Diane Sawyer: Out of nowhere tonight, a brewing storm. An Army general in Iraq has issued an order to his troops which makes getting pregnant a punishable offense for the man and the woman involved. Four women and three men have already been reprimanded -- the four women sent home. And Kate Snow has found that there's a fiery debate on both sides.
Kate Snow: There sure is, Diane. When you join the US military, you give up certain individual rights -- no gambling, for example, no proselytizing and now, if you are under the command of Maj Gen Tony Cucolo, for the first time, he has a rule: No getting pregnant. The new rule applies to about 22,000 soldiers stationed in northern Iraq. It is very specific. "Becoming pregnant or impregnating a soldier is prohibited and punishable.
Maj Gen Tony Cucolo: The message to my female soldiers is they are absolutely invaluable. I need them for the entire duration of this deployment. My female soldiers are some of my most brilliant. I do not want to lose anyone.
Kate Snow: We spoke with General Cucolo on a conference call with other reporters
General Tony Cucolo: I realize it might be hard for those who have never served in a military unit. I knew there would be public interest and I am find with that, that's Americans. I've got to take every measure to preserve my combat power.
Eugene Fidell: This general has the power, as a commander, to issue what are called general orders, which are binding on everybody and I think this is a valid order.
NOW president Terry O'Neill: Well it may be his perogative to be dumb but that's really not a very good idea.
Kate Snow: The head of the National Organization for Women [NOW] said she's sending a letter to the president, asking the commander in chief to overturn the policy. A group of female senators today also sent a protest letter to the Secretary of the Army.
NOW president Terry O'Neill: The one thing that is insulting and demeaning to women would be to punish women for getting pregnant. That doesn't help and-and it in fact demeans our female soldiers.
Kate Snow: We talked to the National Organization of Women this afternoon and they're inflamed about this.
Gen Cucolo: I got it. Here's the deal. I am the one responsible and accountable. The National Organization for Women is not. Critics are not. I have to accomplish a very complex mission.
Kate Snow: Those punished so far had a letter of reprimand placed in their file which could effect future promotions. Gen Cucolo told us he never intends to put anyone in jail or court-martial a pregnant soldier or father even though technically he could. Or he could dock pay. Or reassign people. The policy does raise a lot of questions. Would female soldiers in his command be more likely to seek abortions?
Gen Tony Cucolo: First, it's my soldier's choice. The only pressure I want them to feel is to feel commitment to their team.
Kate Snow: On Facebook and online chat rooms, we found talk of teamwork and support for the general even from women currently serving. ". . . the women in my unit wholeheartedly support this. . ." said one post. "We are tired of being lumped in with the women who are not taking proper care to not become [pregnant]" non-deployable. One former female soldier said to me today, pregnancy used to be a get-out-of-jail free card only available to women so in her view this policy actually makes women and men more equal now, Diane.
Diane Sawyer: But you're not saying that there was no criticism from inside --
Kate Snow: I'm certainly not saying that.
Diane Sawyer: -- the military?
Kate Snow: No, no. We scanned online, there is both. There are men and women in the military thinking this is a bad policy.
Diane Sawyer: But if he is the only general in Iraq with this policy is he going to be forced to back down?
Kate Snow: Not so far. He was asked about that. There were four other generals commanding in Iraq. None of them have contacted him and he said no one above his level has contacted him to complain about anything. We noted in the piece that there are senators trying to change this and asking the White House to change it. Today the White House had no comment.
Where to start? How about with the media's hard on for Eugene Fidell? The man is no "expert." First off, his 'opinion' has changed repeatedly since Saturday. Second off, when is he ever right? Excuse the hell out of me but I believe I outlined the Constitutional issues in Ehren Watada's case when Fidell was all over the media insisting they didn't exist. That's not to praise me. That is to say, if I know it a supposed, alleged expert damn well should. But Eugene Fidell does not know the Constitution and, sadly for Eugene, he lives in America where the Constitution is the supreme law of the land. Eugene has been consistently wrong throughout the Iraq War with every, EVERY, 'expert' opinion he has given the media.
If there's any reason at all to use him by the media, it should be confined to print and radio where we don't have to see his jowls flapping around making him look like a blow fish. Try to remember, some families are eating when the evening news is on. No one needs to see that pink and pasty blow fish on their TV screens.
Second of all, Kate Snow, senators send a letter to the president objecting to a policy? Don't you damn well get that it's your job to tell the viewers what the letter said? Is that beyond your capability, you stupid whore for the military brass? This was not reporting, Kate Snow's bulls**t should never have aired. It was one-sided to the extreme.
"I got it," Cucolo insists when clearly he doesn't. "Here's the deal. I am the one responsible and accountable. The National Organization for Women is not. Critics are not. I have to accomplish a very complex mission." No, General Jerk Off, here's the deal. You are NOT responsible. You are ANSWERABLE. The military is under civilian control and, pay attention Kate Snow & Eugene Fidell, that does include the control of the Congress. Cucolo appears to believe he is both God and Bwana and all the people of the village will gather around and do his bidding. He's come off as crazy as Marlon Brando's character in Apocalypse Now.
Kate Snow insists:
On Facebook and online chat rooms, we found talk of teamwork and support for the general even from women currently serving. ". . . the women in my unit wholeheartedly support this. . ." said one post. "We are tired of being lumped in with the women who are not taking proper care to not become [pregnant]" non-deployable. One former female soldier said to me today, pregnancy used to be a get-out-of-jail free card only available to women so in her view this policy actually makes women and men more equal now, Diane.
Kate can't even quote correctly. I've put "pregnant" in brackets because that is the quote (as shown on screen) but Kate's saying "non-deployable." That's (a). (B) I know Kate's research -- she didn't do it on her own kids -- and I know she chose NOT to include objections online. She didn't forget, she chose NOT to. She made the decision to slant the story, it was a decision on her part and if you think I'm being rough on her please note that we have a "work safe policy" here which prevents me from really letting loose and please note that no such policy exists in the ABC newsroom where Kate Snow was called every name in the book -- and deservedly so.
Kate didn't do any research herself (and we can come back to that). But she did cherry pick through the research she was walked through in order to highlight only statements that agreed with the general. It was so bad that Diane had to ask her at the end if she was saying that there was no objection within the military.
"I'm certainly not saying that," insisted Kate Snow when, in fact, her entire report said that.
Let's talk about how unprepared she was. Not only did she alter a quote because she didn't know what it said, but she also couldn't get NOW's name correct. Speaking to Cucolo she calls it "National Organization of Women" and he, HE, gets it right. He knows it's the National Organization for Women. And she's the reporter.
What an idiot.
She also lied -- Luiz and Sarah get what the Idiot Kate doesn't, read their article -- that he's not backing down (asked by Diane, she responds, "Not so far."). How stupid is Kate Snow? How determined is she to spit-polish the military brass with her tongue?
On Saturday, Cucolo could be heard on BBC Radio (I heard him) bragging about his new order and how he would court-martial soldiers. Now he's had to walk away from that. A point that not only Luiz and Sarah get but also Rebecca Santana (AP). It's only Kate Snow, who was too busy getting her nails done to do her job yesterday, who's confused.
"A group of female senators today also sent a protest letter to the Secretary of the Army," said Kate Snow and that's all she said. No quote from the letter (but she'll quote anonymous chatter on the internet), no identification of the senators. That's not reporting. That is whoring and hopefully her new nail job will help her in that field because it certainly didn't help her yesterday with journalism.
We noted the letter in full in yesterday's snapshot. Here it is again:
December 22, 2009
The Honorable John McHugh
Secretary of the Army
101 Army Pentagon
Washington, DC 20310-0101
Dear Secretary McHugh:
It has come to our attention that Major General Anthony Cucolo III -- the Commander of Multi-National Division-North, Iraq -- has implemented a stricter policy that criminalizes pregnancy for members of the United States Armed Forces under his command and for others "serving with, employed by, or accompanying" the military. While we fully understand and appreciate the demands facing both commanders and service members in Iraq, we believe this policy is deeply misguided and must be immediately rescinded.
Under the policy, it is possible to face punishment, including imprisonment, for "becoming pregnant, or impregnating a Soldier, while assigned to the Task Force Marne" Area of Operations. The policy even extends to married couples jointly serving in the warzone.
