CELEBRITY IN CHIEF BARRY O'S PUBLIC MELTDOWN HAS BEEN ON THE LEVEL OF AMANDA BYNES, DANA PLATO AND, YES, TODD BRIDGES.
IN GERMANY TODAY, THE 2008 ENTHUSIASM AND THE 2008 CROWDS ARE GONE.
DABBING HIS EYES OVER ALL HE'S LOST, BARRY O TOLD THESE REPORTERS, "IT'S BETTER TO LOOK AT THE SKY THAN LIVE THERE. SUCH AN EMPTY PLACE; SO VAGUE. JUST A COUNTRY WHERE AT THE THUNDER GOES AND THINGS DISAPPEAR."
FROM THE TCI WIRE:
Starting with NPR which has been All Quiet on the Iraqi Front for some time now, having failed to file a report from Iraq in forever. That may have actually been a good thing if the damaging lies that Kelly McEvers filed today are an indication of what happens when NPR 'helps' and tries to 'report.'
Here for audio and transcript of McEvers Morning Edition report.
She opened with this garbage:
It took a while for Iraq to have a protest movement, like the protest movement next door in Syria. But when it started, it was almost immediately sectarian. The protests in Iraq were in mostly Sunni areas against a Shiite-dominated government. And as many predicted, it eventually got ugly.
It's really hard not to just scream curse words right now. McEvers is aware of the 2011 protests or should be, she reported on them.
Is she senile?
February 28, 2011, McEvers reported for Morning Edition about protesters in Iraq and how Nouri had sicked his goons on them. Among those targeted were journalist Hadi al-Mahdi. Here's what McEvers had to say then, "A few days ago, he was eating lunch with other journalists when soldiers pulled up, blindfolded them, and whisked them away. Mahdi was beaten in the leg, eyes, and head. A soldier tried to get him to admit he was being paid to topple the regime."
What happened to Hadi? I don't think NPR ever bothered to report but it sure as hell should knock Kelly McEvers off her damn high horse.
Thursday, September 8, 2011, Hadi was assassinated. In his own apartment. Earlier he'd been beaten, McEvers had reported, by Nouri's forces. As far as I'm concerned, Nouri ordered the assassination of Hadi. Regardless, that's what happened to protesters in the 'democratic' Iraq, they were rounded up by Nouri's soldiers and tortured, they were harassed and followed, they were targeted repeatedly.
I'm sorry, does Kelly think that the Iraqi activists can just pack and leave and forget Iraq the way she did for two years? Because they can't. And they risked their lives in 2011 to protest. When this wave of protests started December 21, 2012, they were still risking their lives.
And some have died. McEvers ignores all the deaths except for the Hawija massacre. Considering how she 'reports' on it, we probably would have been better off if she'd ignored it as well. She puts the deaths at 'dozens.'
The April 23rd massacre of a sit-in in Hawija resulted from Nouri's federal forces storming in. Alsumaria noted Kirkuk's Department of Health (Hawija is in Kirkuk) announced 50 activists have died and 110 were injured in the assault. AFP later reported the number had risen to 53 dead. UNICEF noted that the dead included 8 children (twelve more were injured).
But all we get from Hells Kells McEvers is "dozens." 8 children.
Really? That's how trashy NPR is today? UNICEF reports 8 children were killed in that massacre and NPR can't mention that on air when they finally 'report' on the massacre? Seriously?
And you wonder why Ava and I write pieces like Sunday's "Media: The Continued Self-destruction of NPR"? Cooking segments, now boozing segments ("the Booze Round. We want to see the strange mystery bottles that are hanging out in your liquor cabinet, so head on over to npr.org/cupboard, shoot a picture and submit it."). They're too damn busy having fun to act like grown ups and get the facts and report them to the American people.
Kelly then stars smearing. After the massacre, "Sunni protesters and tribesmen across the country took up arms in revenge." Did they? You weren't there, you were busy lying about Syria during all this, but that's your perception, your keen insight, is it, dear?
Reality, Nouri sents his forces into the provinces. That's why tribes started arming themselves to protect the protesters. The protesters did not take up arms, that's a lie. And let's not forget the Governor of Kirkuk said no to Nouri. He's on record with that. He wouldn't let the forces trek through Kirkuk. So Nouri helicoptered them in. Another detail Kelly McEvers doesn't know about.
She also doesn't appear to grasp that Nouri's plans to terrorize Iraqis aren't playing well with his own military. Dropping back to the June 13th snapshot:
Jason Ditz (Antiwar.com) notes:
The Iraqi military’s violent attacks on Sunni Arab protesters weren’t the panacea that Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was expecting them to be, but it also cost the army 1,070 troops, according to officials.
The troops, ethnic Kurds, mutinied when they were ordered to attack a Sunni Arab town where protests were taking place, and then refused to attend “disciplinary re-training” meant to ensure that they wouldn’t hesitate to attack Iraqi towns if ordered in the future.
AFP reports that Tuz Khurmatu Mayor Shallal Abdul explains the troops are still in their same positions, they're just now working for and paid by the Peshmerga -- the elite Kurdish fighting force.
That was just last week, a key detail, and one that naturally escapes Kelly McEvers.
"And the number of attacks around Iraq skyrocketed," panted Kelly McEvers. Thing is numbers are a little bit trick, Kells, little bit harder for you to lie about.
For example, before the massacre, on April 22, 24 hours before the massacre, Iraq Body Count had already counted 341 deaths: http://www.iraqbodycount.org/database/recent/7/ -- change the "7" at the end to an 8 if you go to check after tonight. It'll be on page at IBC. After 7 days, you're going to have to hunt it yourself. Here's the copy and paste:
Monday 22 April: 3 killed
Mosul: 1 policeman by AED.Anbar: 2 road workers by gunfire.
April casualties so far: 341 civilians killed.
The violence had already started. It's a cute little con job to pretend otherwise. And lazy asses who don't know their facts probably think they can cut corners. Reality, by the 22nd of April, Iraq's deaths were averaging 15.5 a day.
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