Afghan president Hamid Karzai denounced once again U.S./NATO airstrikes that killed civilians. In this recent incident, 14 were killed, including 11 children. This prompted ABC World News anchor Diane Sawyer (5/31/11) to call in ABC reporters to sort things out, leading to this exchange with Pentagon reporter Martha Raddatz:
SAWYER: He’s talking to the Afghan people. But Martha, he put restrictions on what U.S. troops can do, what the NATO troops can do. How onerous are these?
RADDATZ: Well, he’s trying to put restrictions on. I mean they simply have to carry out air strikes over there. It’s a very rapid response. It’s real-time intelligence. It’s certainly flawed at some points.
But I’ve been on these missions. I’ve been on a combat mission in a fighter jet. I’ve seen all the very, very careful steps they take. They go through what’s called the nine line. In fact, the mission I went on, some French soldiers were calling for them to bomb and the pilot and the weapons officer said, “We can’t bomb, we think there’s a school, we think there might be people in there.”
So I think you will see a real fight over these restrictions, but the airstrikes and these night raids just simply have to continue if they’re going to go after the enemy.
So bombing raids in Afghanistan “have to continue,” for the sake of having a “rapid response” to “real-time intelligence.” And Raddatz, who has “been on a combat mission,” can assure you how “very, very careful” they are–why, on the mission she flew, they didn’t bomb a target simply because they thought it was a school! This great care taken to not kill civilians sometimes gets more attention than the actual killing of civilians.
The piece helpfully included footage of Raddatz on her combat mission, gathering all the “facts” necessary to produce this kind of journalism.
So a reporter goes on a combat mission, and a situation just happens to arise that illustrates the military’s “cautionary” approach.
As the Church Lady might say …
How conveeenient.
The guilelessness is touching.
The indifferent attitude toward the victims … not so much.
Yes, if you’re flying around with an ABC reporter, that’s your mission. If you kill people or don’t kill people, you’re doing it for her benefit.
THis is not the first time, Martha Raddatz has shilled for the Pentagon . She is a key figure in promoting the wars on NPR.
you know, replacing critical inqiry with “hero” stories.
I like Jim N.’s astute comment. This Raddatz seems like a particularly disgusting enabler of warmongering.
I am with Lattimer. Why oH why, when showing a TV reporter around, would the crew on a bomber EVER drop anything more dangerous than a hankie on a mid-day desert when even poisonous reptiles are tucked snuggley under ground: I’d give them a full- dress day off at about say 99.5 per cent and vocal style at one decibel above “Oh, my Goodness.”
how many people is the heroin crop killing that all of us are complicit in allowing? and lets face it,murder is just part of our national makeup.Who can deny this?
Raddatz needs to try to imagine, if only for a moment, what it might be like down on the ground below her when the steel rain starts falling. Perhaps she can think about what happens when a bomb or two rips through a school and eviscerates a dozen children. I don’t think any of these people ever consider these things. And your right about the guilelessness, Doug. It’s outrageous, insulting, and embarassing all at the same time.
I agree, a shill for the war machine which includes a president wgo ran a campaign against but now is perpetuating not a war but some wars. I didn’t vote for him to see him do this I’m rethinking my vote. Hope he has an opponent in the primaries.
How does a civilian get to ride side-saddle on a bombing run? What manner of access does Ms. Martha have with the Pentagon? Methinks she might be a shade too close to those for whom she is reporting. Has her objectivity been compromised?
Good friend of mine was an f-15 eagle fighter for a long time.Don’t know how many girl reporters(John c says)got to hitch rides on our attack planes. Whole thing sounds squirrely.As far as civilians dying Tim is right.As long as we push fire- every bullet,and every laser guided missile has the capability of causing untold misery.Not only to combatants.The price of war.Four words callously thrown off that have nothing at all to do with the cries of pain of a little girl recuperating from dual amputations.Now tell me again that anyone wanting the job of president is not a wee bit touched.
the money, the money the reporters make.
the money, the money the warmakers make.
the money, the money the networks make.
the money , the money, the taxpayers pay.
the money , the money the warmakers make.
the killing, the killing of hope and life.
the money, the money the reporters like her make.
that’s the mission.
Ain’t that just peachy? Complete fuckin’ fiction,
A woman hitchin on a combat mission just to make sure
there’s no hankypankey goin on up there.
My, my, the rules of war sure have changed.
It’s a PR war, more fuckin’ lies.
Absolutely Janice, follow the money in this whole sordid affair. When are Americans going to realize they’ve been duped. Cheyney and Unocal wanted a huge natural gas pipeline to run through Afghanistan. The crooked intel guys who want the drugs flowing again. The biggest profiteers of all Wall St. and the US military Industrial Complex that Ike warned us about as he left office. Wake up America! They tell us there is no money for health care and education while they piss away 60% of our budget on the military!!! As we move towards globalism don’t say no but HELL NO!
Oh, it’s all about a “girl” or woman hitchin a ride to comment on what our little hellions are doing these days in the wild blue yonder of someone else’s skies! What have we become. The real issue is why the hell are we bombing in so many, many skies that are not ours to bomb. Yes Raddatz is a shill. What did we expect out of embedded journalism? But the gall of her saying the President of the country we are assaulting has no right to ask for it to stop. In true 1984 Orwellian fashion we have flipped our enemy from Al Qaeda to the Taliban to justify our never ending war in Afghanistan. How much more of this bizarre thinking are we supposed to stand????
Ah well, seems Martha has chosen to work in the oldest profession rather than a position of journalist. Thank you Martha, and by the way what’s the going rate?
Gee, I wonder if, since she was along and all, whether they did a dog and pony show for her.
john pilger’s THE WAR WE DON’T SEE
re media embeds, the way it’s been since wwI and bernays.
is online http://www.viddler.com/explore/Irishstorm/videos/7/
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/28296.htm
story yesterday about pilger invitation to speak and join freespeech panel at liberal foundation in sante fe being cancelled at last moment this week.
hope you all can watch and read if you haven’t yet. the movie is powerfully good.
They’ll show you what they want you to see. I was in attack squadrons and we could catch a ride in the back seat of our TA-4Js. You give some of these characters a ride and all of a sudden they know that profession as well as their own. Let her go on a few more strikes and she’ll come back with a “kill, rape, eat burned babies” attitude.
Yep, one combat mission where an American reporter did not witness cold-blooded murder of school children shows the Afgan president has no idea what he’s talking about.