Stumble It!
Bypassing the nattering narratives of negativity
"Soldiers on the ground e-mailed this snap of warm greetings from some of Iraq's women and children," reports Drudge. Update: Reader Eric K identifies the soldier as Sgt H. at Abu Hassan village 11 October 2003, credit SSG K.
"The internet has been acting as an unofficial clearing-house for all sorts of unapproved images of conflict in Iraq," writes the BBC's Robert Plummer:
When the shocking images depicting the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by US troops began to surface, it became clear that many of them were amateur pictures, apparently taken by soldiers using their own private digital cameras.
The internet also played a role in the distribution of the photographs, highlighting the ease with which troops serving in Iraq can now send pictures to friends and relatives back home.
Many of these are quite innocuous, the equivalent of the snaps taken by tourists abroad. But whatever the content, the images are not subject to any kind of military censorship and are transmitted freely back to the US.
In his testimony to congressional committees, Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld indicated that the flood of pictures was now beyond the US authorities' control.
Such unfettered flow of digital imagery can work both ways, of course, sometimes bypassing the mainstream media's nattering narratives of negativity. Notes Drudge in a special report this morning:
ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF A DIGITAL CAMERA: SOLDIER AS HERO TO FREED IRAQIS
Here's an image you will not see in the NEW YORKER or on 60 MINUTES:
An American soldier welcomed as a hero in Iraq!
As the world's satellites and printing presses await fresh images of troop horrors and abuse, soldiers on the ground e-mailed this snap of warm greetings from some of Iraq's women and children.
I have similar pictures of my son, a Lieutenant in the 1st AD, with an Iraqi family with the father, wife and daughter. In one picture my son stands between the two women one arm around each. They are film pictures not digital, so I can't send them.
Posted by: Peter Koren | May 11, 2004 at 09:40 AM
I can picture them in my mind's eye and am touched that you are sharing your son's experience with me and my readers. Thank you so much, Mr. Koren. And special thanks to your son for his courageous service to our country.
Posted by: Sissy Willis | May 11, 2004 at 09:45 AM
Could all the "bloggers" request pictures (from anyone that has them) to send those pictures to their Internet favorite web site. Surely, we are taking pictures of the good work our Americans, both civilian and military, do all over the world. Perhaps we could overwhelm the traditional media outlets with positive pictures to counteract the 24/7 bombardment of these terrible images. Maybe the world will never love us, but Americans need to be reminded that there is a great deal more to be proud of than ashamed.
Posted by: A Soldier's Mom | May 11, 2004 at 12:15 PM
I am glad you posted this. I hope it's a reminder that the newsworthy images we are seeing now will pass. Just like there were when Iraq fell and since then, happy images will return to the airwaves and paper.
Posted by: A new reader | May 11, 2004 at 01:59 PM
Photo of Sgt H. at Abu Hassan village 11 October 2003, credit SSG K. Thanks for running it.
Posted by: SSG K | May 11, 2004 at 03:09 PM
Wasn't Teddy K on TV just yesterday making a speech about how we weren't really greeted with flowers, as liberators?
Aren't those fuschia-colored things flowers?
Posted by: Charlie (Colorado) | May 11, 2004 at 03:30 PM
A Soldier's Mom, you make me want to do something so much bigger than myself. I am going to sleep on it and get back to you in the morning.
Posted by: Sissy Willis | May 11, 2004 at 06:48 PM
this site is using a similar photo that Sisu uses in its masthead. This is b.s. http://patmix.typepad.com
Posted by: sharon | May 11, 2004 at 11:23 PM
A soldier's mom: A lot of people in the world like the Americans, or admire them, or feel good about the USA, but there's a world-wide conspiracy by a lot of media all over, to permanently attack your country. Of course, this world-wide PC slandering campaign is orquestrated and led by the US media. For instance, a lot of people in Mexico would hesitate to say good things about the US or defend her against slander in public, because the media has created this lynching atmosphere in which you can not think freely, you will be mocked, or insulted, dismissed as a right-wing monster...you know the script. But, at the very same time, in private conversations, a big amount of Mexicans would talk even affectionately about the US, but always trying not to be so un-PC, looking over the shoulder, to put it figuratively. A big percentage of the problem originates with the media. Bunch of **********
Posted by: Miguel | May 12, 2004 at 03:25 AM