1 Um, just a guess, but maybe because they don't want to show the true nature of those committing the atrocities? That headless men stories might have a more positive effect for their comrades than headless children stories?

Nah. They wouldn't ignore real atrocities just to promote their preferred narrative. Not AP.

2 To walk away from this pure evil, would in itself be evil.

3 It is even worse than that they purposefully ignore stories like this, when was the last time a mass grave was uncovered in Iraq? Don't know? Howabout last week, more of Saddams victoms and what does the AP and other MSM outlets report about? Well it seems the Kurds up north may be torturing some detainees! I have come to the conclusion that most not all but most of the MSM is has made a choice to aid our enemies. As the saying goes "the enemy of my enemy is my friend".

4 I don't understand the reasoning here. Do you think that the media are actually rooting for the beheaders? Do you think that they are deliberately trying to hamstring the US military?

Can I just ask what their motivation is in this theory?

5 Rafar, the media organizations don't exactly "root" for the terrorists, but I know of national and international journalists that have privately admitted to being ideologically opposed to the Iraq War, and for that matter, some who think President Bush was behind 9/11. People I trust have been there when they have made these statements.

Are they trying to hamstring the military? Without a doubt.

Because of their strong feelings against the war, these journalists and editors decisions of what stories are "newsworthy" is fatally compromised. They are incapable of framing the war in a balanced manner, and therefore incapable of presenting the full truth. This is why you constantly hear soldiers--both for and against the war, I made add--constantly and loudly complaining that the war they are fighting is not the one they see on television.

Mike Yon uncovered the story of an entire village wiped out by al Qaeda, and the story would doubtlessly inflame people against al Qaeda, perhaps leading us to dig in our heels and continue fighting. Thus, it isn't newsworthy, and it doesn't run. It isn't because they don't trust Yon's accuracy--a photo he took is perhaps the most famous of the war, and was recommended for some awards--but because they don't like that he is reporting mostly success.

The decapitation story, aa false as it was, was produced to "prove" the futility of a sectarian war and hasten our withdrawal. This is why the AP was willing to run with an unsourced or poorly sourced story. It fits their narrative.

This may come as a dramatic shock to many, but the course of the war has dramatically shifted, starting roughly a year ago. While it it too soon to declare we are winning--though some there have stated that--the fact remains that Iraq has become far more viable as a nation and as a representative democracy in the past 12 months. General Petraeus is fighting a brilliant war, much of it behind the scenes on the political and social levels, not to mention some of the present military successes of Phantom Thunder that the media clearly still does not understand the scope and success of... or perhaps they do, and would rather care not to share it.

The media, who contribute 9-to-1 to Democrats, has a clear bias against "Bush's War." They are infuriated enough at him over the lack of WMDs (and because of the shrieking of theri radical left wing base, which tends to call journalists horrible names if they run unbiased reports) to do what they can to make sure that this war is lost.

6 Thank you for that, it makes the thinking behind such arguments more clear to me.

7 This is what happen when we TAKE OUR EYE OFF THE BALL in tora bora,. like JOHN KERRY and future PRESIDENT John Edwards always say.,,

there are NO TERRORISM in Iraq,, the real WAR is in Afganistan

We are MAKING MORE TERRORISTS than we are killing.,.. doesnt take a ROCKET SCIENTIST to figure that out.,;

8 Danish cartoonists and The Queen of England are making more terrorists than we are. It doesn't take a flaming doctor to figure that out.

9 The phrase "Fake but accurate" resounds here. The story line is false, but it is what fits the pre-conceived narrative.

10 "The story line is false, but it is what fits the pre-conceived narrative."

That's partially true, but to make any meaningful point it presumes that the narrative (Civlians are being slaughtered every day and their bodies are being dumped) is false, when in fact it is true. Bodies are dumped everyday and have been for years now.

11 Do you think that the media are actually rooting for the beheaders? Do you think that they are deliberately trying to hamstring the US military?

Ummm....yes and yes.