Just as truthful, just as accurate. Doesn't quite give the same impression, though, does it? A multiple attack that accomplishes nothing, and a soldier that accidentally runs afoul of a land mine doesn't make our enemy sound so unbeatable, does it? And that's what it's all about, isn't it?

I'm sure that any war could be reduced by the press to a daily casualty count. Maybe during WWII they could have covered the front pages with the names of the dead, and details of Axis victories. I just heard an ABC news bit on the radio, with a weeping female relative of one of the helicopter casualties wailing, "When will it end? When will it end?"

Is it likely that of the sixteen who died on that helicopter, not a single one of their unhappy relatives said something to the press along the lines of, "He died fighting for something he believed in, and for freedom in Iraq?" The sound bite was carefully selected for a specific effect.

The press couldn't be doing a better job of playing into the Somalia strategy if they were taking cash payments from the Baathists.

You're doing pretty much the same thing, but fortunately your effect here, like mine, is somewhat limited.