[Vision2020] Re: Iraq School Attendance?

Sat, 5 Jun 2004 14:29:03 EDT

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Paul:

Thanks for your detailed reply.  

You raise many excellent points.  However, I do not think the US media shows 
the extent of the death and maiming of Iraq civilians with pictures.  I rarely 
see pictures of Iraq civilians killed and dead lying in their destroyed homes 
or dead on the street, killed due to US military action.  Also, we rarely see 
pictures of US soldiers coming home with arms and legs and eyes, etc., 
missing.  These photos also are being censored by the US media, it is clear.

I am all for full and complete coverage of all that is happening in Iraq.  
But to say the media is focusing only on the negative, and not the positive, 
from Iraq is not true.  Much negative reporting is censored, reporting that might 
make the US effort seem more brutal and cruel.  And I have often heard 
reporting about the Iraqis who are glad Saddam is gone, the Iraqis celebrating when 
they were tearing down Saddam's statue.  

This was shown over and over and over in the media making US forces look like 
heroes.  How can you say the media is focusing on the bad only in Iraq?

Perhaps the facts dictate that the situation in Iraq get reported the way it 
is, with large scale opposition among Iraqis to the US occupation.  Has that 
occurred to you?  Has it occurred to you that we are not just facing opposition 
from "terrorists," but many Iraqis who see the US as an invading force 
occupying their country, and that just as we here in America would fight back, they 
are fighting back?  

When the US rounds up hundreds of Iraqis and jails them and abuses them, is 
this targeting of innocent civilians?  The reports are clear that many jailed 
and abused by US forces in Iraq were innocent civilians deprived of the very 
democratic civil rights we are claiming to be bringing to Iraq.

As far as the school attendance figures, you do not provide any reference 
point in time to establish the percentage increases in attendance.  Besides, the 
UNICEF source I gave said they do not have accurate current figures anyway.

Also, again, you discount the fact that many fighting the US occupation are 
Iraqis who see the US as a conquering force occupying their country, abusing 
their tribal and family members, and are fighting back in what they see as self 
defense.  So who is in the way of school attendance?  Maybe an occupying army 
that rounds up civilians in raids on homes and disappears them into jails 
where family members cannot find out what has happened to their loved ones is part 
of the problem.

My reference to the level of Iraq education among the population was not 
referring to official government statistics, but rather to the facts known about 
the level of education among Iraqis compared to other middle eastern nations. I 
don't know how reliable that Iraq government statistic on education 
attendance is.  

I do know that under Saddam in Iraq, women had better civil rights overall 
than in some other US backed nations in the middle east, such as Saudi Arabia, 
and in saying this I am in no way discounting Saddam's brutal rule, just 
reporting the facts.

Odd you avoid discussion of the fact I mentioned of the treatment of women by 
the dictatorship in Saudi Arabia that the US backs, while we are bringing 
"freedom and democracy" to the middle east.  Saudi Arabia keeps women as virtual 
prisoners of their husbands, denying them basic civil rights.  Where is the 
coverage of this human rights abuse in the US media occurring under the 
dictatorial rule of a government the US backs?

This seems like censorship of news in the US media that would make a US 
supported government look bad.  Got to make sure our oil buddies in the Saudi 
ruling families are not given a black eye, right?

Ted Moffett

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<HTML><HTML> 
Paul: 
 
Thanks for your detailed reply.&nbsp; 
 
You raise many excellent points.&nbsp; However, I do not think the US media=20=
shows the extent of the death and maiming of Iraq civilians with pictures.&n=
bsp; I rarely see pictures of Iraq civilians killed and dead lying in their=20=
destroyed homes or dead on the street, killed due to US military action.&nbs=
p; Also, we rarely see pictures of US soldiers coming home with arms and leg=
s and eyes, etc., missing.&nbsp; These photos also are being censored by the=
 US media, it is clear. 
 
I am all for full and complete coverage of all that is happening in Iraq.&nb=
sp; But to say the media is focusing only on the negative, and not the posit=
ive, from Iraq is not true.&nbsp; Much negative reporting is censored, repor=
ting that might make the US effort seem more brutal and cruel.&nbsp; And I h=
ave often heard reporting about the Iraqis who are glad Saddam is gone, the=20=
Iraqis celebrating when they were tearing down Saddam's statue.&nbsp; 
 
This was shown over and over and over in the media making US forces look lik=
e heroes.&nbsp; How can you say the media is focusing on the bad only in Ira=
q? 
 
Perhaps the facts dictate that the situation in Iraq get reported the way it=
 is, with large scale opposition among Iraqis to the US occupation.&nbsp; Ha=
s that occurred to you?&nbsp; Has it occurred to you that we are not just fa=
cing opposition from "terrorists," but many Iraqis who see the US as an inva=
ding force occupying their country, and that just as we here in America woul=
d fight back, they are fighting back?&nbsp; 
 
When the US rounds up hundreds of Iraqis and jails them and abuses them, is=20=
this targeting of innocent civilians?&nbsp; The reports are clear that many=20=
jailed and abused by US forces in Iraq were innocent civilians deprived of t=
he very democratic civil rights we are claiming to be bringing to Iraq. 
 
As far as the school attendance figures, you do not provide any reference po=
int in time to establish the percentage increases in attendance.&nbsp; Besid=
es, the UNICEF source I gave said they do not have accurate current figures=20=
anyway. 
 
Also, again, you discount the fact that many fighting the US occupation are=20=
Iraqis who see the US as a conquering force occupying their country, abusing=
 their tribal and family members, and are fighting back in what they see as=20=
self defense.&nbsp; So who is in the way of school attendance?&nbsp; Maybe a=
n occupying army that rounds up civilians in raids on homes and disappears t=
hem into jails where family members cannot find out what has happened to the=
ir loved ones is part of the problem. 
 
My reference to the level of Iraq education among the population was not ref=
erring to official government statistics, but rather to the facts known abou=
t the level of education among Iraqis compared to other middle eastern natio=
ns. I don't know how reliable that Iraq government statistic on education at=
tendance is.&nbsp; 
 
I do know that under Saddam in Iraq, women had better civil rights overall t=
han in some other US backed nations in the middle east, such as Saudi Arabia=
, and in saying this I am in no way discounting Saddam's brutal rule, just r=
eporting the facts. 
 
Odd you avoid discussion of the fact I mentioned of the treatment of women b=
y the dictatorship in Saudi Arabia that the US backs, while we are bringing=20=
"freedom and democracy" to the middle east.&nbsp; Saudi Arabia keeps women a=
s virtual prisoners of their husbands, denying them basic civil rights.&nbsp=
; Where is the coverage of this human rights abuse in the US media occurring=
 under the dictatorial rule of a government the US backs? 
 
This seems like censorship of news in the US media that would make a US supp=
orted government look bad.&nbsp; Got to make sure our oil buddies in the Sau=
di ruling families are not given a black eye, right? 
 
Ted Moffett</HTML>

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