Funny how CNN can get smuggled video of protests out of Iran but can't get any from Afghanistan

[NNN0LHI]

Isn't it? I think we are being played for fools by our media. And I don't like that.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5hsTtCP5H30QcszoNkVrIgqFO8jyw

Civilian deaths in Afghanistan spark protests, impatience with continued violence

By Deb Riechmann (CP) – 16 hours ago

KABUL, Afghanistan — Thousands of Afghans shouting "Death to America!" protested the killings of children Thursday, the latest in a string of controversial cases in which international forces have been blamed for civilian deaths.

U.S. Gen. Stanley McChrystal has ordered troops to use airstrikes judiciously and fire cautiously to reduce civilian casualties. Still, each new report of civilians killed unleashes raw emotions that highlight a growing impatience with coalition forces' inability to secure the nation.

There are fears the problem could get worse with 37,000 U.S. and NATO reinforcements already starting to stream into the country as part of a military buildup.

More civilians die at the hands of insurgents, yet any time innocent victims are killed, the Taliban wastes no time in blaming foreign troops.

[spanone]

1. the media has played us for fools since 911.

[bluescribbler]

3. The media has played us for fools since,

"Day 273 of the captivity of Americans in Iran". That's how we got stuck with Saint Ronnie, and they've been playing us for fools ever since.

[KansDem]

6. Yeah, I remember those days...

"Day xyz: America Held Hostage!"--complete with the standard photos of blindfolded Americans surrounded by wild-eyed Iranians.

After seeing/hearing that a couple hundred times, Carter never had a chance...

[Joanne98]

2. Or Honduras which is in the EXACT same sitution as Iran.

Some protesters are better than others I guess.

[StarfarerBill]

4. Iranian protests serve US geopolitical interests (so they think); Afghan protests don't.

I'm sure the bigheads in the White House, the Pentagon, the CIA, and of course the oil industry think/hope they can direct the Iranian uprising so that a regime friendly to our local interests can take the place of the current Islamist state; so the corporate media is ordered to play these protests up.

The Afghan protests, on the other hand, are against our occupation primarily and so have to be downplayed and discredited whenever possible.

[anonymous171]

9. If the protests turn really nationalist, I could see the US doing on a 180 on it

[StarfarerBill]

13. That would depend on whether the nationalists would want to do business with our corporations.

If yes, they're our buddies; if no, they take the place of the Islamist regime in the Axis O' Evil.

[thereismore]

5. I saw Obama's effigy burning in Afghanistan on English Al Jazeera. nt

[EFerrari]

7. Or from Honduras.

[Xithras]

8. To be fair, there's a huge difference between Afghanistan and Iran.

Iran is a modern country with a modern communications infrastructure, where cell phone cameras, Internet access, and blogging are just as common as anywhere in the western world. Iran also permits foreign media to maintain offices in its major cities, so long as they aren't actively reporting against the government. Afghanistan, in contrast, is a bombed out shell of a nation where only a handful of people have Internet access, cellphones are nonexistent, and home computers are unheard of. It's also a nation where press access is highly limited by terrain, infrastructure, war, and government restrictions.

So, yeah, there's a difference.

[Brickbat]

10. This.

I was going to post the same thing.

[Flaneur]

16. There are cell phones in Afghanistan. At least there were in 2005.

I expect there are more now.

[Artie Bucco]

11. Hell yeah some protesters are better than others.

The Iranian protesters are getting played up because they are good looking, affluent, middle class kids and many of them speak English. Not that I am knocking their bravery but for the news outlets they make for much better journalism than some poor angry Afghans.

[HughMoran]

12. Not to defend the media or imbalanced coverage, but Iran is a modern country with thousands of video

capable citizens. I would guess that Afghanistan has a much lower number of available video sources. Both places have limited official media coverage due to the dangers.

On the other hand, here's an image from MSNBC taken during a similar protest last week:



Afghans shout ‘death to Obama’ over killings

ASADABAD, Afghanistan - The head of a presidential delegation investigating the deaths of 10 people in eastern Afghanistan concluded Wednesday that civilians — including schoolchildren — were killed in an attack involving foreign troops, but NATO officials disputed that.

NATO spokesman Col. Wayne Shanks said in a statement NATO has no direct evidence to substantiate the Afghan probe's findings, and the international force has requested an immediate joint investigation to find out what happened.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34629216/ns/world_news-south_and_central_asia/

[NNN0LHI]

14. But our country isn't occupying Iran like we USA is occupying Afghanistan

I would think in a country we are currently occupying CNN would have crews covering the news there every day.

Unless things weren't going so good maybe?

Don

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

15. The Iranians aren't protesting children blown up by the Taliban then blaming the U.S.

:shrug: