MANHANDLING THE MEDIA

U.S. Tour of Duty reporter Jeff Norman is detained by Secret Service after he questioned Donald Rumsfeld.

http://www.ustourofduty.org/pages/tourReports.html

MANHANDLING THE MEDIA
A journalist confronts the Secretary of Defense about his credibility, and the Bush administration responds with a show of force

By Jeff Norman

Gold Star mom Nadia McCaffrey wound up her Southern California visit Thursday, after four U.S. Tour of Duty events, by attending Donald Rumsfeld's speech at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. The Secretary of Defense spoke before a capacity audience at a luncheon presented by the Los Angeles World Affairs Council.

Rumsfeld continued to dismiss reports that prisoner abuse by American military personnel is widespread. He praised his subordinates for "conducting investigations," and claimed the torture problem has been solved. Rumsfeld insisted recent news coverage of prior incidents only makes it seem "like it's new allegations."

Nadia, whose son Patrick was killed in Iraq in June of 2004, attempted to
approach Rumsfeld to ask him about what she believes are his various
inconsistent statements, but was blocked by security. In an interview after the event, she told me the military leadership has failed to protect troops with adequate equipment that is readily available.

"We have thousands of M113 armored vehicles sitting in storage," Nadia complained. "Why has Rumsfeld decided only recently to ship them to Iraq?" (Although Stars and Stripes reported on January 4 that M113 personnel carriers would finally be transported to Iraq, it has not been confirmed that the vehicles have actually arrived and are in use.)

Dana and Frances from CODEPINK interrupted Rumsfeld's speech and tried to unfurl a banner while telling the Secretary that he had "lied" to the American people. They were immediately dragged out of the ballroom.

As Rumsfeld was leaving the event after his speech, I took a few steps out of the media area where I had been sitting, and said to him, "Mr. Rumsfeld, military families think you're lying to them. Why won't you meet with them?" The Secretary ignored me as two men who appeared to be Secret Service agents aggressively removed me from the premises. I know of no other instance in which government agents have been used to physically assault a reporter on American soil for mildly questioning a public servant. None of my media brethren have so far come to my defense, despite the possibility they could be similarly bullied merely for doing their jobs.

It is a misguided strategy to intimidate journalists, because even hawks now recognize Rumsfeld lacks credibility. On his Fox News TV show Wednesday night, Bill O'Reilly revealed, "I don't have any confidence in Donald Rumsfeld at this point...I don't think he's leveling with the American people."

The effort to hold the Bush administration accountable continues today in Crawford, Texas at the vacation home of President Bush. Members of Gold Star Families for Peace and their supporters are set to confront the President about why U.S. forces are still occupyng Iraq, and ask him to explain exactly why he believes the mission is a "noble cause." According to Gold Star founder Cindy Sheehan, the families will stay "until we are arrested or satisfied with the answers."

[Aug. 1, 2005]

WE ARE THE MEDIA

By Jeff Norman

As popular opinion increasingly turns against the war, Iraq veterans and
military family members are criticizing the Bush administration more frankly than ever before. Their message is impossible to dismiss, because it is obviously not motivated by political bias, but by a patriotic commitment to holding our leaders accountable for illegal and immoral behavior.

At a U.S. Tour of Duty event in Venice, California last night, Iraq veteran
Jeff Key explained the obligation of U.S. service members to fight "domestic enemies," and why the American masters of war should be categorized as such. Gold Star mom Nadia McCaffrey, whose son Patrick was killed in Iraq, flatly stated that President Bush does not represent her, and would turn her back to him if he were in her presence.

Nadia is half-way through four Southern California speaking engagements at which a documentary of her recent trip to Jordan is being screened. She went there to meet with Iraqi mothers whose loved ones have also been killed as a result of American military might. Filmmaker Mark Manning, who documented Nadia's journey, also managed to become "embedded" with the people of Falluja. His exclusive footage of the U.S. bombardment of Falluja, and its aftermath, reveals the horrors of war as it is seldom ever seen. Not even most peace activists realize that virtually the entire city was completely devastated. Last night's Venice audience was brought to tears when they saw this documentary evidence of massive disregard for humanity.

Former Air Force veteran Tim Goodrich, who served in the Middle East under Ret. General Tommy Franks, also addressed the crowd. Tim was introduced with a U.S. Tour of Duty news video that captured a dramatic confrontation he had with Franks after the general spoke to elementary school students in Los Angles. Tim was outraged that his former commander in chief was apparently seducing such young children with a sugarcoated image of the military, and that the school assembly had taken place without the knowledge or consent of parents. Tim, who is the co-founder of Iraq Veterans Against the War, was denied access to the event, just as his previous attempts to meet with members of the Bush administration have been rejected or ignored. In a classic example of civil disobedience, Tim waited outside the school (along with Gold Star dad Bill Mitchell) and put his body in front of Franks' vehicle as the general was being driven away.

On Saturday night in Anaheim, California, during the premiere event of Nadia's Southern California swing, the audience erupted in anger when it saw the Franks encounter projected on a large screen at a Unitarian church. In response to a complaint about the fact that the press rarely covers the issue of militarism in our schools, Nadia pointed out how U.S. Tour of Duty is doing the job of reporters for them. "We are the media," she said.

Independent journalist Dahr Jamail, who spent eight months reporting from occupied Iraq, will speak at the next two U.S. Tour of Duty events, tonight in San Pedro, and Wednesday in West Hills. He will be joined tonight by Mark Manning, thus giving the public a rare chance to hear not one but two important truth-tellers give first-hand accounts of the war being fought in America's name.

Video of Tim Goodrich confronting Tommy Franks

Jeff Norman is the Executive Producer of U.S. Tour of Duty and the director of "Amazing Disgrace: The Betrayal of Soldiers and their Families."
http://www.ustourofduty.org/pages/tourReports.html

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