Iraq In The Media

http://www.military.com/blog/armychaplain
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23977964/

The first report that I found is a blog by an army chaplain. Today he had three entries posted and the one I chose to focus on is called Re-enlistment rates higher than before war. He talks about how he is witnessing many people choosing to stay in the Army as opposed to being forced to return against their will. With his first hand experience, he knows how frustrating situations can be for Army men yet he, and others, stayed because they felt as though they were making a difference. In his case, he has no contract, no signing bonus, and no mandatory time he has to serve. This is the case for many others yet a trend of re-enlistment continues to grow across the Army. There is an article linked with his entry which goes into further detail on the subject.

MSNBC has the second report called 20 killed in Sadr City battle despite cease-fire. The battle that occurred involved Iraqi troops and U.S. forces against Shiite fighters in a neighborhood in Sadr City. 20 people were killed and 52 were wounded. No information has been released about who was killed, whether it was fighters, civilians, U.S. troops, or Iraqis. One anonymous officer reported that a U.S. armored carrier, two Iraqi Humvees, and two Iraqi trucks were damaged. In the U.S. Green Zone several rounds exploded injuring four civilians. A hostage situation also took place in Mosul when gunmen took control of a bus transporting 42 students. After the gunmen decided no one was part of security forces everyone was released. Three students on another bus were injured from gun fire. Despite these setbacks, a briefing will take place to discuss reductions of U.S. troops in Iraq as well as British troops.

In the blog, it seems as though it is bias toward the military since the author is a member of the army. He is in favor of the efforts in Iraq and feels the United States presence there is justified particularly because of "all of the good new from Iraq." He is simply offering a point of view from the inside telling his understanding of why people would re-enlist by choice. The news piece is strictly informational, with no statements in favor or against the war. It is keeping readers up- to- date on exactly what is going on in Iraq right now.

For me, reading these two articles offered inspiring reasons to stay in the war, and even enlist, as well as reasons not to want to be involved at all. The blog comes from someone who has first hand experience overseas and says he is truly proud of his service. In his closing he says "I'm staying in until either my body can't take it, or God shows me a different path, or my wife wants me out...I suspect my body will be the first to give out. :)" His dedication and positive nature toward the subject offers relief, although it may create a false sense that things aren't as bad as they seem over there. Regardless of this, it is encouraging to see how dedicated he is to protecting and serving our country especially knowing there are many more like him as shown by the re-enlistment percentages in the blog's attached article. In the MSNBC article, for me, the facts would be a deterrent when it comes to enlisting or having any presence in Iraq. A cease fire was declared a week ago, yet they experienced a great amount of violence. Just this weekend the report includes 20 dead, 59 wounded, 42 hijacked, and an assassinated religious leader's funeral. Nothing stated in the article would make me want to play a part in the war. Hearing that these acts of violence are still taking place and continue to produce, what I consider, a great deal of devastation makes me more in favor of pulling our troops out as quickly as possible. By this point, we should have had enough of an impact to allow Iraqis to be able to control their country and continue leading it in the direction of reform.