The Washington Times
  • Subscribe
  • Times News Services
  • RSS
  • Mobile Headlines
  • e-edition
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • REGISTER
  • LOG IN
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • WELCOME
  • Your Profile
  • Log Out
  • Front Page Image
  • Classifieds
  • Autos
  • Real Estate
  • Jobs
  • Special Sections
  • Customer Service
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Sports
    • NFL
    • NBA/WNBA
    • MLB
    • NHL
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Motorsports
    • Soccer
    • NCAA
    • Olympics
    • Outdoors
    • Other
  • Culture
    • Home & Living
    • Family & Kids
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Washington Visitors
    • Books
    • Military History
    • Life
    • Auto
    • TV Listings
    • Movie Listings
    • Death Notices
    • Entertainment
  • Themes
  • Communities
  • Marketplace
    • Autos
    • Jobs
    • Real Estate
    • Classifieds
    • Shopping
    • Dining Out
    • Education
    • TWT Store
  • Videos
    • Two Guys
    • Birnbaum on Washington
    • Liz Glover
    • Amanda Carpenter
    • Morning Briefing
    • Documentaries
    • Joe Giganti
    • Video Game Minute
  • Podcasts
    • About Headlines
    • Audio and Radio
    • America's Morning News
  • National

    DAVIS: Yankee hater finds love for team

  • National

    Late-season hurricane heads toward Gulf

  • Politics

    Abortion a main issue in health debate

  • Sports

    Redskins still going south

  • World

    Ex-Soviet Union struggles with Democracy

  • Politics

    Health bill faces roadblocks in Senate

  • Politics

    Lieberman vows probe of Hood rampage

Saturday, August 28, 2004

Week in Review

Rate this story

Average 0.00
after 0 votes
Login or register to rate this story

  • Font Size -+
  • Print
  • Email
  • Comment
  • Tweet this!
  • Share
  • Article
  • Comments ()
  • Click-2-Listen
  • Videos

More Stories

  • Obama, Netanyahu to meet
  • Suicide bomber kills 12 in Pakistan market
  • Abortion a main issue in health debate
  • Same old problems plague Redskins

By

So, what's new?

Throughout the early part of last week, U.S. forces tightened a noose around the Mahdi's Army militia of Muqtada al-Sadr in Najaf, Iraq, fighting block by block up to the front door of the golden-domed Imam Ali shrine.

The battle carried huge significance. If the Americans and their Iraqi allies failed to tame Sheik al-Sadr's rebel forces, it could fatally undermine the efforts of Prime Minister Iyad Allawi to establish a stable government.

But if the U.S. and Iraqi government forces went too far or seriously damaged the mosque, they risked a backlash that could turn the nation's Shi'ite majority permanently against the new government.

This was definitely front-page news. But to anyone reading the story every day, there was very little new. The biggest difference between one day's story and the next, at times, was that American tanks were now 200 yards from the mosque rather than 400.

It didn't help that the Baghdad government had ordered reporters out of Najaf, leaving those embedded with U.S. forces as the only witnesses to the battle. Even those were usually not in a position to see what was happening and were reduced to describing the sounds of the battle.

The wire agency copy, as a result, was peppered with cliches and barely informative phrases, such as "loud explosions were heard," "tanks rumbled through the streets," "gunfire echoed," "explosions shook the city," and the ever popular "clashes flared."

What's more, each day's copy was frustratingly similar to that of the day before. Here are the Associated Press leads from four successive days beginning Aug. 20:

NAJAF, Iraq (AP) -- Militiamen loyal to rebel Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr removed weapons from the revered Imam Ali shrine in Najaf but remained in control of the holy site Friday amid efforts to end their two-week-old uprising.

NAJAF, Iraq (AP) -- Militants loyal to radical Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr kept their hold on a revered shrine, and clashes flared in Najaf on Saturday, raising fears that a resolution to the crisis in the holy city could collapse amid bickering between Shi'ite leaders.

12Next »

Post a comment

There are comments on this article, submit your opinion!

Commenting is disabled for this entry.
If you feel there is still something worth mentioning about this entry please contact the author or the site admin.

Ask a Question

You Report

Do you have another point of view, photos, audio, video or more information about a story?

Top Stories

Most Read

  1. EXCLUSIVE: Rare virus poses new threat to troops
  2. Parents buying homes for kids at college
  3. EDITORIAL: Too scared to recognize terrorism
  4. Inside the Beltway
  5. House OKs health reform bill
More Top Stories »
  1. Sniper's ex-wife speaks out on abuse
  2. Annandale man killed in hit-and-run
  3. Aborted fetus cells used in beauty creams
  4. Sunshine vitamin stirs new debate
  5. PRUDEN: Corpse sits up, gets nice salute

Most Shared

  1. Parents buying homes for kids at college
  2. EDITORIAL: Too scared to recognize terrorism
  3. EXCLUSIVE: Rare virus poses new threat to troops
  4. Sunshine vitamin stirs new debate
  5. PRUDEN: Corpse sits up, gets nice salute
More Top Stories »
  1. Obama's unlearned lesson
  2. NSA surveillance -- of you?
  3. Obama's new world order
  4. The enemy at home
  5. Aborted fetus cells used in beauty creams

Most Commented

  1. House OKs health reform bill
  2. EDITORIAL: Too scared to recognize terrorism
  3. Army chief wary of backlash against Muslim soldiers
  4. Furious scramble for health reform support
  5. Obama praises those who ended Fort Hood violence
More Top Stories »
  1. Muslims stunned by Fort Hood shooting
  2. 'Gentle' Army psychiatrist displayed worrisome signs
  3. Israelis unsure of U.S. support
  4. Obama: It's Senate's turn on health care
  5. EXCLUSIVE: Rare virus poses new threat to troops

Listen to Washington Times Radio

  • America's Morning News

    with John McCaslin and Melanie Morgan

Blogs & Columns

  • POTUS Notes

    New Dem talking point on Obama approval doesn't wash

  • The Back Story

    12 arrested at Pelosi's office

  • Belief Blog

    Washington goes Greek this week

  • Out of Context

    Foods that might kill libido

  • Technology

    Facebook wins round against phishing spammer

  • On the Fly

    United lifts some 'award' blocking

  • Redskins 360

    Samuels feeling better, hopeful

  • Tara's Two Cents

    On their way to summer vacation..

  • SNOBlog

    Beyond 'Woody'

Videos

Advertising Links
TWT Store
  • e-edition
  • Print Edition
  • Weekly Washington Times
TWT Affiliates
  • Middle East Times
  • Golf
  • UPI
  • Arbor Ballroom
  • Washington Times Global
  • About TWT
  • Press Room
  • F.A.Q.
  • Work for TWT
  • Advertise
  • Sponsors
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Map

All site contents © Copyright 2009 The Washington Times, LLC.