European Media Slanting Iraq Coverage: BIG SURPRISE!

Iraq Forum

SLOVAKIA LEADER HITS EUROPEAN MEDIA FOR ANTI-BUSH BIAS: From The Washington Times: "The prime minister of Slovakia yesterday blamed the media for unfairly turning the European public against President Bush by negatively slanting coverage on Iraq. After meeting with Mr. Bush twice in less than a week, Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda told reporters that the president also blamed the press for portraying him as eager to invade Iran to eradicate its nuclear program."


By Bill Sammon
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia -- The prime minister of Slovakia yesterday blamed the media for unfairly turning the European public against President Bush by negatively slanting coverage on Iraq.

After meeting with Mr. Bush twice in less than a week, Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda told reporters that the president also blamed the press for portraying him as eager to invade Iran to eradicate its nuclear program.

"President Bush told me in Brussels: 'I am so unhappy that media creates the picture that Bush wants war in Iran. This is crazy,' " Mr. Dzurinda told a small group of reporters over lunch.

The prime minister was reminded that while the governments of Central and Eastern Europe supported Operation Iraqi Freedom, the populace was much more skeptical, according to polls.

Mr. Dzurinda responded by telling the journalists, including one from CNN, that he was "shocked" to see media outlets like CNN and the British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC) showing "only American soldiers killing people. But nobody was able to show Saddam Hussein, who killed many, many thousands of Iraqi people."

"It was impossible to see a real picture of this regime," he lamented. "And the result is the public is one day strongly against Bush. 'Bush loves war,' he's 'new terrorist,' and so on and so on."

The prime minister predicted that it is "only a question of time when people in Slovakia, in Germany, in European countries, will understand more that this activity were necessary. And the world, without Saddam Hussein, is much more democratic than before."

Still, plenty of Slovaks braved nasty weather to give an enthusiastic reception to Mr. Bush's speech yesterday at a Bratislava square where the protests that brought down communism 15 years ago began.

When he told the crowd of thousands that "the American people are proud to call you allies and friends and brothers in the cause of freedom," his audience exploded with applause.

After the speech was over, Mr. Bush went into the crowd and was swamped by enthusiastic Slovaks -- the first time he pressed the flesh during his five-day trip to Europe.

Foreign Minister Eduard Kukan said after the speech that "the meeting in the square was fantastic."

Mr. Dzurinda, who grew up under communist oppression in the Soviet bloc, said nations such as his were more supportive of Operation Iraqi Freedom because they remembered communism. Slovakia has sent troops to Afghanistan and Iraq.

"I spent many years under tyranny," he said. "So I completely understand what it means to fight for democracy -- don't take this for granted.

"Maybe this is why I understand better than Chirac or Schroeder," he added, referring to French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, both of whom opposed the Iraq war.

Mr. Dzurinda also faulted Mr. Chirac and Mr. Schroeder for not understanding Mr. Bush's decision to abandon diplomacy and invade Iraq.

"I understand, [with] the president of the United States, that this is impossible to wait forever," he said. "I hope that the German chancellor and French president understand more today than yesterday."

Mr. Dzurinda said he had been meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on April 9, 2003, when the statue of Saddam was pulled down in Baghdad, signaling the end of the dictator's regime.

Mr. Dzurinda said Mr. Putin, whose nation had been one of the prime suppliers of weapons and political support to the Saddam regime, launched into a 25-minute discussion that "was more lecture than dialogue."

"I was happy," the prime minister recalled. "President Putin was not so happy.

"He told me that the United States missed the chance to be a moral victor," he said. "He told me it would be better to withdraw forces."

News report showing Dubbs in a negative light. I'm sure that was hard.

-HECK!

Maybe the joke was in bad taste, because hundreds of soldiers were dead at that point in the war and more were dying daily. But I would be willing to believe that most of the soldiers and even some of their family members laughed with the president. it was (and still is in many places) believed that there were WMDs in Iraq or that Saddam sold them, moved them, or that they were destroyed an no one could verify that.

Yeah, the only difference is that President Bush understands and supports and respects the troops and what they do. Classless, peace-at-all-costs liberal gasbags like Chris Rock and those in this forum do not. You know it, I know it, the troops know it, the troops' families know it and the American people know it…

Hence, four more years.

That hurt?

Don't take offense ICB, I think I see a connection:

http://www.terranova.net/content/images/moe-bush.gif

&

http://www.stoogeworld.com/_Whats%20New/CurlyJoe-pic.jpg

'nyuck 'nyuck 'nyuck.

'Hey Moe! Why are we in Iraq again?'

'Quiet you numbskull!'

Smack!

-HECK!

Actually, that was the title of John M. Duffy's letter, not a quote from good ol' HECK.

As for you being a troll... well, 'nyuck 'nyuck.

-HECK!

No, no, you're a pawn in a campaign of tyranny… believe it…

Oh, my silly Curley Joe. What ever would we do without you're sheepish candor or the faux altruism of the thumping con's.

I just thought of a catch phrase for the new far-right: it's that scene from Animal House where Kevin Bacon is getting hazed into the fraternity yelling, "thank you sir, may I have another!"

Keeping swinging away, Dubya.

-HECK!

Michael Savage contends that 'Liberalism is a mental disorder.'

Well, he's partly right.

Actually it's much worse. A person suffering from a mental disorder, generally speaking, has little choice regarding his/her malady. He/she seeks medical attention and is considered a patient. A liberal, on the other hand, has chosen into his/her dark existence. A liberal's disorder is one of a chronic and self-imposed personal confinement into a place of unhappiness and perpetual whining. Liberals almost seem to enjoy—perhaps even thrive—in their malcontented state of being.

Don't get me wrong, this is a seriously damaging mental state. A liberal's life could easily become a perpetual, unfulfilled search for someone to blame for his/her unhappiness, anger and lack of success that always seems to mysteriously befall only him/her.

The "establishment" is commonly the readiest target for the liberal. After all, what is a juicier target than this bully-government that is responsible for 'global oppression,' 'open agression' and nothing short of good-ol-fashined, plain and simple 'imperialism'—aka Bush-country?

http://rightvoices.com/images/neverforget.jpg

"Wait, someone disagrees with my staunch conservative views, they must be a liberal."

How can anyone think you're not amusing. Jibber-jabber like that is priceless.

Just remember, it's never to late to stray from the herd.

Until then, keep on 'nyuck'n

-HECK!

CJ,
What happened to the thread topic here? Everytime a Liberal get's on the subject, they resort to this crap. No defence only critisizm and no solution. Typical Kerry subordinate.
I think you were right with the mental disorder thing. It sure comes through on a few here.

Yeah, like barfing/regurgitating the words "liberalism is a mental disorder" really is on topic with "European Media Slanting Iraq Coverage: BIG SURPRISE!"

There are way too many self proclaimed yet highly unqualified "shrinks" on this board.