by James Glaser
September 30, 2003

Losing three limbs is just horrendous and when I heard a military Doctor describe an American Soldier losing them in Iraq on National Public Radio Monday, it brought tears to my eyes. Some news papers will cover the deaths of our troops in Iraq on the front page, most bury the story. Nobody covers the carnage our troops suffer with their wounds.

On public television's News Hour, photos of those that have been killed are shown in silence at the end of broadcasts. They never show anyone with a bloody stump or someone with their eyes shot out.

It has been reported that six Soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division were wounded in a fire fight Sunday in Iraq. Wounded sounds so benign. Visions of a flesh wound, maybe a few stitches. Well wake up America, our troops have body armor on and any wounds tend to be severe. Rocket Propelled Grenades with their chunks of shrapnel tear a man apart.

I know that American television has standards and they don't want to offend their viewing public with the TRUTH about what is going on in George Bush's war, but what about Honesty and Integrity in journalism?

Yesterday there was a fire fight in Iraq where we used M1A2 tanks firing 120-mm Cannons, while helicopters strafed farm houses with 50-mm Machine gun fire. Also in the "fire fight," two A-10 Thunderbolt attack aircraft bombed guerrilla positions, while F-15 jets streaked across the sky.

Here we have Tanks, Helicopters and Jet Fighters all in a coordinated attack and the media calls it a fire fight. When you are using this much equipment, you are in a battle, but George Bush has told the media that major fighting is over, so how could we be having battles?

Fire Fights are to battles, as wounds are to losing large portions of your body. Washington knows it is all in how you say it.

This "fire fight" went on for hours and in the afternoon six armored personnel carriers, two of them ambulances arrived as reinforcements. As the fight continued, eight Humvees carrying US Troops also were seen heading toward the battle

In another part of Iraq, the 4th Infantry Division launched two dozen raids in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit. Major battles are going on and dozens of small raids are going on. Iraq is still an ongoing War.

At the start of Monday's battle, one American was killed and one wounded and that is the only report we have. Maybe in a few days we will hear of others killed or wounded. Keep everything "low key," that is what Washington wants.

So hundreds and hundreds of American Soldiers will continue to suffer terrible wounds that will change the rest of their lives and the Media will continue to keep silent about it. Battles will rage and when the Soldiers come home they will find no one has heard of their brave deeds.

Mothers and fathers will suffer the loss of their sons or daughters and few people other than those in their home town will ever hear of their loss.

President Bush and those in Congress that want this war will keep telling the American people that we are not seeing all the good things that we are doing in Iraq. Soon all the American losses will be buried from our sight, just as the plane loads of wounded coming home every day are.

Congress will sign the check and those that get rich off of the deaths of American troops in every one of our wars will be there, hands out stretched, waiting for their cut.