ABC's World News omitted Abizaid's rebuttal of McCain's criticism on troop levels
SUMMARY: An ABC World News report on the "tense exchange" between Sen. John McCain and Gen. John Abizaid omitted Abizaid's rebuttal to McCain's assertion that Abizaid had ignored calls for more U.S. troops in Iraq.
During the November 15 broadcast of ABC's World News, ABC News senior national security correspondent Jonathan Karl reported on a "tense exchange" between Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and U.S. Central Command head Gen. John P. Abizaid during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing that day about progress in Iraq but omitted Abizaid's rebuttal to McCain's assertion that Abizaid had ignored calls for more U.S. troops in Iraq.
At the beginning of the segment, Karl stated that Abizaid's position against increasing troop levels in Iraq had "prompted" the "tense" exchange with McCain; however, he did not note that Abizaid directly refuted McCain's accusation that Abizaid had ignored the advice of other top military officials on troop levels necessary to stabilize Iraq. McCain's accusation itself was also cropped out of the exchange, but the report gave no indication of having edited video of the hearing. The report showed the following exchange between McCain and Abizaid:
McCAIN: General Abizaid, is al-Anbar Province under control?
ABIZAID: Al-Anbar Province is not under control, Senator.
McCAIN: Yet, we have enough troops to take care of the problem, which you say Baghdad is the primary area? I don't understand, General. I don't know how many American lives have been sacrificed in al-Anbar Province, but we still have enough, and we will rely on the ability to train the Iraqi military when the Iraqi army hasn't sent the requested number of battalions into Baghdad.
In fact, McCain had asked Abizaid:
McCAIN: Did you note that [retired] General [Anthony] Zinni who opposed of the invasion now thinks that we should have more troops? Did you notice that [retired Maj.] General [John] Batiste, who was opposed to the conduct of this conflict, also says that we may need tens of thousands of additional troops? I don't understand, General. When you have a part of Iraq that is not under our control and yet, we still -- as al-Anbar Province is -- I don't know how many American lives have been sacrificed in al-Anbar Province, but we still have enough, and we will rely on the ability to train the Iraqi military when the Iraqi army hasn't sent the requested number of battalions into Baghdad.
As the weblog Think Progress noted, but Karl did not, Abizaid responded to McCain's statement by saying, "Senator McCain, I met with every divisional commander, General [George] Casey, the core [sic] commander, [Lt.] General [Martin] Dempsey -- we all talked together. And I said, in your professional opinion, if we were to bring in more American troops now, does it add considerably to our ability to achieve success in Iraq? And they all said no." The ABC News report left viewers with the impression that McCain's criticism of Abizaid on troop levels went unanswered during the exchange.
During an October 27 campaign event for Republicans in New Hampshire, McCain proposed sending 20,000 more troops to Iraq, which he said would "mean[] expanding the Army and Marine Corps by as much as 100,000 people." McCain subsequently asserted on the November 12 broadcast of NBC's Meet the Press that "[w]e're either going to lose this thing or win this thing within the next several months." As Media Matters for America has documented, a number of media outlets have ignored significant questions regarding the feasibility of McCain's proposal.
From the November 15 broadcast of ABC's World News with Charles Gibson:
KARL: Just back from Iraq, General Abizaid rejected virtually every major proposal for changing course in Iraq. No timetable for withdrawal; no partition of the country; and no increase in U.S. forces. That prompted this tense exchange with Senator John McCain.
McCAIN: General Abizaid, is al-Anbar Province under control?
ABIZAID: Al-Anbar Province is not under control, Senator.
McCAIN: Yet, we have enough troops to take care of the problem, which you say Baghdad is the primary area? I don't understand, General. I don't know how many American lives have been sacrificed in al-Anbar Province, but we still have enough, and we will rely on the ability to train the Iraqi military when the Iraqi army hasn't sent the requested number of battalions into Baghdad.
KARL: Abizaid said he was encouraged by what he saw while he was in Iraq earlier this week.
McCAIN: Was it encouraging when in broad daylight that -- yesterday or the day before that -- people dressed in police uniforms were able to come in and kidnap 150 people and leave with them and go through checkpoints? I'm, of course, disappointed that, basically, you're advocating the status quo here today, which I think the American people in the last election said that is not an acceptable condition.
