A Top U.S. General in Iraq Blames Public's Antiwar Views on the Media
E&PSeptember 21, 2007
NEW YORK Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, commander of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division, said Thursday, back in the U.S. on leave at Fort Stewart, that the war in Iraq is "a winnable mission" if the the media would only cooperate.
"If the American people are informed properly," Lynch told reporters after he arrived home on leave, "I believe they will be supportive of the mission. But they're not getting the right story. As a result, they're anti the war."
The media use a "filter" that downplays information about American successes: "All I'm seeing when I watch TV ... is the bad news and not the good news."
After listing severall alleged signs of progress, Lynch said, "But you never see that by watching Fox, CNN and NBC....
"We would not have put soldiers in harm's way if we didn't think this was a winnable mission," he said.
"If you're getting your news from the national media, you're not getting the whole picture. To say you support soldiers, but not the war is just silly. I believe Americans, if they knew everything, would be supporting the mission."
The Savannah Morning News and local TV stations carried his remarks.