Iraq had a "soverienty day," for example. Apparently something like an annual Sadie Hawkins Day Ball. While many went along with the government spin, Deborah Haynes (Times of London) observed, "Iraq has celebrated a return to sovereignty three times since the invasion more than six years ago in a carefully choreographed attempt to put an Iraqi face on what has always been an American occupation." And while all were supposed to be celebrating, Alissa J. Rubin (New York Times) noted Iraqi reaction, "The excitement however, has run hollow for many Iraqis, who fear that their country's security forces are not ready to stand alone and who see the government's claims of independence as overblown." McClatchy Newspapers' Sahar Issa explained on Democracy Now!, "The problem is this government needs to gain the confidence of the people. It needs to give them something that they can hold onto. It needs to look at their very difficult lives. They didn't have electricity when the -- you know, outside this building, if I walk out now, it is so hot, toys will melt in cars. To just to give you an idea, toys will melt in cars. That is the heat. And people don't have electricity. After six years, they don't have water in their homes. I spoke to a person yesterday in Beya'a neighborhood, when we were touring the city for reactions. And she said, 'How can I be happy with sovereignty, if sovereignty has not brought me enough water to bathe, I can't wash my clothes, if I don't have electricity so I can sleep at night? What kind of sovereignty is this?' We are struggling, my dear friend. We are struggling so hard to reach square one. And so far, we haven't achieved it yet." And Free Speech Radio News interviewed an Iraqi mother:
Baswa Alkhateeb: We have a lawless state. The alligance of the security forces that are taking over is not for the country or for the state it's for the Islamic groups for the clerics who are in the Parliament who ruling now so it's not really a blessing or something to be happy about. Add to that the whole institutions were dismantled. So the way that it was rearranged after 2003, 2004, it's not about the state, it's about allegiance to their sects, to the cultural, political cultural, that put them there. [. . .] What's happening now is no employment, no educational system, no health care, nothing. IDPs [Internally Displaced Persons] all over. We have graduates from university who do not have a place to be employed unless they're part of this political culture which is following the clerics and the Islamic extreme parties ruling the country. It's something new and deformed actually. Our elites are outside, they've all left. We need experts, we need professional people here. So it will take time I don't know and all these political groups, the extremist Islamists have militias. And more were enrolled in the armies -- in the security forces.
The talking point, the latest wave of Operation Happy Talk, told you that this was an amazing first and everyone was thrilled. Time and again last week, it was women who brought the truth. Another talking point was that all US forces were out of Iraqi cities.
Being questioned about how many US troops were out and how many remained would so rattle General Ray Odierno, the top US commander in Iraq, that he would lose his temper in a Baghdad press conference on Tuesday. But were they out (as the US claimed) or not? It would take Judy Woodruff (PBS' NewsHour) to get the answer to that question:
GEN. RAY ODIERNO: Well, what we have is we have U.S. forces in joint coordination centers all over Iraq, inside of the cities, and they are there doing training, advising, assisting, and they also are coordinating with the Iraqis. So we have these relationships that are built from the lowest levels up to the highest levels that allow us to communicate. And if they need assistance, they can ask, and we will provide that.
JUDY WOODRUFF: So they're not technically out of the cities. They're still there, but they're working side by side with the Iraqis?
GEN. RAY ODIERNO: That's right, but we're at much lower numbers. These are just small advisory and coordination cells, and they're not related to combat formation, such as brigades and battalions. Those are now outside the cities. But we have coordination cells that work very closely with the Iraqis to enable them and train them and advise them and coordinate with them.
And whenever a White House tries to sell spin, there is Helen Thomas, slugging away for the truth, fighting the falsehoods and demanding reality:
Following a testy exchange during Wednesday's briefing with White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, veteran White House correspondent Helen Thomas told CNSNews.com that not even Richard Nixon tried to control the press the way President Obama is trying to control the press.
"Nixon didn’t try to do that," Thomas said.
"They couldn't control (the media). They didn't try.
"What the hell do they think we are, puppets?" Thomas said.
"They're supposed to stay out of our business. They are our public servants. We pay them."
Thomas said she was especially concerned about the arrangement between the Obama Administration and a writer from the liberal Huffington Post Web site. The writer was invited by the White House to President Obama’s press conference last week on the understanding that he would ask Obama a question about Iran from among questions that had been sent to him by people in Iran.
"When you call the reporter the night before you know damn well what they are going to ask to control you," Thomas said.
"I'm not saying there has never been managed news before, but this is carried to fare-thee-well--for the town halls, for the press conferences," she said. "It's blatant. They don't give a damn if you know it or not. They ought to be hanging their heads in shame."
And those aren't the only women who accomplished something last week but their actions deserve note.
We award them this site's highest honor, The Shirley for outstanding work last week in calling out bunk and refusing to stay silent in the face of spin.
