She sounds like a comic book character, some descendant of Dale Messick's comic strip Brenda Starr.
If only she was as dedicated to her trade as the fictional Brenda Starr.
Starr's paid for CNN but anyone who knows her body of work would be right in countering that she actually works for the US military brass.
If there's a message to be put out, Starr's the go-to.
She will report it without questioning it -- on air or in text.
The attempt to retake Mosul from the Islamic State was supposed to start next month.
Despite the White House spending over one billion dollars since the start of August on their Iraq 'plan,' the Iraqi military is still not ready.
Some would argue it would never be ready and point to the five years of training that led up to Nouri's attack on Basra -- and Sadr City in Baghdad -- in 2008 which saw massive desertion on the part of the Iraqi military (understandable in that many did not want to take party in killing other Iraqis) and would have failed completely had the US military not assisted.
But the plan is now to attempt to retake Mosul in the summer (that's the public plan, the White House is hoping that spring will be a possibility).
And late Friday night, Barbara Starr filed a report on this noting that the military brass was telling her that US 'advisors' might be put on the front lines. She types:
The possible recommendation would need to be approved by President Barack Obama, who has said that U.S. troops will not be sent on a combat mission. But putting advisers with front-line Iraqi troops puts American troops in close range of what is likely to be an intense battle with the terror group.
[. , ,]
Obama has been adamant that no U.S. troops will be put into direct ground combat in Iraq.
In
a speech to troops in September, Obama said, "The American forces that
have been deployed to Iraq do not and will not have a combat mission.
They will support Iraqi forces on the ground as they fight for their own
country against these terrorists."
Except for the fact that war is good for CNN's ratings (and sometimes its reputation), I have no idea why they let her type this nonsense.
Maybe CNN's employing psy-ops officers yet again?
Or maybe she's remembering she's a "TV reporter" and not a real one and has to play up the drama -- whether it's reality based or not.
Yes, Barack has said what Barbara repeats.
And if this 'report' was coming out in September, you could argue tired Babs had done her work.
But it's coming out in January.
A month after the White House sent US Secretary of State John Kerry to argue, December 9th, before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that Congress must pass an authorization for Barack's actions in Iraq and Syria and that this legislation must include that Barack can send US combat troops into Iraq.
Secretary of State John Kerry: However, while we certainly believe this is the soundest policy, and while the president has been clear he's open to clarifications on the use of U.S. combat troops to be outlined in an AUMF, that does not mean we should preemptively bind the hands of the commander in chief oo or our commanders in the field -- in responding to scenarios and contingencies that are impossible to foresee.
Where is that in Barbara's report?
No where to be found.
When Kerry's statements are acknowledged, they tend to be put off as Kerry's desires -- as though he could be Secretary of State, request Congress do something the president is against and continue to hold his post.
That wouldn't happen.
When Vice President Joe Biden gets too far out ahead of Barack -- even on policy matters on which the two are in agreement -- the White House makes a point to publicly reel Joe back in.
John Kerry did not go rogue. He was speaking on behalf of the White House.
It's interesting that Barbara Starr thinks she can 'report' (repeat) that US troops may be on the front lines in the effort to retake Mosul but she doesn't feel compelled to note that the White House is asking Congress to write an authorization -- still not written -- that would allow them to send US troops into on the ground combat in Iraq.
Still not written.
Maybe if people knew better what the White House was asking Congress for, they'd get motivated and start informing their elected representatives that they were not going to support US forces being involved in on the ground combat in Iraq?
Barbara really works for the Pentagon so it's not in her interest to alert the people to what's actually news and what actually effects their lives.
CNN only wins a ratings war when they've got a war to cover (or a disaster).
So it's not in CNN's interest to alert the people about what the White House is requesting.
Now you can be sure that if the Authorization for the Use of Military Force is passed on Monday and includes combat forces, CNN will show up on Tuesday to jaw bone about it and what does it mean and maybe even toss out one person offering opposition to the done deed.
But while it could be stopped, while people could exercise their power in a democracy to say no?
CNN's more than thrilled to run Barbara Starr's meaningless crap.
It's over, I'm done writing songs about love
There's a war going on
So I'm holding my gun with a strap and a glove
And I'm writing a song about war
And it goes
Na na na na na na na
I hate the war
Na na na na na na na
I hate the war
Na na na na na na na
I hate the war
Oh oh oh oh
-- "I Hate The War" (written by Greg Goldberg, on The Ballet's Mattachine!)
The number of US service members the Dept of Defense states died in the Iraq War is [PDF format warning] 4494.
The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.
iraq
i hate the war
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