WP Reporter: Israelis Left Rockets Intact, Endangering Civilians to Help War PR

Thanks to the readers that brought this to our attention. Earlier today, Thomas Ricks, Pentagon reporter for The Washington Post and author of the new book "Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq" was interviewed on CNN by Howard Kurtz. According to the official CNN transcript, the following jaw-dropping conversation took place:

KURTZ: All right, Matthew Chance, stand by, thank you for that report. We will come back to you.

And joining us now here Washington Anne Compton who covers the White House for ABC News, and Thomas Ricks, Pentagon reporter for "The Washington Post" and author of the new book "Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq."

Tom Ricks, you've covered a number of military conflicts, including Iraq, as I just mentioned. Is civilian casualties increasingly going to be a major media issue? In conflicts where you don't have two standing armies shooting at each other?

THOMAS RICKS, REPORTER, "THE WASHINGTON POST": I think it will be. But I think civilian casualties are also part of the battlefield play for both sides here. One of the things that is going on, according to some military analysts, is that Israel purposely has left pockets of Hezbollah rockets in Lebanon, because as long as they're being rocketed, they can continue to have a sort of moral equivalency in their operations in Lebanon.

KURTZ: Hold on, you're suggesting that Israel has deliberately allowed Hezbollah to retain some of it's fire power, essentially for PR purposes, because having Israeli civilians killed helps them in the public relations war here?

RICKS: Yes, that's what military analysts have told me.

KURTZ: That's an extraordinary testament to the notion that having people on your own side killed actually works to your benefit in that nobody wants to see your own citizens killed but it works to your benefit in terms of the battle of perceptions here.

RICKS: Exactly. It helps you with the moral high ground problem, because you know your operations in Lebanon are going to be killing civilians as well.

**

KURTZ: Tom Ricks, "The New York Times" reported the other day, quote, "Israel is now fighting to win the battle of perceptions," which to me says the battle of headlines. And, in fact, an Israeli cabinet minister was quoted, not by name, as saying, "That the narrative at the end, is part of the problem." I'm starting to hear echoes of Iraq.

RICKS: Echoes of Iraq, yes. But also the Israelis are very sophisticated in their handling of the media. They consider it part of the battlefield, officially. The word "narrative" always comes up with conversations with Israeli national security officials. They consider shaping the narrative, the battle for the narrative, to be key as part of any war fighting. So they see the media as part of the battlefield. And, in fact, there's some belief from our reporters that they have occasionally targeted the media.

Comments

[Joe Gelman]

I'm not shocked that there is a nutcase out there working for the Washington Post, I am shocked however that Kurtz allowed this type of nonsense to air on his program without a much stronger expression of dismay on his part. Kurtz is a little weak, but I know he has not anti-Israel agenda like a few others I could mention.
Joe Gelman

[shlemazl]

"Yes, that's what military analysts have told me." Is this guy taking advice from Hezbollah or Al-Qaeda?

[Bill Faith]

I linked from Old War Dogs >> al-WaPo reporter: WP Reporter: Israelis Left Rockets Intact, Endangering Civilians to Help War PR. I'm too stunned to offer any appropriate commentary.

[chrisse]

Let's just hope we are beginning to see the downfall of the media's reliability with the fallout of doctored photographs. Then there's the Reuter's story that Lebanon had rejected the US/France UN proposal for a ceasefire - apparently it wasn't from the Lebanese government at all.

[N. Paneth]

Anyone who knows anything about the Israeli military would recognize the falsity of these speculations that some Hezbollah rocket launchers have been left intact to harm Israeli civilians. In an army full of civilians from every walk of life, whose own families would be put at risk, such a cynical ploy would immediately be snuffed out. It is unfortunate that was passes here for military intelligence suggests complete lack of insight into the Israeli military mind.

[czekmark`]

Obviously, Ricks is either a Islamic shill and/or an anti-semitic. What he is doing is known as projection because it is the muslims that continuously sacrifice their people for their cause.

[gordo]

Ricks is saying basically, "... the Jews caused 9/11."

[John E.]

