Inside today's New York Times (A5 in the national edition), Marc Santora offers "Suicide Bomber Kills 35 in an Attack on Shiite Pilgrims in Iraq" and it's far worse than an earlier version he filed yesterday afternoon. Gape in open mouth wonder at the lede: "A suicide bomber hiding explosives under her garments . . ." You really don't need to go further than that as you picture Marc in front of his TV every Friday night, in hog heaven, while Fox airs Terminator and Dollhouse and he attempts to figure out what it is about violent women that makes his little Marky pop around so wildly.
Here's Timothy Williams and Riyadh Mohammed on January 2nd: "At least 24 tribal leaders who were meeting at the house of an influential Sunni sheik to discuss national reconciliation efforts were killed and as many as 42 others were wounded Friday after a member of the tribe detonated an explosive vest among the guests, government officials said."
Sam Dagher and Mudhafer al-Husaini on January 4th are far into their article (paragraph eight) when they drop this detail, "The man in the coat 'was stuffed with explosives,' the agent said."
Edward Wong June 15, 2005: "A suicide bomber blew himself up on Tuesday in a crowd of retirees lining up to receive their pensions in the northern city of Kirkuk, killing at least 22 people and wounding 80 others, including women and children, police and hospital officials said."
Richard A. Oppel Jr., June 23, 2008, on a female suicide bomber: "The bomber who struck in Baquba, the provincial capital, wore a vest padded with powerful explosives and laced with small projectiles, which appeared to be iron ball bearings, the officials said. The magnitude of the blast raised questions about the sophistication of the bomb, which witnesses described as unusually strong. "
We can do this all day. The point is, Marc Santora really appears to want to peer "under her garments." Male or female, no Iraqi bomber is walking up to their intended target with their explosives in plain sight. If you read the above articles and more from the Times you also hear various Iraqi figure-heads quoted and they'll usually make remarks about female bombers and concealment that offer two things.
1) Refuse to take responsibility for the fact that Iraqi women are covered from head to toe because of the thugs the US installed. Iraqi women did not have to dress like that -- and many did not -- prior to the start of the illegal war. For all the jaw-boning of torture techniques being brought from Afghanistan to Iraq, you'd think some of those 'concerned' types would notice what else got exported. How many Iraqis have been tortured? Even one is too many, that's not the point. The point is the near Burka wardrobe across Iraq effects the daily lives of many more people than does torture. It limits women's movements and it limits their freedoms. And the next time a reporter -- male or female -- feels the need to jot down the remarks about 'concealment' from a 'witness' (some aren't eye witnesses, some are officials), they should ask the gas bag they're speaking to, "Would you support mini-skirts for Iraqi women then? You are aware that this outfit worn currently is part of the curtailment of women's rights, aren't you?"
2) Fear of the vagina. You really have to read about ten reports -- read them in a row -- on female suicide bombers in the Times to get these officials (most quoted are not eye witnesses) going on and on and grasp that their alarmist fear is of vaginas. You can't see! You can't tell what's there! It might have teeth! My poor penis! I don't generally go Freudian here but, read ten articles from the New York Times reporting on a female suicide bomber and see if you don't pick it up if you just zero in on the Iraqi official speaking.
So Marc wants to look at the female bomber and peer "under her garments." How very.
His earlier attempt, where he wasn't attempting to get his jollies, was something I intended to praise this morning. I have no desire to praise a reporter lusting (in print) after his own cheap thrills. Keep it in your pants while reporting, Santora.
Monte Morin (Los Angeles Times) should be advised to do the same. No one has time for their psychosexual dramas. That's what therapy's for, boys.
And if you're really not seeing it, check these two reports from McClatchy. The first, written by sicko Trent Daniels isn't obsessed with beneath the clothes -- that's when the bomber's gender is unknown. The second, when it's known it's a women finds Trent and his co-writer eager to lift the skirt. What a bunch of sick f**ks -- literally.
Since yesterday morning, the following community sites have updated:
Cedric's Big Mix
Roundtable on Iraq
9 hours ago
The Daily Jot
IRAQ ROUNDTABLE
9 hours ago
Mikey Likes It!
Roundtable on Iraq
9 hours ago
Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude
roundtable on iraq
9 hours ago
Thomas Friedman is a Great Man
Iraq Roundtable
9 hours ago
Trina's Kitchen
Iraq roundtable in the Kitchen
9 hours ago
Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills)
Iraq roundtable
9 hours ago
The Common Ills
Iraq roundtable
9 hours ago
SICKOFITRADLZ
Sherrod Brown flying on the people's dime
13 hours ago
Ruth's Report
Iraq
13 hours ago
Oh Boy It Never Ends
Copacabana
13 hours ago
Like Maria Said Paz
An explanation for Siorta
13 hours ago
The first eight listed above are the Iraq roundtable we did last night. The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.
the new york times
marc santora
sam dagher
mudhafer al-husaini
richard a. oppel jr.
edward wong
timothy williams
riyadh mohammed
the los angeles times
monte morin
mcclatchy newspapers
trenton daniel
