We've all seen the reports out of Italy of a new documentary that lays out allegations of the American use of chemical weapons on Fallujah. Has any of you seen it in your local newspaper? In a national newspaper?
I was going to ask this of the Washington Post, on one of their routine Web chat sessions, but someone beat me to it. Here's what they said:
Update [2005-11-9 17:9:29 by AggieDemocrat]: According to Steven D's diary, the Army is now admitting it used WP in Fallujah...
Someone from Saddle Brook, N.J., wrote in to the Post's assistant managing editor for Foreign, David Hoffman, to post this question. Here's the response:
Saddle Brook, N.J.: Hello David,
Why The Post didn't publish about the U.S. army use of chemical Fallujah? Italian RAI showed last night, shouldn't Americans know more about it? In this documentary, U.S. soldiers openly admitted the use of white phosphate bombs and what is their impact on humans.
People here protects animals better than what this govermment is doing to humans, not terrorists. Would your grandmother allow it if properly inform of real facts?
David Hoffman: We wrote about this at the time -- see the page one story November 10, 2004 by Jackie Spinner.
Hm. So they're taking the "this is old news" angle here, I see. Yeah, that's lame and a bullshit answer/reason. Someone from Wake Forest followed up, asking what we're all asking:
Wake Forest, N.C.: So are you saying that ONE story on the horrific use of white phosphorus and/or napalm on the Iraqi city of Fallujah by the American Military using American tax dollars and in the name of Americans is sufficient? Have you seen the pictures? Did you watch the Italian documentary? You really have got to be kidding. No wonder people are turning away from newpapers if this is the kind of follow up we get.
David Hoffman: No, but I am saying -- we were there first. Was RAI television on the front lines last November 9 in the middle of that fighting? We were. I applaud documentary film makers. It's also nice that people have the time to write books, and review events of the past. We also do a lot of reconstruction in our journalism. But first and foremost, when this happened, Post reporters were eyewitnesses and wrote about it. And that's something valuable, and special, and one of the reasons why newspapers are vital.
WTF? That's your answer? That, well, we were there first, so newspapers rock!
Unbelievable. This isn't just about RAI showing some new documentary. It's new evidence of war crimes by the American military.
I just submitted this:
I'm sorry, Mr. Hoffman, but your answer about the white phosphorous bombs lacks any substance whatsoever as to why the Post is not covering the new developments. "Well, we were there first" doesn't cut it. That's great that your reporters filed stories on it a year ago, but here we have a major foreign news organization who a) bothered to do an in-depth investigation of the claims and b) has just released chilling video that supports those claims.
I wonder if any American other than those of us who have come to rely on foreign sources of real journalism have any idea that our military might have committed serious war crimes over in Iraq -- using chemical weapons, which, supposedly we went over there to stop Saddam from doing.
Wake Forest is right -- that's why people are turning away.