But Only a Fool Would Buy This Propaganda Stunt
By Kenneth J. Theisen, 4/5/07
It was another typical shopping day at the Shorja market in Baghdad last Sunday April
1, 2007. A U.S.
congressional delegation led by presidential candidate John McCain went
shopping at the market to buy souvenirs just to show the American public how
peaceful Baghdad
has become since the beginning of the Bush regime’s “troop surge.” The delegation was accompanied by Gen. David Petraeus,
the American commander of U.S.
troops in Iraq.
At a news conference after the shopping
trip, one of the Congressmen, Mike Pearce, described the market as, “like
a normal outdoor market in Indiana
in the summertime.” Another
Congressman bragged about getting a good bargain on four rugs at the
market. Even Petraeus purchased a rug
for $1 and left a $19 tip. But the news conference was held on April fool’s day
and only a fool would believe this propaganda stunt.
If the shopping trip was so safe why did the congressmen all
wear body armor and helmets? Why did
they go to the market in armored humvees accompanied by 100 soldiers? And why were five attack helicopters circling
overhead during the entire visit? Why
did soldiers redirect traffic from the area and only allow in Americans? Why were American snipers stationed on nearby
rooftops? Is this the way people visit Indiana’s outdoor
markets?
At the news conference McCain was critical of the media for
not reporting the “full picture”of all the progress in Baghdad. Before he came to Baghdad
he had made remarks about the safety of walking Baghdad streets. A reporter at the press conference reminded
him of this remark and he testily replied, “Things are better and there
are encouraging signs. I’ve been here
… many times over the years. Never
have I been able to drive from the airport, never have I been able go out into
the city as I was today. I’m not saying
‘mission accomplished,’ ‘last throes,’ ‘dead-enders’ or any of that. I believe that the signs are encouraging, but
please don’t interpret one comment of mine in any way to indicate that this
isn’t a long, difficult struggle.”
On the same day that the dog and pony show was being staged
for the media to show the big picture of progress, at least six American
soldiers were killed outside the capital in roadside bombings according to the U.S.
military. The military does not report
on Iraqi casualties but news reports indicate that more than 600 were killed in
the week before the congressional visit. At least sixty of these people were killed at
a market in Baghdad
on March 29th, just three days before the visit. On April 1st, in another popular market north
of Baghdad
three people were killed and four wounded. But then it did not have a congressional
delegation visiting at the time. The
same Sunday, 20 bullet-riddled bodies were found in Baghdad. Even the same Shorja market which was used to
stage the propaganda event was hit by a bombing in February which killed 137
people. But remember what is most important
is that we do not forget the “big picture” of progress.