FLAIT

Iraq's a colossal disaster. But with the level of coverage it's gotten from the so called "liberal" media, you'd never know it because there's days when Iraq isn't even mentioned on the news.

And no news doesn't mean the day was quiet and peaceful. On the contrary. There's death, destruction and violence every day in Iraq. You just don't hear about it.

Incredibly, there's days where the "liberal" media doesn't even report the deaths of American soldiers on their nightly newscasts (I'm serious). And when they are reported, that's all it is - reported. No carnage, no blood and no chaos; so it's forgotten as soon as the commercial break.

In Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11, there was a scene of an IED attack. The carnage, the blood and the chaos was seen in graphic detail. And the volume wasn't muted to allow an anchor's voice over, so the screams of desperation were also heard.

Imagine if raw footage like that was played on the news night after night.

Of course it shouldn't make a difference whether there's video of these attacks or not because American casualties are very important. But hearing about a car bomb or IED attack every once in a while isn't nearly the same as seeing the results of a car bomb or IED attack every single day.

Which begs the question: If news occurs, but there's no video of it, did it really happen?

Obviously not.

On September 20 a group of KBR contractors took a wrong turn and were attacked. Two were shot in the firefight and two others were forced out of their truck and executed. Their bodies were set on fire and dragged through the streets "while crowds denounced the US occupation."

In their celebration, local residents "threw straw and other inflammable materials on the fire" (two other contractors survived and were rescued by American forces).

This was very similar to what happened in Fallujah in March 2004 when the car that four Blackwater contractors were traveling in was firebomed. Their charred bodies were dragged through the streets and hung from a bridge.

Let me guess: you heard about that attack, but didn't hear about the one in September. Of course not, because the difference between the two horrific attacks was that there was video of the first one (the military also suppressed news of the second one).

For some reason television can't have news without video. So with very little of it coming out of Iraq, there's less reporting.

For instance:

1. Besides over 2,000 American deaths, there's been over 15,000 American wounded, about 15 per day. Most, if not all, go unreported by the "liberal" media.

The tens of thousands of soldiers that have returned home because of psychological or medical reasons have been ignored by the "liberal" media.

2. While the lack of armor protection and kevlar vests did get some attention (then quickly forgotten), shortages of spare parts and supplies have gone unreported by the "liberal" media.

3. While the media does report that "10 Iraqi's killed were in a suicide attack" on a particular day, the rest of the Iraqi casualties - dozens across the country every day - are ignored by the "liberal" media.

4. The assassinations and kidnappings of contractors, teachers, doctors, police chiefs and local political and religious leaders are ignored by the "liberal" media.

The assassinations of barbers and liquor store owners (for Islamic reasons) are ignored by the "liberal" media.

5. The exectued bodies of Iraqi soldiers and policemen that turn up every day are ignored by the "liberal" media.

6. The oil fields and pipelines that are attacked and set on fire every week are ignored by the "liberal" media.

7. The fact that insurgent and militia groups control some areas and regions is ignored by the "liberal" media.

The fact that some of these insurgent and militia groups are well armed, well organized, and aren't going away any time soon, is ignored by the "liberal" media.

The fact that insurgent and militia groups are infiltrating Iraq's army and police units is ignored by the "liberal" media.

8. Sewage in the streets, a lack of clean water and a growing rate of disease, such as, typhoid, cholera, and hepatitis is ignored by the "liberal" media.

9. U.S. bombarding of cities and regions, resulting in innocent civilian casualties is ignored by the "liberal" media.

Civilians losing their homes and/or being driven out of their homes - with no food, no shelter and nowhere to go - is ignored by the "liberal" media.

Last week an Italian TV station reported that the U.S. military used chemical weapons (white phosphorus) on civilians in its raid on Fallujah last year. Let's see how long it takes for the "liberal" media to pick up on it (if at all) and how much time they spend on the irony (and hypocrisy) since we invaded Iraq to make sure "chemical weapons" weren't used against us!

10. American troops breaking down the wrong doors, ransacking the wrong homes, arresting the wrong people, and looking for weapons and explosives that sometimes aren't there is ignored by the "liberal" media (great way to "win the hearts and minds" huh?).

11. The fact that the "Green Zone" can't even be secured is ignored by the "liberal" media.

Other then a recent 60 Minutes report, the fact that the main road from the airport to the "Green Zone" is the most dangerous in the world is ignored by the "liberal" media.

12. Other then buried stories such as this, this, and this, the corruption and billions of dollars that is lost and unaccounted for, is ignored by the "liberal" media.

13. The ramifications of the Kurds declaring independence - not a civil war, but a regional war - is ignored by the "liberal" media.

14. Shiites ruthlessly going after Sunni's, imprisoning them and torturing them to settle old scores, is ignored by the "liberal" media.

15. The fact that the new and "approved" Constitution comes down hard on women's rights and brings Islam into the government went ignored by the "liberal" media.

The fact that changes were being made to the Constitution, up to the week of the election, went ignored by the "liberal" media.

The fact that most Iraqi's didn't know for sure what they were "voting" on went ignored by the "liberal" media.

16. The fact that the war has done wonders for terrorist recruitment and fundraising is ignored by the "liberal" media.

17. The fact that our military is stretched dangerously thin goes ignored by the "liberal" media.

18. The distinct possibility that Iraq can turn out to be a bigger threat to us and Israel then it was under Saddam Hussein is ignored by the "liberal" media.

And then there's Afghanistan. While it's thought of as this big success story, nothing could be further from the truth: The Taliban have returned, al-Quaeda - remember them? - has reformed globally, the Karzai government is a sham, the opium (heroin) crop is flourishing (with the money financing the terrorists), and not only do the war lords control the country outside of Kabul, but they're winning the elections that Bush is always bragging about!

And after losing 152 soldiers in Afghanistan during the first three years of the war, we've lost 93 so far this year. And two-thirds of the wounded, over 400, have occurred in 2004 and 2005.

Afghanistan was never "won," will never be "won" - at least not by this President - and is getting worse (you didn't know that, did you? Gee, I wonder why.).

In all fairness, the reporters in Iraq are confined to their hotel in Baghdad because it is so dangerous (which in of itself is another story ignored by the "liberal" media). But that doesn't excuse the media back home for their lack of reporting of the daily violence.

But why do I get the impression that if this disaster in Iraq was all Clinton's doing, the "liberal" media would be as obsessive in its coverage as it was with Dan Rather's (allegedly) bogus Bush memos and the Swift Boat Veterans?

Despite the media's failure to report the war accurately (and contrary to GOP spin), Iraq is such a colossal disaster, that the only "good news" coming out of the country is that we're damn lucky it isn't worse then it is. Unfortunatly, the "liberal" media hasn't come close to reporting that.