Thursday, April 29, 2004
The New York Times is, shockingly, reporting that US forces are withdrawing from Falluja and turning command of the city over to an Iraqi forces commanded by one of Saddam’s former generals.
Training Iraqi soldiers outside Falluja
This turnover will occur tomorrow!
According to the Times:
The new Iraqi force represents an about-face for the American authorities…The plan was drafted Wednesday night…It was unclear how much influence the new Iraqi force would have over the insurgents in Falluja…The insurgents have mostly snubbed the American demand [to turn weapons in to authorities] and continued to attack forward positions of the American forces in the city.
No matter how this is sliced, Joe Iraqi is bound to view this sudden withdrawal as a victory for the insurgents and a retreat by American forces.
Speaking of American casualties, the blog Eschaton posted a link from Poynter Online regarding this week’s upcoming Nightline wherein the names of soldiers killed in Iraq will be read aloud by Ted Koppel.
Poynter says the Website News Blues is reporting that Sinclair Broadcast Group is forbidding its ABC affiliates from broadcasting this particular Nightline and quotes Sinclair’s corporate council Barry Faber:
We find it [the Nightline broadcast] to be contrary to the public interest.
Here in the Cincinnati metropolitan area the Sinclair group owns WSTR WB64.
Call them (513) 641-4400
Cincinnati’s local ABC affiliate is WCPO (513) 852-4071.
Images: Reflex News, ABC, SBC