ABIZAID: Well, Senator, I agree with you. The status quo is not acceptable. And I don't believe what I'm saying here, today, is the status quo.
KARL: General Abizaid said again and again the solution is increasing the training of Iraqi troops, although time is running out.
SEN. JACK REED (D-RI): General Abizaid, how much time do you think we have to bring down the level of violence in Baghdad before we reach some type of tipping point where it accelerates beyond the control of even the Iraqi government?
ABIZAID: I think it needs to be brought down within the next several months.
REED: Ninety days? Sixty days?
ABIZAID: Four to six months.
REED: Four to six months.
Why wouldn't ABC show the general's comments? What is to gain by ABC for not doing so? Are they so in love with McCain? Are they secretly supporting the next GOP candidate for President? Do they think the American viewer isn't interested? Do they think the American viewer is too stupid to sort out all the information for themselves?
No matter what the answer... one begins to understand that ABC 'news' is not interested in presenting news. It is supporting an agenda.
is the network that produced the piece of fiction back in September about Clinton and 9/11. Not a surprise. Jon Karl used to be the congressional correspondent for CNN. Apparently ABC offered him more money to be shill for them instead of a shill for CNN. Maybe McCain is paying them as well, or just Jon Karl.
THANK YOU. njguy93@yahoo.com
They dont want to make their candidate McCain look bad.
I tend to AGREE with you here. It does appear the media has already coronated McCain. I just can't figure out why :-/
IF McCain is the Republican Presidential nominee in 2008, I won't be voting for him.
I don't think McCain will be the nominee in 2008, but who knows really? I believe he is too much of a hothead and when that surfaces, and it will, he will implode somewhere along the line. No matter how much the media likes or dislikes him
I think he is like Gore - they had their day and their moment and now it has passed. What the Republicans need is brand new blood who embraces true conservatism, not Bush-isms, if they are to win anything.
A Republican candidate who embraces true Republican values? The Republican Party once had a moderate element. The Republicans have driven every moderate away. Once upon a time, the congress contained many moderate Republicans, they weren't all conservatives.
...and they ended up voting for Democrats a few weeks ago. Perhaps, we (the people) need a new 'Moderate' party? Let the fringe freaks have their own red and blue parties... uh... I'm just sayin'.
My problem with McCain, besides the fact that he would take my right to choose away from me is that he is not sincere.
Anyone with any self respect would have distanced himself from the Bushies who treated him the way they did in 2000 in SC. So what does he do? He embrasses the right wing hatemongers. Plus his call for more troops?
He is damaged goods .
John...Hello! You're not paying attention! We just voted and We The People now have a mandate, "political capital" as Bush calls it. It's not for you to define what our mandate is! It's about an Exit From the War Stupid and your calling for “Stay The Course” and a huge increase of troops? It's disgusting that you don't honor the voters mandate but at least you should listen to the Generals on the ground:
Gen. John Abizaid told McCain at The Armed Services Committee of the U.S. Senate that more American troops would give the Iraqis an excuse not to confront the security situation themselves. In response McCain bristled with this comment:
(Republican)Sen. John McCain: "Basically you're advocating the status quo here today which I think the American people in the last election said that is not an acceptable condition for the American people," McCain told Gen. John Abizaid at a congressional hearing Wednesday. "I regret deeply that you seem to think that the status quo and the rate of progress we're making is acceptable. I think most Americans do not." (ps: The General defended himself admirably)
THERE HE GOES AGAIN. McCain is not qualified to define what we the voters were saying at the election. McCain is not only for the Bush "Stay The Course" policy, but he will have us stepping it up substantially.
I'm just one of those voters. I voted for new Democratic leadership and a new direction in Iraq. An exit plan is called for. More votes were cast for Democrats than ever before.
Remember the promise made long, long ago...BUSH said “When They Stand Up We'll Stand Down?" Don't hold you breath for that one. I have a better idea: If They Don't Stand Up Quickly We ReDeploy and begin fighting the real war on terror. We must begin to fight a smarter war where we don't have our poor troops being killed everyday like sitting ducks on a wall.
I”m a Vietnam War Veteran just like McCain and I respect his service to our country but I hope he never becomes our President. ABC obviously supports him.
Take Care .... Sam