After reading the declassified portions of the National Intelligence Estimate, one has to wonder why only half the story was leaked?
And if the other half was leaked, would it have made headlines?
“Al Qaeda Increasingly Reliant on Media” the New York Times headline reads–as if it were some kind of revelation, maybe to they NYT editors it is.
But for peope who actually understand terrorism, it is old news.
As the whole world now knows, Mark Mazetti of the New York Times leaked selected findings of a classified National Intelligence Estimate (Sept. 23, 2006: “Spy Agencies Say War Worsens Terrorist Threat.”)
A September 8th New York Times story, carrying Paul von Zielbauer’s byline, describes the continuation of sectarian violence and civilian death in Baghdad.
Based on reports from the Baghdad morgue, the writer concludes:
The Department of Defense delivers a quarterly report to Congress entitled “Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq” (MSSI). The August 2006 installment was published last week.
and why you haven’t heard
According to the New York Times, civilian deaths in Baghdad are at an all-time high, marking the failure of the Baghdad security plan launched by the al-Maliki government, and the descent of Iraq into civil war.
But according to Iraq’s national security minister Mowaffaq al-Rubaie, the sectarian violence peaked in mid-July, and has declined sharply since then, indicating the success of the security plan.
Fifty-five percent of Americans approve of the way President Bush is “handling the campaign against terrorism” according to the most recent NYT/CBS poll. (Page 7 of PDF file)
The poll also shows that fighting terrorism is the number one issue “for political leaders to concentrate on right now.”
…came through the wall killing the sniper and the photographer.
I harber no ill will for the photographer, Joao Silva, but what would the NYT say if U.S. Forces launched a TOW or Javelin missile into the building?
Actually, I know what the headline would be:
“U.S. Military Kills Time’s Photographer”