Salon’s Eric Boehlert had a terrific item recently noting how national media attention on Iraq shifted in late June due to the so-called “handoff” of “sovereignty.” Boehlert noted that conditions in Iraq haven’t improved at all, but perceptions changed about the “end” of our occupation.
The hand-over marked a turning point in the level and intensity of media interest, which sharply decreased, particularly on the 24-hour cable news channels. “Clearly the volume in press coverage has gone way down,” says [Steven Cook, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations]. “‘Sleepy’ is a good word to describe it. The coverage doesn’t compare with anything we’d seen during the previous 12 months from Iraq. The drop-off has been noticeable.”
With this in mind, USA Today ran an eye-opening piece on the front page today, analyzing attacks on U.S. forces since June 28. The results may surprise you.
Nearly two months after the establishment of a sovereign Iraqi government, the violent attacks on U.S. and Iraqi forces show no sign of flagging.
A USA Today database, which analyzed unclassified U.S. government security reports, shows attacks against U.S. and allied forces have averaged 49 a day since the hand-over of sovereignty June 28, compared with 52 a day in the four weeks leading up to the transfer.
49 attacks a day? Does the general media coverage of Iraq come close to reflecting this reality?
It’s also worth noting that the attacks on our troops are not just limited to Baghdad and Najaf.
Attacks are concentrated in the “Sunni Triangle” area north and west of Baghdad and in Shiite Muslim strongholds in Najaf and other southern cities. But violence is common in almost every part of the country, with the exception of Kurdish-controlled areas in the north. There were 880 attacks reported in Baghdad, a city of about 5 million, in June and July. They represented about 30% of the total attacks. In Mosul, Iraq’s third-largest city, 244 attacks were reported during the same period.
And this is clearly not just a sticks-and-stones problem.
Militants regularly fire on U.S. airplanes and helicopters. In July, there were 15 such attacks, mostly with rifle fire and rocket-propelled grenades. But militants also have access to more dangerous surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft guns.
I realize the national press is fascinated by some dishonest Swiftboat vets, but coverage of the crisis in Iraq has been unnecessarily swept aside. Americans still need to know about the precarious state of this war.