My analysis: he's got a huge ego, never went through embed program at Pentagon, masters from Northwestern (elite J-school), cynical towards all authority, feeling powerful because he "escaped" captivity once, he's using our troops to advance his career, continues weblogging and personal promotion even when contracted out to CNN or NBC, he's mildly hostile to the commanders in the field, yet towards the end you'll see he struggles with moral equivalency. I believe he knows Americans are right, yet he's torn between that and the journalistic group-think he was taught in school.
"So in some ways, embedded in this unit, I begin to feel I've betrayed the people that depend on me to be skeptical." NOTICE HOW HE ISN'T CONCERNED ABOUT BETRAYING THOSE HE DEPENDS UPON TO KEEP HIM ALIVE, BUT THE LIBERALS BACK HOME TO WHOM HE'S PLEDGED HIS ALLEGIANCE....
By the way, I'm trying to turn this around the way libs do, and make it a bit about the reporter vs. the Marine. Why does NO ONE question the reporter's motives, credentials, etc?
bttt
Well, I think that sums it up...
He asks me where I'm from and I say Ireland, another partial lie—since I carry an Irish as well U.S. passport.
Good. Let's revoke this America-hating b**ches U.S. Passport, and he can go back to Ireland.
All I need to know about this guy is that because of his report more of our guys will be killed or wounded, and our position in Iraq is made worse. And he knew this.
Well... I wouldn't be the one to suggest any illegal action or anything, of course, but with the talent in this group - why is this putz's web site sill operational?
"We are eventually released, but have lost one of our trucks, most of our gear and all of our money; thousands in U.S. dollars that were supposed to help buy us out of binds like this one. Instead it is words, Tofiq's words that have set us free. "
How romantic. They took almost ALL your stuff, but it was the words that bought your freedom. Puh-lease.
This makes me want to puke.
Well, Sites can certainly write well, but it seems to me that he's trying to excuse his traitorous actions of a few days ago. Too bad, he could have been better than a Benedict Arnold.
NOTICE HOW HE ISN'T CONCERNED ABOUT BETRAYING THOSE HE DEPENDS UPON TO KEEP HIM ALIVE, BUT THE LIBERALS BACK HOME TO WHOM HE'S PLEDGED HIS ALLEGIANCE....
---
Your right.. the other thing which stood out in my mind is "reminding your self that you are not one of them."
"It is with stunning swiftness that these Iraqi men, these suspects in a guerilla war against occupation forces become newly crowned"
Occupation forces... Nice... What an A$$hole.
"these suspects in a guerilla war against occupation forces"
read the whole thing
but this is very telling
this is the view of the left: brain locked in the past, they have to resort to VietNam era emotion-laden terminology.
"guerilla war" -- this is clearly a completely inaccurate assessment; it tells us Sites' point of view, but NOT reality. They are not all even Iraqis! Does this refugee from a time-warp even know the difference? would he care to know the difference? These terrorists do not have the best interests of the Iraqi citizens in mind -- or they would not have to blow up so many of them! Sheesh!!
"occupation forces" -- again, clearly inflamatory language; it is clear that US forces will leave when Iraq is stable. We are NOT an occupation force. For Sites to claim this, in his sympathy with the -- ahem -- ENEMY is mind-blowing. I.E. he doesn't claim this is what the terrorists think: this is how HE characterizes it.
"suspects" -- my heavens!
This guy needs to be introduced to reality. This is how an embed should report the events from duty with a unit: Give him 4 weeks of boot camp, take his camera, give him a rifle for the duration, and THEN read his rants. Maybe his reporting would be a tad different . . .
It is appalling how "elites" like this can remove themselves from reality, divorce themselves from the facts of their existance then turn around and play god with the world.
Everything Sites has, his life, his education, his freedom, was paid for with the blood of soldiers. And now, soldiers stand directly between him and death. And so he judges himself better than them, aloof and superior. He plays moral equivalence between the soldiers protecting him and the terrorists who commit exibitionist murders of unarmed women.
Hey Sites: Stop playing God. The position is already taken, and you suck at it.
Email to kevin:
kevin.
I am not in favor of abortion, but in your case I would make a retro-active exception. Since this can only be fanciful daydream, instead may I suggest you stop in at a local bar next to Camp Le Jeune (wearing a large name tag, of course) and experience the Marine Corps love and respect for you.
Ernie Pyle you'll never be.....Dan Rather, maybe, if you continue to hone your traitorous skills.
RedWireNut
Arkansas, USA
"No! No! I'm an American journalist! I'm on your side!"
I wonder if this guy is still embedded. If so, I hope that all the little hairs on the back of his neck stand up, and he gets that prickly, apprehensive feeling, every time he's in the presence of Marines.
No Kevin, you liberal idiot, it's what Tofiq said, to wit: he threatened a tribal chieftain to with total destruction of his city by coalition forces if he did not intervene with the Fedayeen
You are alive today because of the strength of the military you so want to distance yourself from in your touchy-feely world of liberal idiocy.
It never ceases to amaze me how heads such as Kevin's don't spontaneously explode in the midst of the incredible mental gymnastics required to maintain moral equivalency.
This Sites guy is a self-important little prig. Note his claiming the moral equivalence of being a captive to US forces with his own being captive to the Fedayeen, as if the Marines were just so many more savages. What a twit. If it's the same thing, show some evidence to support the claim. Jerk.