Things are Looking Good in Iraq
Reported by Donna - April 12, 2005
Yesterday on Studio B with Jane Skinner, we heard one story, told twice on the same positive Iraq theme.
The second time around, Fox chose to enforce the story on viewers minds by using the 'banner method'. For those unfamiliar with the 'banner method' of telling the story, this is where an interview may be conducted, but Fox is really telling the story with banners on the bottom part of the screen.
1) Pentagon Planning Troop Reduction in Iraq by 2006
2) Pentagon Said U.S. Forces will drop to 105,000
3) There are currently 142,000 U.S. Forces currently serving in Iraq
4) 25 Non U.S. Military Forces Participatin in Coalition
5) 55,802 Iraqi Police are Trained & Equipped
6) 66,895 Iraqi Army Forces are Operational
7) 152,617 Total Iraqi Security Forces are Trained & Equipped
8) Coalition Allies include Japan, Australia and Denmark
9) Coalition Allies include Great Britain & Slovakia
10) Coalition Allies include Norway, Romania, Latvia
11) Poland, Bulgaria, Italy Plan to Withdraw Troops
12) U.S. Commanders Hope for Iraq Troop Realignment
The Military Analyst who Jane Skinner interviewed was Lt. Col. Bill Cowen, (Retired). He did add at the end that there were a lot of people in Iraq who want us out as was evidenced by the large demonstrations this past weekend.
Cowen did say that even with the possibility of U.S. troops coming home next year, we would be in Iraq for a long time.
Comment: This was a maybe/if story. Skinner claimed that everything could change and this scenerio might not happen, but they continued with this story (twice) to show people how great things are going in Iraq. Look at all of the trained Iraqi troops (I assume these numbers came straight from the Pentagon, maybe from one of the pre-packaged commercials from the Pentagon). And the 'idea' of a great coalition was reinforced. Just to be sure, they let you know which countries are pulling out. And if there are 25 non U.S. Coalition Forces, why did Fox only name 11? Are they ashamed of the rest? Hmmmmm........
Update: Today it was reported that Donald Rumsfeld said their are 'no' plans to leave Iraq.....hmmmm.....where did yesterday's story from Fox come from? Supposedly, the Pentagon. Doesn't Donald Rumsfeld have something to do with information released by the Pentagon?
