20061021 CNN’s Anderson Cooper, a spotter for enemy snipers

CNN’s Anderson Cooper, a spotter for enemy snipers

October 21^st, 2006

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The Saturday, October 21, 2006 web page for WBAL TV in Baltimore is carrying an Associated Press story that “[s]ome members of Congress are asking the Pentagon to remove CNN reporters embedded with U.S. combat troops.”

This after "Anderson Cooper 360" broadcast “a video showing insurgent snipers targeting U.S. soldiers.”

Well duh?

Oh, you know Anderson Cooper. Look up “cult of personality” and you’ll see a picture of Mr. Cooper.

For quite some time, there are many of us who just figured that CNN is a subsidiary of “Al Jazeera.”

When a friend of a family member got back from a tour of duty in Iraq; he once commented that many of America’s sons and daughters in uniform have grown disillusioned with CNN’s reporting of the war.

All too frequently, when they would see an operation, in which they participated, covered by CNN, they did not recognize the operation for which they just completed as it was being reported - - and that CNN had a demoralizing affect on our troops as it consistently reported only the negative.

When news programming on cable was in its infancy, it was news-junkie’s nirvana. I was personally thrilled to have CNN available. As the years unfolded, I have arrived at a point in which I assiduously avoid CNN as I have learned that I do not get a complete picture and in some instances in the past, I have concluded that the information that I received from CNN could not be relied upon to give me a complete and accurate overview of the news.

Can someone explain to me just why in the world would an American news-outlet feature enemy troops in a position to kill one of America’s sons or daughters in uniform? How would Mr. Cooper feel if it were to be his child, uncle or some other family member – or neighbor – or colleague, whatever; in the sights of the enemy sniper?

In my personal experience, I have heard the "unvarnished truth" line before and it has been my experience that when I hear that line, my pants-legs feel wet as in someone peeing on my leg and telling it is raining.

The article on the WBAL web site is pasted below. Read it and be disgusted.

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TheWBALChannel.com

http://www.thewbalchannel.com/news/10127376/detail.html

Pentagon Urged To Remove Embedded CNN Reporters

POSTED: 8:30 am EDT October 21, 2006

UPDATED: 8:38 am EDT October 21, 2006

SAN DIEGO -- Some members of Congress are asking the Pentagon to remove CNN reporters embedded with U.S. combat troops.

The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and two Republican colleagues are denouncing the network's broadcast of a video showing insurgent snipers targeting U.S. soldiers. They said it's tantamount to airing an enemy propaganda film.

The tape came to the network through contact with an insurgent leader. It aired Wednesday on the program "Anderson Cooper 360" and was repeated Thursday.

In the letter to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, committee chairman Duncan Hunter writes that "CNN has now served as the publicist for an enemy propaganda film featuring the killing of an American soldier."

CNN producer David Doss wrote in a Web log Thursday that the network televised the footage in an effort to present the "unvarnished truth" about the Iraq war.

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