iraq.
Several ex-soldiers and representatives of NGOs said they were despondent because much of the good work they were doing for civilians was unreported. Caroline said she had reported several positive stories (including one on Iraq's version of Pop Idol) but that there were more important news priorities: the coalition forces' inability to provide water and electricity for civilians, abuses at Abu Ghraib, kidnappings, bombings, killings and insurgencies.
Perhaps the lack of public support and ebbing of political will is at the heart of the frustration felt by those in the army. Few of them cannot have asked the question: why did we go to war? Ben Griffin, an SAS soldier, quit Baghdad after only three months. He told his commanders that he could not take part in an 'illegal war.' Was he court-martialled, reprimanded or called a coward? No, the army discharged him and gave him a glowing reference.
For a US veteran's perspective read Paul Rieckhoff's blog for the Huffington Post.
posted by Liisa Rohumaa at 3:42 AM
1 Comments:
Think it is naive to expect rights abuses not to take place when you introduce a bunch of professional killers amongst a hostile population.
Also think it is naive of the army commanders to expect the press not to report such excesses. Media is one of the main checks -- possibly the only real check -- the army has in situations like that.
Personally I think there are positive stories as well in any conflict situation. And the media has the responsibility to report those. 'Balanced' reportage -- even pretend-objectivity -- is nearly impossible in situations such as this, I have found. And I don't think 'objectivity' -- or what's traditionally known as 'objectivity' -- is even desirable. But you could certainly look at recording the good with the bad.
Can understand the soldier's frustration. He's the man on the ground, and he has a worm's view, mostly. He's the one who dies, is maimed, the one whose mates are killed every day. He's angry, point taken.
But can't understand the commanders' 'frustration'. They are officers, with a macro view, and they should know better. And possibly, they do know better. And the expressions of 'frustration' and other such comments is part of the psyops, perhaps?
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