Mark Mazzetti of the Los Angeles Times complains that the US military disseminates 'misleading information' in order to gain a tactical advantage over the terrorists in Iraq.  Not to beat a dead horse for the umpteenth time, but Mark and his buddies in the major press have been an integral part of the information war in the conflict in Iraq for quite a while now.  It's just that many Americans can't figure out which side they're on.

Meanwhile, the legacy media has seemingly forgotten that the Coalition and the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) won a tremendous victory against the thugs of Iranian stooge Muqtada al—Sadr in the city of Najaf last August.  Yesterday, a CENTCOM press release announced that the ISF have officially assumed control of the entire An Najaf province.  The article also stated that since the fighting ended on August 28, there have been no major incidents in the province even though the Marines have significantly reduced their presence.  The Ramadan holidays also passed without incident.  The article notes,

With little to no MEU [Marine Expeditionary Unit] oversight, Najaf's ISF have demonstrated their ability to respond and take control of threats to the province's stability, as well as plan, direct and conduct limited security operations.  Iraqi police and national guardsmen have conducted several successful raids using intelligence compiled on their own [emphasis mine], netting several insurgents and criminals.  Iraqi border enforcement officials continue to effectively work the borders, stopping several illegal crossings and narcotics trafficking.

Perhaps Mr. Mazzetti and his colleagues could get out from behind their staff writer desks, jet over to Najaf, and spend some ink on this and other under—covered stories from the war.

I must be dreaming, again.

Doug Hanson   12—01—04