Columnist Hails 'Surge' In Iraq -- Paper Does Not Disclose His Brother Was One of its Architects

[cal04]

Columnist Hails 'Surge' In Iraq -- Paper Does Not Disclose His Brother Was One of its Architects

The Washington Post published an opinion piece on Sunday hailing the success of the "surge" of U.S. troops in Iraq and harshly criticizing reporters for not doing the same, or at least covering alleged major advances in that country. It failed to disclose, however, that the author of the column, Robert Kagan, is the brother of the man who has been called an architect of the "surge" idea.

Robert Kagan's bio with the Post column reveals that he is a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and that his latest book is "Dangerous Nation," a history of American foreign policy. It does not disclose that his brother is Frederick Kagan, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, whose AEI report, "Choosing Victory: A Plan for Success in Iraq," reportedly had a very strong influence on the White House in crafting its "surge" idea.

Robert Kagan's column today opens: "A front-page story in The Post last week suggested that the Bush administration has no backup plan in case the surge in Iraq doesn't work. I wonder if The Post and other newspapers have a backup plan in case it does.

"Leading journalists have been reporting for some time that the war was hopeless, a fiasco that could not be salvaged by more troops and a new counterinsurgency strategy. The conventional wisdom in December held that sending more troops was politically impossible after the antiwar tenor of the midterm elections. It was practically impossible because the extra troops didn't exist. Even if the troops did exist, they could not make a difference.


http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003556749

[MADem]

1. Say, let's have a contest!!!! Write the WAPO a note!!!

[e-mail]

I'll start (the subject line gets the putzes to OPEN the mail):

Subj: That WONDERFUL work on Building 18 at Walter Reed

That WONDERFUL work on Building 18 at Walter Reed has been undone by the news that you published a laudatory article on the SURGE written by the brother of the surge's architect, without disclosing that slightly important fact.

It's kind of like your food editor rating KFC as the best chicken joint, without mentioning she's screwing the Colonel on the side...

Heckuva job, there, Brownies!

[MasonJar]

2. This is my answer to any Kagans out there: this is an illegal and preemptive

war waged for no legitimate reason and a deadly one at that. We need to get out and recompense the Iraqis for all the harm we have done to their families and their country.

[malaise]

3. I've come to the conclusion that for this government

and it's hacks in the media, it's always on to the next lie or new spin. They don't even pause when they're caught and exposed. They are fugging shameless.

[HereSince1628]

4. He's also one of the few third generation Neocons.

His family is and has long been in the thick of it.