Thou Shalt Not Question Reid!
The below, I received in my email:
ABC's Jake Tapper on Thursday night raised the prediction "genocide" will result after a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq, a forecast Tapper put to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid at a Capitol Hill news conference: "Do you think the Iraqi people will be safer with U.S. troops out?" Reid didn't respond to the point, leading Tapper to retort in the exchange played on World News: "You didn't answer my question." A perturbed Reid, presumably not used to challenging questions from the Washington press corps, chastised Tapper: "This isn't a debate. We're answering questions." Tapper then repeated his question -- "Will the Iraqis be safer?" -- but Reid ignored him and moved on: "Anyone else have a question?"
Tapper's story ran a night after Wednesday's World News featured a report from Terry McCarthy in Iraq on how General David Petraeus, commander of all multi-national forces in Iraq, "is still very optimistic about the military battle, if the politicians give him enough time." See the July 11 CyberAlert: www.mediaresearch.org
[This item was posted, with video, Thursday night on the MRC's blog. The video will be added to the posted version of this CyberAlert, but in the meantime, to watch the Real or Windows Media video, or listen to the MP3 audio, go to: newsbusters.org ]
On his "Political Punch" blog, Tapper posted a transcript of the entire exchange with Reid: blogs.abcnews.com
Tapper's July 12 World News story was pegged to the House passage of a resolution calling on troop withdrawal from Iraq to begin within four months, a measure to be taken up next week by the Senate. Following a pro and a con soundbite on the resolution, Tapper showed his exchange with Reid:
JAKE TAPPER: Some foreign policy experts predict that such a U.S. withdrawal could unleash genocide against innocent Iraqis. It's a subject Democrats do not want to discuss.
TAPPER TO REID AT PRESS CONFERENCE: Do you think the Iraqi people will be safer with U.S. troops out?
REID: It is clear that the Iraqi people don't want us there. It is clear that there is now a state of chaos in Iraq. And it is up to the Iraqi people to make themselves safe.
[Edit jump]
TAPPER: With all due respect, Senator, you didn't answer my question.
REID: This isn't a debate. We're answering questions.
TAPPER: Will the Iraqis be safer?
REID: Anyone else have a question?
TAPPER: This week's renewed push to withdraw troops, two months before General Petraeus reports to Congress on the progress of the surge strategy, has Republicans saying these votes are more about politics than national security....
I find it "curious" that Reid said that he was answering questions but refused to answer a few asked of him. Could it be that Reid will only answer questions which point to and support his low ratings...LOWER than GWB's?
What is Reid hiding and where is his substantiations to his claims when it is clear to the world that the words Reid speaks is contrary to the reports we hear from the Boots On The Ground?
And this is the report Terry McCarthy made from Iraq:
ABC: 'Petraeus Optimistic' on Iraq 'If
Pols Give Him Enough Time'
On ABC's World News on Wednesday night, reporter Terry McCarthy gave time to how moves in Washington, DC to pull U.S. troops out of Iraq will undermine progress against al Qaeda. Reporter Terry McCarthy, who traveled with General David Petraeus in the Sunni Triangle's al Qaeda stronghold south of Baghdad, highlighted how the commander of all forces in Iraq "is still very optimistic about the military battle, if the politicians give him enough time." McCarthy asked him: "Are you concerned that the U.S. political clock could start ticking too fast and undermine security here? Undermine confidence here?" Petraeus replied that "obviously, that's in the back of our minds. And there is not a great deal we can do about it, other than to continue to press forward." McCarthy concluded: "The fields south of Baghdad are still a major battlefield in the fight against al Qaeda. But increasingly, Petraeus knows the most important battle in the Iraq war is being fought out in Washington."
[This item was posted Wednesday night on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org ]
A transcript of McCarthy's story on the July 11 World News:
REPORTER TERRY MCCARTHY, NARRATING VIDEO FROM A HELICOPTER: Rich farmland along the Tigris River. From the air, it looks peaceful. But this is the so-called triangle of death, the Sunni belt south of Baghdad full of al Qaeda extremists, enemy number one for General David Petraeus.
GENERAL DAVID PETRAEUS: The enemy in Iraq that is causing the horrific attacks, that is igniting the sectarian violence, that is causing the mass casualties and damaging the infrastructure, by and large is al Qaeda.
MCCARTHY: This is al Qaeda territory, about 20 miles south of Baghdad and a major production area for car bombs. The primary mission of the U.S. military here is to turn the local population against al Qaeda and stop those car bombs making their way to Baghdad. Turning the local population against al Qaeda takes time. And that is one commodity that General Petraeus is running out of. He knows that Congress wants to draw down U.S. troops because they're losing faith in the Iraqi government.
PETRAEUS: No one is happy with where they are right now. We all share that frustration, frankly that disappointment.
MCCARTHY: Despite all this, Petraeus is still very optimistic about the military battle, if the politicians give him enough time.MCCARTHY TO PETRAEUS: Are you concerned that the U.S. political clock could start ticking too fast and undermine security here? Undermine confidence here?
PETRAEUS: Obviously, that's in the back of our minds. And there is not a great deal we can do about it, other than to continue to press forward.
MCCARTHY: The fields south of Baghdad are still a major battlefield in the fight against al Qaeda. But increasingly, Petraeus knows the most important battle in the Iraq war is being fought out in Washington. Terry McCarthy, ABC News, Patrol Base Murray, central Iraq.
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