Although Major General Cucolo stated today that a pregnant soldier would not necessarily be punished by court-martialunder this policy, we believe the threat of criminal sanctions in the case of pregnancy goes far beyond what is needed to maintain good order and discipline. This policy could encourage female soldiers to delay seeking critical medical care with potentially serious consequences for mother and child.
This policy also undermines efforts to enhance benefits and services so that dual military couples can continue to serve. We can think of no greater deterrent to women contemplating a military career than the image of a pregnant woman being severely punished simply for conceiving a child. This defies comprehension.
As such, we urge you to immediately rescind this policy. Thank you for your prompt consideration of this most important request, and for your continued commitment to our men and women in uniform.
Sincerely,
Barbara Boxer
United States Senator
Jeanne Shaheen
United States Senator
Kirsten E. Gillibrand
United States Senator
Barbara A. Mikulski
United States Senator
Then why the hell did she do the story? If she can't handle journalism, find a reality show for her to host but don't inflict her on viewers of ABC World News Tonight.
On Facebook and online chat rooms, we found talk of teamwork and support for the general even from women currently serving. ". . . the women in my unit wholeheartedly support this. . ." said one post. "We are tired of being lumped in with the women who are not taking proper care to not become [pregnant]" non-deployable. One former female soldier said to me today, pregnancy used to be a get-out-of-jail free card only available to women so in her view this policy actually makes women and men more equal now, Diane.
Why would women say that? Because there's a stereotype that women get pregnant to get out of service. That's a false stereotype and, in reality, it's no more common than straight males announcing they are gay in the hopes of being discharged. Instead of exploring that stereotype, Kate just endorses it. Now there are women who say yes to the policy and women who say no and you can go through this American Women Veterans Facebook thread and find both. (Or you can be like Kate and just pick the ones you agree with.) But what the policy plays into is a lot of hostility towards women and what you're hearing in what Kate Snow quoted is frustration women have with the system and their mistaken belief that it's "all" these women getting pregnant to get out of the military who are hurting their own chances to advance. No, girls, you're being lied to yet again. You're accepting a false stereotype that exists to turn you against other women and to blame other women instead of blaming a command culture that refuses -- despite multiple Senate investigations -- to move into the 20th Century even now as we are in the 21st one.
Credit to Diane Sawyer for both making time for the issue on the newscast and for being more aware of the report than Kate Snow was (but the nails looked fabulous, baby!). If you were disappointed in the way Snow chose to use her time, grasp that there's no word I haven't heard applied to her since last night from ABC News friends. She's a joke and, honestly, it's looking like she's a dirty one.
We'll close with this from Sherwood Ross' "NO CHANCE PRESIDENT OBAMA'S WAR IN AFGHANISTAN WILL SUCCEED" (Free of State):
"There isn't the slightest possibility that the course laid out by Barack Obama in his Dec. 1 speech (at West Point) will halt or even slow the downward spiral toward defeat in Afghanistan," writes Thomas Johnson in the current "Foreign Policy" magazine. And for emphasis, he adds the word "None."
"The U.S. president and his advisors labored for three months and brought forth old wine in bigger bottles," Johnson goes on to write, noting, "The speech contained not one single new idea or approach, nor offered any hint of new thinking about a conflict that everyone now agrees the United States is losing."
Author Johnson is no armchair admiral. He is a professor of national security affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., a man who has conducted his own on-site investigation in Afghanistan.
Also referring to the President's West Point address, The Nation magazine editorialized that Obama failed to explain why his goal to "disrupt, dismantle and defeat" Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan "requires 100,000 troops at a cost of nearly $100 billion. By the military's own calculation, there are at most 100 Al Qaeda operatives, mostly low-level, in Afghanistan, the leadership having fled to Pakistan years ago."
Even as the Afghan war bids to become the longest in U.S. history, "The Nation" adds:
"The undeniable fact is that eight years of US occupation and war have led to a growing insurgency, fueled by anger at one of the world's most corrupt governments, run mostly by former and not-so-former warlords who were installed by the United States after 9/11. Many of these warlords are deeply involved in the opium trade, among them the brother of Hamid Karzai, the president, who was re-elected only through massive fraud."
March 20th there's a DC action being called by A.N.S.W.E.R. and others.
The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.
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