No one knows anything about Iraq therefore we can only conclude that Iraq is, indeed, a happy place filled with Leprechauns, Fairies and has ponies for everyone. If we only knew!

But this is all wishful thinking in this day of leftwing MSM bias. So those who think they know something about what is going on are simply ill-informed to begin with, except for bomb reporting, which they have down to a science now.
I think I'd believe the Pentagon reports over these biased accounts we are being fed by the MSM.

Behind Military Analysts, the Pentagon’s Hidden Hand

But hey! Anything is okay when it's the government doing the psyops on the american people, right?

My lord, when someone says "you kill me" in response to a great joke, do you believe that the joke has literally killed the person, too?

What I said is perfectly true. The press has been killed and kidnapped an anyone who leaves is in great danger of having that happen to them. Every single reporter is taking their lives into their own hands when they venture outside the green zone. And anyone who's wailing on the press for not reporting the super great news has to come up with some explanation that it's really hard for the press to do their job when they can't venture outside the green zone without taking their life into their own hands. Even when they're brave enough to do so, it drastically limits what they can do, where they can go and with whom they can speak.

This is precisely what I said, in shorter form, and if you took it another way, then I apologize for not being clear. But coming to the conclusion that I was stating no reporters operated outside the green zone is rather bizarre. I mean, even commie loving, Bin Laden cuddling NPR has reporters that operate outside the green zone.

Geebus.

How 'bout there?

Wow, where the heck did I claim that no one ventured outside the green zone? Obviously, you're letting your inferences override the actual words.

Still, very, very serious. Bravo!

Oh, and for your information, Yon (contrary to the caricature you have projected) described the situation in Iraq as a civil war long before other media types were willing to do so, but he now has the temerity to document some of the recent successes of this phase of OIF. And I stand by my original suggestion that you read them (present tense) because if you had, you would have noticed that Totten has been posting from Anbar province recently. In fact, his reporting on the squalid conditions in an Iraqi prison recently resulted in an investigation, and subsequent pressure to remedy the situation, by the Pentagon.

Well, you have your options, Mannning. You can make use of them.

It's actually laughable to use Totten and Yon as the basis of your argument.

Yes, I'm sure that in actual fact, everything is f*cking great and that in reality it's really a pleasure palace that Kubla Khan did decree.

Geebus, do you people actually think about the logical conclusions of your assertions or is it just a mish mash of whatever you think will make the point you're trying to make?

Oh, and btw, I do read both, and afaik, Totten hasn't been in Iraq for over 2 years. And even then, he was only there for a short time and before all the real hell started breaking loose in Samarra, and if I'm not mistaken spent almost all his time in Kurdistan.

So using his experiences as a benchmark for your standards is ludicrus at best.

Please try reading Michael Yon and Michael Totten before making such a laughably incorrect statement about the press and the Green Zone.

ROFLMAO. The press can't even leave the Green Zone without getting killed or kidnapped.

It's pretty hilarious to see people blaming the press. It really is simply nothing but the last gasp of a desperate person.

Hal and others like him are wedded to a result (US out of Iraq) and rely on evidence coming from the other side and from a press that has been (at best)less than objective.

We'll see how that plays out as more varied views of the evidence come out.

I am inclined to view that McCain's take on the overall situation will prevail. May be wishful thinking on my part, but I hope I am right.