Drudge has a link up to an article in the Poughkeepsie Journal with the headline “Returning Marines critical of Iraq plan: Occupation not run well, some say.” The problem with the headline is that the story simply does not back it up, in fact, of all the Marines interviewed, precisely one of them had a negative comment:
”The government should have had thousands and thousands of MPs waiting and ready to go in immediately afterwards. They planned meticulously how to take over the country, but I don’t think they planned very well how to run it once it was taken,” said Lance Cpl. Derek McGee, 26.
That was it. One quote in a 600+ word story warrants that headline, and you can bet your bottom dollar that it will be the ONLY quote lefties bent on attacking this administration will latch on to in the next day or so. They will ignore the following statements from the same article:
“If we didn’t have that role of being a police force, we wouldn’t have been out in the streets, interacting with the people, and that to me was one of the most positive things,” Lalor said…
Masterson recalled getting thanks even from an Iraqi who believed his wife and child had been killed by an American shelling — so-called ”collateral damage” in the march to Baghdad. He also heard it from a man who said his daughter had been raped and murdered by men loyal to Saddam Hussein…
”You were sitting there thinking, ‘Wow, I am really doing something important. I am part of a grand scheme to do something good,’ ” McGee said…
Those with experience as civilian peace officers trained a new Iraqi police force, said Sgt. Joseph Martino, a LaGrange resident and Yonkers fireman.
”They took them by the hand and built them from the ground up, and I tell you the policemen there were very grateful for what the Marines did. Everyone was,” Martino said…
Watch for the negative anti-Bush spin. I will post the guilty lefties when I find them.
Mason
I’m betting the order will be: Atrios, Oliver, Kos/Gillard.
Barney Gumble
“That was it. One quote in a 600+ word story…”
You missed this one:
”We’re an infantry unit and they kind of used us as an occupying force,” said Sgt. Chris Masterson, 25…
John Cole
They WERE an occupying force. If they were using them as a permanent long-term occupying force, they would still be there.
I am not sure how many MP’s you think the military has…
James Joyner
JC,
Drudge headlines damn near never bear much relation to the story linked.
John Cole
The headline was not Drudge’s- it was the Poughkeepsie Journal’s.
Mason
Guess I was wrong. Didn’t see any lefties linking to it during my wanderings today.