Iraq's deputy foreign minister assassinated

www.foxnews.com...

Gunmen killed a deputy foreign minister as he went to work Saturday, the latest attack on Iraqi leaders in recent weeks. A radical cleric whose uprising killed hundreds pledged to support the new government if it works to end the U.S. military presence.

Bassam Salih Kubba (search), Iraq's most senior career diplomat, was mortally wounded in Baghdad's Azimiyah (search) district, Foreign Ministry spokesman Thamir al-Adhami said. The attack took place in a Sunni Muslim neighborhood where support for Saddam Hussein was strong.

The attack was the second assassination of a senior Iraqi figure in the past month. The head of the now-disbanded Iraqi Governing Council, Izzadine Saleem (search), was killed in a homicide car-bombing May 17 at an entrance to the heavily guarded Green Zone headquarters of the U.S.-run occupation authority.

Despite the violence, the government received an endorsement Friday from an unlikely source -- radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr (search). In a sermon read to his followers by an aide, al-Sadr said he was ready for a dialogue with the new government if it works to end the U.S. military presence.

"I support the new interim government," al-Sadr said. "Starting now, I ask you that we open a new page for Iraq and for peace."

Another Governing Council member, Salama al-Khafaji, escaped injury in a May 27 ambush south of Baghdad but her son and chief bodyguard were killed. Council member Aquila al-Hashemi, also a career diplomat, was assassinated last September.

U.S. officials had feared a major upsurge of violence in the run-up to the power transfer and although those predictions have so far not panned out, attacks on infrastructure and security installations suggest a campaign to undermine public confidence in the new Iraqi leadership.

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The Iraqi's that want a democracy need to be more vigilant than ever before so that they may rule their country beginning 6/30.

Notice how these have not been through the media much?? I havn't heard anything in the news about these assinations. Strange...

What you won't see in the media Mspc is the reporting successe's and progress made in Iraq that are leading to enough desperation on the part of foreign directed opposition that they have to resort to political assination - its unfortunate this is happening - but it IS a clear sign of weakness when resorted to by insurgents - it does'nt help convert moderates to the cause at all.

It is inaccurate to say or suggest the stories of �on-going assassinations of Iraqi government and religious leaders� is under reported or NOT reported.

The fact that one may have:
1. Overlooked the story; or
2. Editorial discretion precluded it from being printed by your �favorite� news source;

Mean the story was not covered or under reported.

A Google search of �Assassination Iraq �produced 290,000 items under WEB heading; GROUPS yielded, 71,400; and NEWS an additional 6800 items. Yes, many of the items are of the same particular subject but from different sources; but to say the story was NOT reported is INACCURATE and MISLEADING.

Many often choose their primary news source because of the sources viewpoint, style and tone, and the types of stories which they report. It is also important � maybe even more so � to take particular not of the stories they DO NOT report on����..

Originally posted by gmcnulty
The fact that one may have:
1. Overlooked the story; or
2. Editorial discretion precluded it from being printed by your �favorite� news source;

I agree with you. I chat online with people in Italy, Ireland, Amsterdam, etc... A few days ago they had no idea about the UN Iraq oil for food scandal that is being investigated right now! It has been all over US media.

I think it has much to do with a particular country's stance on the War on Terrorism.

Yes........... and I also wonder how much selections may be subtle and unconcious indicators of cultural bias..............

You raises an interesting question of how the news item selection process is a more complex process that one's first thoughts might suggest........

Originally posted by gmcnulty
You raises an interesting question of how the news item selection process is a more complex process that one's first thoughts might suggest........

It's seems strange to me though. In the US, we have a fairly liberal media bias that disagrees with the war, and they want Bush gone.

Then they turn around and report the WMD's, assassination of Iraqi officials and the UN Oil for food scandal. Other countries are not reporting this. Except for the assassination...the US media cannot twist this to make it Bush's fault.

Maybe the US media is not as biased as I once thought...perhaps it is other country's media that is actually filtering and censoring what people hear.


Thankfully...there is ATS

from gmcnulty
Many often choose their primary news source because of the sources viewpoint, style and tone, and the types of stories which they report. It is also important � maybe even more so � to take particular not of the stories they DO NOT report on����..

I agree with you here. I must mark my calendar.

from sosuemetoo
Maybe the US media is not as biased as I once thought...perhaps it is other country's media that is actually filtering and censoring what people hear.

I think - more like I hope, that the part about the US media is true. There are still media outlets that are very one-sided in the US, but the major outlets are making more of an effort to be balanced in their reporting, I believe. This is in large part due to the public getting more fed up with one-sided reporting, I'm convinced. I personally am much more liable to watch or listen to news that covers the facts without the bias.

Originally posted by jsobecky
This is in large part due to the public getting more fed up with one-sided reporting, I'm convinced. I personally am much more liable to watch or listen to news that covers the facts without the bias.

Becky, I agree with you. It seems like in the US we had the 4 major networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN) that hate Busch and will "spin" or omit the news so that we are getting only part of it, or only what they want us to know. I understand that many do not like Fox News and can sympathise with them. Here in the US, we seem to have a choice on what news we see.

But what baffles me is entire countries not having the "straight stuff" given to them so that they can discern on their own what their stance should be. Do they think that people cannot decide for themselves what is right/wrong? It makes me somewhat worried. The gov't (controlling the media) can control what people think and in turn control an upcoming election.

Sorry if this is OT...the turn of "events" makes it belong in the Media section (IMO) . I don't know if a Mod can convert this thread or not. This thread almost "evolved" into a media bias thread.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh........

So the dawn's light of one's own mind breaks forth................


I see says the unsighted................Examine it.

AND if you want to be on topic............pose one of your own. I'de be pleased to offer/contribute my thoughts on the issue from a political/linguistic/propaganda point of view...............

[edit on 12-6-2004 by gmcnulty]