A blog called the "Blotter" produced by ABC News has an interesting report suggesting Al Qaeda has come to Gaza. This report was generated from the disection of the videos showing the Fox News correspondents being held hostage. This analysis was done by ABC's  paid consultants ostensibly expert in this arena.
 
Aside from the conjecture about who the kidnappers may be, the entry suggests that Al Qaeda is getting nearer and nearer to defeat.

"Analysts believe that al Qaeda has expressed an increasing interest in the Arab—Israeli conflict for a number of reasons, one of which is their major setbacks in Iraq."

Al Qaeda's major setback in Iraq; these guys must not have gotten the memo. They  should know that American troops are like "sitting ducks" over there. Don't these experts know how hopeless this cause is? Haven't they heard the grim assessments of former Marine hero and "Pentagon Insider" John Murtha? ABC is really slipping, allowing these reports that suggest we're winning this damnable war.

With their expertise on full display, the consultants tell us,

"Their (Al Qaeda's) tactics of beheading and mass murder of innocent civilians have not been popular with the majority of Iraqis, and their leader Abu Musab al Zarqawi was killed by a U.S. air attack two months ago"

Imagine that. Who would have thought beheading and murdering innocent civilians would be unpopular? Are they saying that Iraq didn't hold a national day of mourning when Zarqawi was killed? That can't be right, they know how incompetent the Bush administration is.
 
There's more.

"Al Qaeda's camps in Afghanistan have been dismantled after their allies, the Taliban, were overthrown by the U.S.—led war in October 2001, and their leadership has been forced to seek refuge in the tribal areas of Pakistan. Many of their top operatives have been arrested in the past four years."

Al Qaeda camps in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and Gaza. No No, this can't be. What about the CBS NY Times poll? 51% of an infinitesimal poll sample say there is "no link" between Iraq and the Terror War. Hold the frontpage, this is really big news! In the name of Edward R. Murrow, everyone knows a poll is much more reliable than actual reports from the battle space. How can this be?

This ABC News report completely contradicts the relentless drumbeat of media stories telling tales of woe and predicting humiliating defeat. Remember Congressman Murtha said our Marines are under such stress they're committing indiscriminate war crimes. The very idea that we are actually winning this war, it's just not possible.

All jokes aside, I consider myself to be rather well informed. Nevertheless, I have to say that I have absoulutely no idea how the war in Iraq or anywhere else is really going. As far it goes, the field reporting has been generally fair. The breakdown appears to be occurring at the bureau chief's desks and the newsrooms in New York and London. As for Thomas Rick's critically acclaimed best selling book Fiasco, I don't think it even remotely comes  close to capturing the real story of the Iraq war. For this we'll have to wait for the assemblage of history and the advantage of hindsight.

The ingrained pomposity and pretentiousness of the old line media companies extend to their websites. The ABC news site I picked this up from leads with a picture of on air talent, Brian "I can stage it" Ross striking a ridiculous pose that I guess is supposed to show how "in the know" this guy is. Actually, it just makes him and ABC look foolish. Ross is infamous for staging a story on GM truck gas tanks rigging them with incendiary devices to cause a spectacular explosion.

As I said, I have no idea if we're winning or not. I realize ABC News is hardly the pinnacle of honesty and integrity, but if their analysts are right this report seems to indicate we're beating them pretty badly. Premised on that conclusion, this is no time to pull out. Instead, we should put the hammer down and take the final knockout punch. Who will join me in this call?
 
h/t  National Review Media Blog who have their own insightful take on this issue.
 
Christopher J. Alleva    8 25 06