*w consultant on Iraq "Fix" - "get it off of the newspapers"

[AVID]

and "take this off of the radar screen of the American people."

Retired Air Force Colonel Sam Gardiner, who teaches military operations and planning, and is a longtime consultant to the Defense Department, was on Newshour last night.

His Iraq "Fix" is stunning:

<snip>
MARGARET WARNER: What's your view of the fix for this?

COL. SAM GARDINER: The fix is, I think, the fix this administration has picked, which is to get it off of the newspapers. The strategic communications objectives right now, as I read them, are to take this off of the radar screen of the American people.

In July, you can... we were seeing roughly 250,000 articles in the world press per day about this. It's now down to 150.

<snip>

WOW - Hide the failure, the deaths, the wrong war, the wrong decision, the wrong leader

Full Transcript Link: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/middle_east/july-dec04/iraq_9-8.html

[leftchick]

1. His last quote is pretty damning as well...

MARGARET WARNER: What about the fix on the ground?

COL. SAM GARDINER: There is no fix on the ground. As one goes into a situation like this, every decision you make not to do something gives up a strategic option.

We've given up lots of them-- not relying on the army, not getting rid of the militia. When you get down to the point we are now, you're into tactical defense.

Let's not have casualties. Let's hope this thing somehow finds a solution. I don't hear anybody with a solution.


Wake the fuck up AmeriKa!!

[cthrumatrix]

2. now - who thinks the media is NOT controlled..?

[PA Democrat]

3. And are we to believe that the "liberal" media independently

decided to cut down on the coverage of Iraq? It's not as though the violence and killing in Iraq has subsided; in fact it's been quite the opposite.

I can only concur that the media is getting its marching orders from the Bush administration.

[cthrumatrix]

5. it's not america anymore...it's corporatism in action

our govt is bought and paid for

[michigandem2]

4. How stupid do they think we are?

we all know we are at war??? we all know its not going well...how do they expect that two months out that we will just forget because "out of out of sight, out of mind"???? ugghh this must end...

[NewJeffCT]

6. pretty stupid? It's been working!

Unfortunately, they are being successful at burying the catastrophic fiasco that is Iraq. I saw a recent poll that Iraq had sunk WAY down the list of the most important issue in the coming election.

I'm guessing a large majority of Americans think our casualty rate in Iraq has gone done, if not way down, since the handover of power 2 1/2 months ago, when the reality is that they've gone up.

[cthrumatrix]

8. this is America today...corporation have ruined our freedoms

it's all about power..the press is GONE

[berry]

7. I saw this last night, but am grateful for the link to the transcript.

On the same page there is a link to a segment from a day or two ago with Albright and Kissinger--also worth reading, though for a different reason. Kissinger is appalling, as usual.

Re the scarcity of articles about Iraq these days, isn't it odd that nothing is being reported about the operation of the biggest US Embassy in the world, and about Negroponte? This man's previous "service" suggests that he should be monitored carefully. Or is Negroponte being reported on, and I've just missed it?

[Supersedeas]

9. Getting Iraq off of the News--Objective Number One

The story behind the objective is very likely to be news worthy.

The sound of crickets from the TV Media types.

250,000 to 150...must be a coincidence.

[cthrumatrix]

10. but but...it';s a catostrophic success !

[Killarney]

11. Sometimes I feel like it's not America anymore.

:(

[ladjf]

12. Re: Time cover: Global therapy of vast proportions.

[Cocoa]

13. Gardiner was the one that wrote that great report

on Iraq war propaganda. 50 stories from the war, e.g. Jessica Lynch, which were constructed by the military propaganda machine.

Report was totally ignored, including PBS where Gardiner was a regular commentator.

In this interview, Gardiner's comment on the media seemed unwelcome to Margaret Warner, she told him to get back to the topic at hand...