AS THE “TURN-OVER” TURNS

INSIDE THE US MILITARY

MICHAEL MOORE’S NEW CHALLENGE

There were bomb attacks and fighting in five cities across Iraq. As the US media blames them on insurgents and/or terrorists, Al Jazeera identifies the perpetrators as members of the "resistance:”

Iraqi resistance executes multiple attacks

Resistance fighters have launched a series of attacks on police stations and US occupation troops in five cities around Iraq …

FROM CRYING

The mainstream media industry is upset because so many young people no longer tune in network news, preferring Comedy Central, late night entertainment shows and satirical newspapers like The Onion for their news and information. Part of this has to do with a yearning for ATTITUDE and cynicism in our entertainment dominated culture. But often it is also because The Onion and its counterparts "get it" and get right to the proverbial chase. Is this news or not, or as we used to ask "Is it real or is it Memorex?"

BAGHDAD — As the Coalition Provisional Authority prepares to hand power over to an Iraqi-led interim government on June 30, CPA administrator L. Paul Bremer publicly touted the success of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

“As the Coalition’s rule draws to a close, the numbers show that we have an awful lot to be proud of,” Bremer said Tuesday. “As anyone who’s taken a minute and actually looked at the figures can tell you, the vast majority of Iraqis are still alive — as many as 99 percent. While 10,000 or so Iraqi civilians have been killed, pretty much everyone is not dead.”

BREMER

It sounds about right. But that’s tongue-in-cheek reality based comedy. Here’s the real reality, as reported by Patrick Cockburn for London’s Independent:

"Our soldiers call them the League of Frightened Gentlemen,” said an American officer pointing derisively towards the buildings in the so-called green zone in Baghdad, housing the US-led Coalition Provisional Authority which has ruled Iraq for over a year.

It is a miserable record. Isolated behind the concrete walls of the green zone, Paul Bremer, the head of the CPA, presided over a sort of Washington-on-Tigris, visibly out of touch with the political realities of Iraq and absorbed in its own bureaucratic civil wars.

The ease of the American victory in the war last year led to a rush of blood to the head. “They were drunk with victory,” a Kurdish ally of the US told me. Saddam Hussein lost the war so swiftly because he had almost no base in Iraq. Mr Bremer behaved as if the Iraqi leader had a host of loyal followers. ?In just over a week, the CPA will disappear, supposedly handing over power to an interim Iraqi government. Few will regret its passing.

comedy and tragedy meld together.

US DROPS "AMERICANS ARE ABOVE THE LAW" RESOLUTION

For some time Washington has sought to exempt all Americans for war crimes and the like. The UN was so against this that the US had to back down. Reuters reported:

"The United States abandoned its effort on Wednesday to seek a U.N. exemption for U.S. soldiers from prosecution overseas and withdrew a Security Council resolution because it lacked support. The United States has decided not to proceed further with consideration and action on the draft at this time in order to avoid a prolonged and divisive debate,” said James Cunningham, the U.S. deputy ambassador. “We are dropping action on this resolution.”

At the UN today, "the Global Compact Summit." Leaders of multinational corporations take over the building to discuss codes of corporate conduct and how the private sector can work more closely with the UN. This is another sign of shifting power in the world as corporations with more assets than many countries become more visible as global players. Is it cooperation or co-optation? And by whom? The UN say it is building "partnerships."

WHEN YOU CAN’T KILL ‘EM, BRIBE ‘EM

Bribery is the latest anti-terror tactic since war and repression is not doing so well as a technique. BBC reports: "The US urges North Korea to accept a new plan for dismantling its nuclear weapons in return for aid."

The Saudis are offering an installment plan as Al Jazeera reports: "Saudi Arabia has offered an amnesty to al-Qaida members and dissidents who turn themselves in within a month." Wrap up your evil doing guys and we will take care of you — or else.

BBC elaborates: "A statement read out on state TV on behalf of King Fahd said the offer would cover anyone who had “committed a crime in the name of religion." … ‘Those who turn themselves in voluntarily … will be treated according to God’s law,’ it said."

WAS SADDAM WOUNDED?

Over at CNN, we had the Pentagon claiming Saddam is in good shape:

NEW YORK (CNN) — A lawyer for Saddam Hussein has accused the former Iraqi dictator’s American captors of abusing him, citing a “capture card” that described his condition as “slightly wounded.”

