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Originally written by Khothie:

I think the one comparing BoE's graphics to Exile I's was also a bit of an opinion question.

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HonestReporting Communique
04 April 2003

"TALE OF TWO CHECKPOINTS"

* * *

On Monday, two days after a checkpoint suicide bomb killed four American
soldiers, U.S. forces shot and killed 11 Iraqi family members when their
vehicle failed to stop at an army checkpoint. This fateful incident
parallels similar events in Israel, where the IDF -- like the Americans --
works the difficult balance between ensuring the safety of its soldiers
and avoiding civilian casualties.

But when it comes to press coverage, the parallels end. For nearly three
years, Israel has been lambasted in the media for its rules of engagement
-- accused of humiliating Palestinians and using excessive force that
caused civilian deaths.

Here's a specific example from the Associated Press, February 2002. Under
the headline, "Second Pregnant Woman Shot By Israeli Checkpoint Troops,"
AP gives extensive details of Palestinians victims' ages, names,
background, medical condition, and a graphic description of bloody wounds.
Readers have to wade 250 words deep into the article before AP mentions
the key points -- that the Palestinian car ran a barricade, ignored
warning calls, and then attempted a reverse detour around the checkpoint.
And only at the very end of the 562-word account is appropriate context
provided -- that six IDF soldiers were killed at a similar checkpoint just
days before.

This article is cached on a pro-Palestinian website:
http://honestreporting.com/a/r/386.asp

Even the U.S. State Department, in its just-released annual Human Rights
Report, accuses the IDF of using "excessive force while manning
checkpoints... which resulted in many deaths."
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2002/18278.htm

* * *

In covering the Iraqi deaths, however, major media reports -- across the
board -- encourage sympathy and understanding for the U.S. checkpoint
soldiers' difficult predicament.

For example, The New York Times headline reads: "Failing to Heed G.I.'s, 7
Iraqis Die at Checkpoint"
http://honestreporting.com/a/r/387.asp

Note how The Times places blame on the victims (for "failing to heed
warning"), and rather than mention that U.S. soldiers did the killing,
terms the deaths in passive terms ("women and children die").

Could we ever imagine The New York Times reporting a similar
Israeli-Palestinian incident in this way?

More examples of the media showing understanding toward the difficult
American position:

- TIME MAGAZINE: "Their own safety now demands that U.S. and British
forces consider every Iraqi civilian a potential mortal threat."
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,439438,00.html

- BBC, quoting an American officer: "If vehicles approach us on the road
we may open fire. We need this road open and we can't delay for vehicles
that might approach us and might contain suicide bombers."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2907991.stm

- REUTERS: "The United States... has tried hard to avoid civilian
casualties. But soldiers' nerves are stretched thin since a suicide attack
killed four U.S. soldiers on Saturday."
http://honestreporting.com/a/r/388.asp

- LOS ANGELES TIMES: "It was yet another example of the bewildering
predicament American troops find themselves in as Iraqi forces disguise
themselves as civilians, women are used as human shields and any vehicle
driving down the road could be a suicide bomb."
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-war-civilian2apr02,1,1650227.story

(If the URL does not fit onto one line of this e-mail, paste the parts
into your browser, and remove any spaces that appear in the URL address
field.)

* * *

Many media went even further, prominently quoting the idea that Saddam
Hussein himself is to blame for the checkpoints death. For example:

- LOS ANGELES TIMES: "The blood is on the hands of the regime for their
decisions and their willingness to use their population this way," said
Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks, spokesman for Central Command. "If there's a
question of morality, it really should go back to the regime."
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/iraq/inside/la-war -military2apr02,1,6404528.story?coll=la%2Dhome%2Dheadlines

(If the URL does not fit onto one line of this e-mail, paste the parts
into your browser, and remove any spaces that appear in the URL address
field.)

- THE UK INDEPENDENT: "This is yet another incident in a trend of this
regime using civilians, in this case innocent women and children, in order
to cause harm to coalition forces," said Capt Frank Thorp. "The blood of
this incident is on the hands of this regime."
http://honestreporting.com/a/r/389.asp

Has the media ever lent credence to the idea that Yasser Arafat and his
dictatorial terror tactics are to be blamed for difficulties endured by
Palestinians at checkpoints?

* * *

CONCLUSION:

HonestReporting believes that the media portrayal of U.S. army actions is
legitimate. Yes, soldiers are under intense pressure. Soldiers are
threatened with suicide bombings, and terrorists who disguise themselves
as civilians and use civilian shields. Soldiers are confronting a regime
that encourages its citizens to engage in suicide-terror tactics.

Understandably, the Western media consider the difficulties of wartime
checkpoint ethics, and is therefore prepared to strike a forgiving pose in
the event of accidental civilian deaths.

This yields important conclusions vis-a-vis the media's coverage of
Israel:

1) While the media has consistently portrayed Israeli tactics as
inappropriate, Israeli policy has now apparently been vindicated as
conforming to Western moral standards of combat.

2) The media, it seems, never really objected to the actual tactics...
unless it was Israelis pulling the trigger. When an incident occurs in
Israel, the media's understanding tone simply disappears.

And this, despite the fact that IDF checkpoints are guarding against
hostile entry to civilian -- not military -- populations.

The conclusion is stark: The media employs a double standard against
Israel.

HonestReporting encourages members to monitor coverage of the Iraq war,
insisting that the media apply uniform standards to their Israeli
dispatches.

Thank you for your ongoing involvement in the battle against media bias.

HonestReporting.com

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