The next target of the anti-war radicals

Blogger Kig Lange writes on GatheringofEagles.com, "Even as echoes of the unfounded and cowardly attacks on General Petraeus fade in the media’s memory after his historical presentation to Congress, a second target was acquired for slander and innuendo. Blackwater USA shares the General’s plight - guilt by association. The Moyock, North Carolina, company did not start the war in Iraq, but they and General Petraeus have become unwitting scapegoats in a domestic political battle to see which party will determine the future of the global war on terror.

"Both Blackwater and General Petraeus have distinguished records of sacrifice and performance. However, the tactics of character assassination, whether used against an accomplished US General or a great US Company, are now considered appropriate political behavior. The media feed off this - salivating as each unsubstantiated report, each unresearched allegation, is tossed like a small boat into a battering storm. Meanwhile, in Iraq, the two elements most concerned about Blackwater remaining in Iraq to protectUS diplomats are the very same elements that are known to be the principal instigators of both sides of the sectarian conflict. They are the corrupt Sunni-led Ministry of the Interior and the ever-vicious Mahdi Army, a Shiite force led by radical cleric Muqtada al Sadr.

"There is no doubt that more Americans and more US companies will feel the sting of politically motivated anti-war attacks as we get closer to the 2008 elections. But wouldn’t it be nice if the media ceased their journalistic complacency and their unwitting (or witting) alignment with forces trying to degrade the US public debate on this war? If the fourth estate is truly the protector of our precious freedoms, wouldn’t be helpful if these media outlets shifted their investigative energies and attention to those in Iraq who seek to reap the rewards generated by hasty US departure?"