Unraveling the Media. Despite Mark Steyn's obvious scepticism about the media's Jeremiac approach to events in Iraq (see 'something to read' below), he did let drop an interesting comment that shows a certain amount of anxiety. He said,
'The passivity of the Arabs, the sensitivity of the coalition and the defeatism of the media is a potentially disastrous combination'.


Interesting then to find Wretchard identifying a pattern in some of the journalistic 'scoops' that have been emerging in reputable papers from the most dangerous areas in Iraq at the moment. His suggestion is that the jihadis are targeting journalists with a practised kidnap routine intended to emphasise the 'muhajideen' struggle that the US are facing. It reminded me of Saddam Hussein's hackneyed novels that played on certain stereotypes of strength and heroism. This kind of approach touches all the buttons: the passivity of the Arabs with their tendency to accept posturing bullies; the sensitivity of the coalition as they glimpse the depth of hatred their opponents have for them; and the defeatism of the media as they project images of a battle-hardened and defiant enemy. For examples of the defeatism of the media of course, we need go no further than the BBC.