Poor reporting and liberal bias in the media is a bigger problem than any problems embedded reporters may cause. The military leaders are in complete control of information that is being released to the public. It is their responsibility to keep the troops safety in mind. When reporters cross the line they have been removed and are no longer allowed to report, as is the case with Geraldo.

Certain media outlets, like CNN, have been portraying the image that the Iraqis are winning and the United States’ war plan has failed. This could not be further from the truth. Not all media portrays this image, Fox News has provided fair and truthful coverage. A war plan is just a plan and that is as far as it goes. Our plan has not failed. The plan has allowed our troops to move at a rate faster than any military operation in history, while suffering minimal casualties to our troops and civilians. This does not sound like a failure. The plan that was put in place was brilliant. It has allowed flexibility to counteract the illegal and terroristic battle tactics the Iraqi regime has resorted to. The operation has been a huge success, it has minimized Iraqi civilian losses and provided minimal losses for our troops.

Without embedded reporters, the world would not see the courage and compassion are troops are fighting with. They are not out to get the Iraqi people and they are not out to massacre Iraqi women and children, they are there to liberate them from a brutal regime. Pictures of troops helping the Iraqi people, keeping them out of harms way, providing food, water and supplies to the starving and weak Iraqis, protecting Iraqi holy sites and even coalition troops helping injured Iraqi soldiers have been broadcast to the world. Whether the media chooses to portray this truthful image is a different problem.

This war has begun with excellent results. As troops are entering Baghdad, the end is near for the Saddam regime and the Iraqi people will soon be free. The embedded reporters will be there to broadcast to the world the joy and thankfulness the Iraqi people will have for our troops and our country for freeing them of an evil dictator.

Grant McGraw

Sophomore

Mechanical Engineering