This really surprises me on two counts. First, the charge against the Israelis is so bizarre as to be beyond belief. Second, I've found Ricks to be for the most part a thorough, professional, and reliable military reporter (I'm a former Army PAO; I spoke with him on a few occasions when he was working stories that involved my MACOM). Has he gone off the deep end?

I'm guessing he's taking some wild speculation from some "analysts," who, after all, don't necessarily (or usually) have first-hand knowledge. Some retired colonel or some Brookings military guy is probably making a crazy guess about what Israel might be doing, and Ricks gives it equally crazy emphasis.

This is not like him.

[anonymoose]

> RICKS: Yes, that's what military analysts have told me

RICKS CANNOT NAME THE "MILITARY ANALYSTS" HE ALLEGEDLY SPOKE TO, BECAUSE HE MADE IT UP.

The only "analysts" he talked to were in offices with nice couches and doctor of psychiatry degrees on the wall.

[S Silverstein]

Chrisse wrote: Anyone who knows anything about the Israeli military would recognize the falsity of these speculations that some Hezbollah rocket launchers have been left intact to harm Israeli civilians. In an army full of civilians from every walk of life, whose own families would be put at risk, such a cynical ploy would immediately be snuffed out. It is unfortunate that was passes here for military intelligence suggests complete lack of insight into the Israeli military mind.

Brilliant, but too nuanced and evolved for little minds like Ricks' to comprehend. In Ricks' world, though, when he hears hoofbeats, he thinks not of horses, not of zebras even, but of unicorns.

The man is demented. What other crap has he foisted on the journalistic universe?

I agree with other posters. Mr. Ricks, start naming your "military analyst" sources. I think you're a liar.

[Shelby]

In addition to the comments above, note the last paragraph quoted, about targeting journalists. How is that supposed to advance Israel's "narrative"? Is he saying Israel is attempting to kill journos to intimidate them into taking a pro-Israeli line? Or is it something else? A bit too bizarre for me to fathom....

[Patrick R. Sullivan]

What amazes me about this is that almost no one has picked up on it. Rush Limbaugh hasn't said a thing about it yet.

Contrast all the attention Mel Gibson's slurs on Jews got with the almost total lack of coverage of Ricks' far worse slander.

[Patrick R. Sullivan]

I take it back, Rush is now talking about it. In his second hour. To me this a much bigger story than some Hezbollah connected photographer doctoring photos on Reuters, which Rush spent the first hour beating to death.

[pst314]

Un-named military analyst? How convenient that he is un-named. Anybody, no matter how ignorant or crazy or dishonest, can call himself a military analyst...and unfortunately can find a journalist eager to quote him.

[Brooklyn]

VP,

I just want to bring one more crackhead into this equation. Check this out it is from CAMERA's site:

http://camera.org/index.asp?x_context=3&x_outlet=14&x_article=1172

It is about CNN International anchor Rosemary Church who also believes that the Israeli's have the power to stop inbound katyushas but they don't want to b/c then they will lose legitimacy.

[Hilik]

Well I must say I'm shocked to read what some reporters writing especially THOMAS RICKS, REPORTER, THE WASHINGTON POST.
It's just clearly show these people has no any clue or knowledge about Israeli/Jewish sociaty.
We the Israeli very much care about any lifes.
It's very sick to think that we will sacrifice any lifes for propoganda porpuses, or targeting
media.
Abviously the porpuse of writing such twisting and sick thoughts
to domonize Israel.
This is not our way it's against our believe.

[435yset35]

Worried about the loss of erectoin? EVEN if you have no
erectoin problems SOFT CIA8LIS would help you to bring
back some romantic moments that u lost in past.

Just disolve half a pil under your tongue and get ready for action
in 15 minutes. SOFT CIASLIS! It makes your lovemaking incredible!

VISIT US TODAY, AND GET OUR SPECIAL 70% DISCVOUNT OFER!

[b][url=http://23qu7w8r8xqm43kdpkkv7kkk.taishoje.st/?rew343qs]Buy now[/url]

Instant shipping worldwide. Absolutely CONFIDENTIAL and SECURE purchase.