A senior Pentagon official in Washington denied the allegation Wednesday, saying Saddam was being treated in accordance with the Geneva Conventions and that the International Committee of the Red Cross has access to him.

SUPPORT OUR TROOPS

What is it like in combat in Iraq for Americans? Joseph Galloway of Knight Ridder, who does an excellent job of covering the Pentagon, quotes a soldiers’ lucid comments on the Internet:

Old soldiers in the Civil War coined a phrase for green troops who survived their first taste of battle: “He has seen the elephant.” This Army lieutenant sums up the combat experience better than many a grizzled veteran.

Well, I’m here in Iraq, and I’ve seen it, and done it. I’ve seen everything you’ve ever seen in a war movie. I’ve seen cowardice; I’ve seen heroism; I’ve seen fear; and I’ve seen relief. I’ve seen blood and brains all over the back of a vehicle, and I’ve seen men bleed to death surrounded by their comrades. I’ve seen people throw up when it’s all over, and I’ve seen the same shell-shocked look in 35-year-old experienced sergeants as in 19-year-old privates?.

I’ve raided houses, and shot off locks, and broken in windows. I’ve grabbed prisoners, and guarded them. I’ve looked into the faces of men who would have killed me if I’d driven past their IED (improvised explosive device) an hour later. I’ve looked at men who’ve killed two people I knew, and saw fear?.

“I’ve heard men worry about civilians, and I’ve heard men shrug and sum up their viewpoint in two words - ‘F— ‘em.’ I’ve seen people shoot when they shouldn’t have, and I’ve seen my soldiers take an extra second or two, think about it, and spare somebody’s life.

step of writing a fan note to Galloway and his colleagues as many in the media business begin to finally acknowledge that Knight Ridder has become one of the feistiest and most independent of the mainstream news organizations. He responded: "Thanks for the kind message which I am sharing with my KR folks. Healthy skepticism is always the right course when a nation rushes into war."

GENERATION KILL

More devastating still is a new book called GENERATION KILL by former soldier and Rolling Stone contributor Evan Wright who reveals in an interview:

The “unsurrendering” of Iraqi prisoners (a violation of the Geneva Convention) to an unknown fate, and the consistent failure to destroy Iraqi arms and munitions that may now be in use against U.S. troops. Wright also discovered the existence of a secretive course in which Marines and other high-risk military personnel, training to withstand enemy captivity, are locked in cages, beaten and subjected to the sort of psychological.

For more news on and about the military, check out the website traveling-soldier.org

WHO IS RUNNING THIS SHOW?

BBC reports: "The US-led occupation authority in Baghdad has warned Iraq’s interim government not to carry out its threat of declaring martial law, insisting that only the US-led coalition has the right to adopt emergency powers after the June 30 handover of sovereignty."

GOTCHA: RODNEY KING REDUX

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) — A police officer pursuing the driver of a stolen car Wednesday was seen on videotape beating the suspect after he appeared to have surrendered. Mayor James Hahn said the videotape jeopardizes reforms made in the wake of similar incidents and will test the “bond of trust” with the community. The FBI is investigating. The LAPD holds a press conference later today.

CLINTON DOWN ON MEDIA

EJC reports: "Former US President Bill Clinton has hit out at the media’s treatment of his affair with Monica Lewinsky in a BBC television interview. Mr Clinton accused the press of helping the far-right and liking ‘to hurt people.’ He said the media cared more about the affair than the conflict in Bosnia. Mr Clinton reacted after presenter David Dimbleby asked him why he had an affair with Ms Lewinsky when he knew he was under investigation by special prosecutor Kenneth Starr for other matters. Wagging his finger and getting visibly agitated, Mr Clinton expressed anger at the media’s behavior. He said: ‘Let me just say this. One of the reasons he [Kenneth Starr] got away with it is because people like you only ask me the questions.’

A BAN ON MICHAEL MOORE?

