(The glibness of the title is intended to make satire of silly military acronyms, I have a full measure of respect for Bob Woodruff and his camera-man, Doug Vogt.)
ABC anchorman wounded in Iraq (Seattle Times)
Beyond the rather unsettling idea of losing yet another anchor of ABC's World News Tonight (watch out, Vargas), this is emblematic of the problem we're facing. Journalists exist, by and large, to bring attention to to people or events that bear looking into. If you are a criminal, then this is unfortunate; but if you are an occupied country looking to shake the imperial yoke, then it is an invaluable asset.
But it is not the sole asset of the insurgent. The most noteworthy of his innovations is the roadside bomb, or Improvised Explosive Device. "US news crews suffering casualties due to IED's" sounds so much more safe and sterile than "the guy who you watch read the news while you eat dinner was struck, in the head, with shrapnel from a bomb detonated from the side of the road."
I have to admit, in weaker moments, to almost believing that these insurgents will only respond to greater strength, and that what our government is doing might make people safer in the long run. This is not a weaker moment. To say nothing of the Iraqi dead, our own people are being injured or killed every day.
Sure, they knew the risks, but isn't anyone sick of dying? I, for one, might like to visit the middle east before I die, and would prefer returning to tell the tale.
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