Army officer lends ear to Iraqis over radio

[Barrett808]

Army officer lends ear to Iraqis over radio
By James Janega Tribune staff reporter

One caller wants to know why she can't attend the trials of her family members. The next claims his house was robbed of 3 million dinars after a raid, and he wants it back. A third asks about Western medical attention for a critically ill child.

On the live call-in radio show, the main guest is the head of the U.S.-led occupation in Tikrit, the callers are local residents, and the questions they ask tell the story of the occupation in Iraq.

"There's just so many ways that we can defeat the insurgency," says Lt. Col. Todd Wood of the 3rd Infantry Division after the show last week. "One of the ways is to change perception. If we can do that, the people will change."

Wood, commander of the 2nd Battalion, 70th Infantry Regiment, deals daily with infantry patrols, bankrolls local improvement projects and directs raids on suspected insurgents.

But he thinks one of the most powerful tools at his disposal is the live radio show on FM 96.5, on which he stars each Thursday afternoon.

(more)

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/chitribts/20050427/ts_chicagotrib/armyofficerlendseartoiraqisoverradio

[catastrophicsuccess]

1. He sure is an arrogant bastard

snip

But a few minutes later, the graciousness fades when a man calls to complain about an April 4 raid on his house.

The angry caller's three sons were detained and 3 million dinars (about $2,000) was taken, he says. The man says he wants his sons and the dinars back. As Capt. Ray Osorio mouths the words "repeat caller," Wood cuts the Iraqi off.

"This caller has called before," Wood says. "I don't think he wants me to tell Tikrit and Salahuddin province why his kids were detained. But it's a safe bet that if his sons are still detained, there's a good reason for it."


In other words you have no fucking idea where they are nor do you care!

[Rose Siding]

2. How can there be oversight of a commander bankrolling projects?

I was under the impression that the money was flowing through Iraqi agencies at this point.

[LynnTheDem]

3. "One of the ways is to change perception." Always the rightwingnut MO.

Too bad REALITY always butts in; too bad idiots like Wood are always such condescending little assholes.

[Barrett808]

4. You might call this "faith-based propaganda" n/t