As the movie Fahrenheit 911 opened in Washington, the Hill newspaper is reporting: "Michael Moore may be prevented from advertising his controversial new movie, Fahrenheit 9/11, on television or radio after July 30 if the Federal Election Commission (FEC) today accepts the legal advice of its general counsel.At the same time, a Republican-allied 527 soft-money group is preparing to file a complaint against Moore’s film with the FEC for violating campaign-finance law. In a draft advisory opinion placed on the FEC’s agenda for today’s meeting, the agency’s general counsel states that political documentary filmmakers may not air television or radio ads referring to federal candidates within 30 days of a primary election or 60 days of a general election … The opinion is generated under the new McCain-Feingold campaign-finance law, which prohibits corporate-funded ads that identify a federal candidate before a primary or general election."

IN LOVE: AIR AMERICA AND AL FRANKEN

IWantMedia.com carries this item: "Hoping to quell some of the unflattering press about Air America’s finances, Al Franken is said to have asked for and received an extension on his one-year contract with the network."

The Financial Times is reporting today that an AOL employee is charged with selling the internet group’s customer database to spammers and that the the BBC plans to go head-to-head with al-Jazeera with an Arabic-language TV news channel in the Middle East. This last story may have the heavy head of the British Government behind it. Al Jazeera was originally formed by ex-BBC journalists when the BBC ended its Arabic language service.

The Association for International Broadcasting reports that British government money will be funding this new channel.

The BBC is planning an Arabic-language television channel that will be on the air 24 hours a day throughout the Middle East. Speaking before the Foreign Affairs Committee of the UK parliament on Tuesday, BBC World Service Acting Director Nigel Chapman said the proposed channel’s mix of news, discussion programmes and documentaries would address what he described as “the dramatically changed media landscape in the Middle East."

The plans have been included in the British Foreign Office’s 2004 Spending Review which goes before the British Treasury for approval. The BBC is seeking an additional 28 million pounds to fund the channel, according to reports in the London ‘Financial Times’. BBC World Service radio is funded by the UK government through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office while BBC World television is an entirely?commercial venture. In February, Al Hurra (the Free One) was launched from the United States, operated by Middle East Television Network, funded through the Broadcasting Board of Governors (a Member of the AIB). The station is an attempt to put across US policy in the Middle East to Arabic-speaking television viewers in the region. Al Jazeera television - also an AIB Member - operating out of Qatar, has gained significant audiences throughout the Gulf region, along with other channels like Al Arabiya - operated by MBC TV in Dubai.

YOUR LETTERS: BEHEAD THIS!

Bob Johnson from Ocala, FL says hold your sympathy:

Have we already become numb to all the other horrors in this world that we should especially weep over these deaths? What about the horror of the US military bombing civilian areas (twice in two days in Fallujah) that has caused over 10,000 deaths and an unknown injured civilians in the name of freeing them — yeah, the Pentagon idiots freed them from life. Or how about the horror of Afghanistan - ungovernable, more deaths, and a huge increase in opium sales? Or maybe because these four deaths are proclaimed Islamic types killing westerners? Oh no! We are not so gauche, are we? Bull patties!

Let’s get honest for a moment, all those many, many deaths in Iraq can be traced to Saddam’s coteries which just happen to include the Constitution busting administration in DC and their Neo-Con Nincompoops. Sorry, folks. I just cannot work up a tear for the deaths of four people amidst all the rest of the horrors in our world. Perhaps they should have stayed safe at home anyway. Jeff Gorski, Oakhurst, California says: "Danny: Great coverage as always. This whole terrorist report begs the ultimate question: what is considered a terrorist attack? Is it Israel killing kids in the Gaza strip, US bombing civilian homes in Iraq or torturing innocent cilivians in Iraqui prisons, or are we just interested in counting “terrorist” attacks against us and our allies–those who agree with us. Help me, I am confused" Liz Burbank is annoyed:"I’m surprised your critically thinking mind seems to take “anonymous” at face value–how many fortuitous events can happen so quickly to such ruthless gangsters is truly amazing!" Jean McCollister passes along a fascinating article which I hope Media Channel will run in full: The Slovene magazine Mladina has an interview this week with Damir Sagolj, a photographer originally from Sarajevo working for Reuters in Iraq. Sagolj took the photo of an American Marine cradling a young Iraqi child in his lap which was published widely in the American media and got Sagolj nominated for a Pulitzer. The Mladina article isn’t posted online yet, but you can see the photo (and accompanying propagandistic text) here.

