However, it seems like the media are running the same game to lead us into war. Follow me over the cheeto croissant for the naming names fun.
First we have the cognate for Judy Miller in Elizabeth O'Bagy: On the Front Lines of Syria's Civil War. WSJ online has a piece pushing war written by O'Bagy. After being called out for not citing her creeds, we get this
Ms. O'Bagy is a senior analyst at the Institute for the Study of War.
Clarification
In addition to her role at the Institute for the Study of War, Ms. O'Bagy is affiliated with the Syrian Emergency Task Force, a nonprofit operating as a 501(c)(3) pending IRS approval that subcontracts with the U.S. and British governments to provide aid to the Syrian opposition.
This was
after both John McCain and John Kerry alluded to her WSJ piece before Congress
SEN. MCCAIN: Secretary Kerry -- John, over the weekend, the Wall Street Journal ran an important op-ed by Dr. Elizabeth O'Bagy -- I hope you saw it -- a Syria analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, spent a great deal of time inside Syria, including just this month.
And I want to read her assessment of the situation on the ground. And I quote the story. "The conventional wisdom holds that the extremist elements are completely mixed in with the more moderate rebel groups; this isn't the case. Moderates and extremists wield control over distinct territory. Contrary to many media accounts, the war in Syria is not being waged entirely or even predominately by dangerous Islamists and al-Qaida die-hards. The jihadists pouring into Syria from countries like Iraq and Lebanon are not flocking to the front lines. Instead, they are concentrating their efforts on consolidating control in the northern rebel-held areas of the country. Moderate opposition forces -- a collection of groups known as the Free Syrian Army -- continue to lead the fight against the Syrian regime. While traveling with some of these Free Syrian Army battalions, I've watched them defend Alawi and Christian villages from government forces and extremist groups. They've demonstrated a willingness to submit to civilian authority, working closely with local administrative councils, and they've struggled to ensure that their fight against Assad will pave the way for a flourishing civil society."
John, do you agree with Dr. O'Bagy's assessment of the opposition?
SEC. KERRY: I agree with most of that. They have changed significantly. They have improved, and as I said earlier, the fundamentals of Syria are secular, and I believe, will stay that way
Source.
Ok. More fun. This is a week old but maybe we have a Curveball cognate??
A shadowy Israeli military unit is apparently the source of the “intelligence” that the Obama administration is using as justification for its planned attack on Syria.
Source.
In the anti war corner we have pieces no one has paid attention to:
Top 10 Reasons Not to “Do” Iraq and
Kucinich: 10 unproven pro-Syria war claims
In the pro war media we have . . . almost everybody else. As Digby says, "Come on. They can't really believe they can run this game again can they?
Note: this diary is about the media circus and the drumbeat to war, not Syria equals Iraq.