Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace poses with fellow Marines after giving a speech in Fallujah, Iraq, Aug. 13, 2006. Defense Dept. photo by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. D. Myles CullenFog Of War: What Are We Missing? -- Jim Michaels, USA Today
On Sept. 11, 2006, The Washington Post carried a front-page story with an alarming headline: "Situation Called Dire in West Iraq."
It was dire then in Anbar, but the story appeared just as the situation was turning for the better. Only two days before, a group of tribal sheiks had met in Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, and agreed to oppose al-Qaeda and work with the Americans.
That meeting led to a broad tribal revolt that within months turned Ramadi from one of Iraq's most dangerous cities to among its most secure. It changed the course of the war.
For the most part, the news media missed the entire story as it unfolded.
Read more ....
My Comment: The fact is that many did not miss this story .... in particular .... the milblogs who were covering the conflict closely were dead on in their coverage.
One of the reasons why I started this blog was my frustration over the disconnect between what I was reading and watching in the U.S., and what I was reading and watching from overseas. It is good to know that a few years after this story .... someone in the media is finally bringing up the questions that should have brought a long time ago .... but unfortunately for the old media .... many have stopped listening to them and now get their information from alternative sources .... this bog included.
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