Here’s a translation from the Slovene of the caption below the photograph as published in Mladina: The photo by Damir Sagolj which was nominated this year for the prestigious Pulitzer prize, something which has been awarded only once to a non-American. “An Iraqi family happened to come to a checkpoint. Shooting began–no one knows who started it. It was a war zone. The family’s car was caught in the crossfire, and the Americans raked it with gunfire for about ten minutes, using every weapon they had. In the process the mother was killed, several daughters were wounded or killed, and the father sustained multiple wounds. It’s possible that the shooting began from the car behind this family’s. There were a number of moving, shocking photos in the series that I took–for example, the father looking at his dead wife and embracing his wounded daughter, whose eye had been shot out.

This photograph of the child was taken out of context and published on the covers and front pages of American national and local media, as if to say, see how our soldier tenderly holds an Iraqi child in his arms. I got a phone call from People, the largest American magazine, with a circulation of 22 million. They wanted to know whether this American soldier had any children of his own, what he was feeling at the time, and so on. They weren’t interested in what had happened to the child in the picture, whose mother had been killed and whose father had been riddled with bullets by American soldiers.

ON MICHAEL MOORE

Jack Shultz of Pointe Claire, Que, Canada says: "Marta Gillette’s letter about not finding information about showtimes for Fahrenheit 9/11 in Miami’s theatres reminded me of a story that my sister told me. Last year or so ago, she was living in Saratoga Springs, NY, and she was very anxious to see Bowling for Columbine, but it never seemed to arrive on any of the screens in Saratoga Springs. Finally, she heard that it had come out on video, so she went to her local video store to rent it. At the store, she was told that it wasn’t available. ‘When will it be available?’ she asked. ‘It won’t be. We won’t carry those kinds of films here.’ She was told by the clerk. Censorship comes in many guises."

BUSINESS SCHOOL REBEL

Raymond W. Suarez of Suitland Md. writes about the story I told at that media panel earlier this week comparing it to a session at the Harvard Business School I once attended: "I enjoy and appreciate your vigilance and work. From the piece on the so-called media introspection (brilliant), you mentioned that you did Harvard Business School. I thought I was the only rebel from there - class of ‘84. How about you?" (I was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard 77-78)

When I responded to Mr. Suarez, he added: "Funny, I feel so disaffected from there, as an institution, now. Particularly, post-Enron, as so many of the offending values and approaches HBS as an institution inculcated and espoused. Understanding how the corporate culture operates allows me to see its faults with a knowing eye."

ARS ELECTRONICA AWARDS

Last night I dropped in on an awards ceremony - with music by Phillip Glass - honoring a creative use of the Internet - the creation of digital communities. The Ars Electronica organization which runs a great annual festival in Linz Austria that I have attended was marking its 25th anniversary (wwww.aec.at/timeshift). They gave their Golden Nica and other awards out to web projects that promote digital communities. Thanks to support from a German information technology company SAT, they were able to put on an impressive show presented by the able Peter Goldmark, former head of the Rockefeller foundation.

Check out the winners:

"The World Starts with Me," a Dutch-Ugandan collaboration promoting sexual health info to young people; and Wikipedia the free constantly evolving web based encyclopedia. Distinctions went to Krebs-Kompass.de,a site for cancer survivors; dol2day, a site promoting democracy in a town that has its own "Internet chancellor"; Open Clothers, a Japanese fashion site offering "6 billion ways of fashion for 6 billion people; and my favorite, smart X Tension a site preserving the culture and music of the Tonga people in Zimbabwe.

Congratulations to all and all praises due to Ars Electronica for leading appreciation for the digital arts and how they can foster communities and change.

I was happy to see an article in the Nantucket Independent on my film WMD: "News Dissector Rips War Coverage." Writer Hadley St. John did a fine report that also makes fun of the News Dissector sweatshirt given to me by my daughter.Wearing it twice in public earned a slap from the Fashion police. WMD screens in part at the We The World event on Saturday night in New York.

I am off to spend my birthday weekend with my dad in Boston. I will be joining Dan Kennedy on WRKO Radio at 7 PM. Back tomorrow to round out the week. Comments welcome at dissector@mediachannel.org.