Marines Abandon Fallujah!!! (Or, Let's Keep Quiet About This)

Don't tell anybody, but it looks like the "Surge" worked. Marines are moving out of Fallujah.

It's not like the fall of Saigon, or this withdrawal would have gotten more coverage. Vietnam: now that was a war! Best of all, from one point of view, there was that dramatic climax in Saigon, showing the futility and human cost of American imperialistic militarism. Or Militaristic, imperialistic, Americanism. Or imperialistic American militarism. Or whatever.

There's been so little violence around Fallujah and elsewhere in the Anbar province, that Marine Major General John Kelly decided it was time to go. Now that the local and regional authorities can handle the situation, the Marines are quietly leaving. Mission accomplished. For now, at any rate.

Odds are pretty good that you haven't read about this in the news. It isn't anywhere near as important, from some points of view, as the trial of a Marine. He's accused of murdering someone. Now, that's news!

Suppressing Surge Success: Some Kind of Plot?

I do not believe that news organizations around the world are engaged in some conspiracy to keep us from knowing The Truth. If I did, I'd probably assume that CNN and the BBC were part of the 'vast right-wing conspiracy,' for their 'cover-up' of the 'real' "Joe the Plumber" story.

I do think that reporters, and particularly editors, see what they believe is true, based on their culture and preferences about how the world should work. Which makes the case of the murderous Marine a whole lot more important than a troop surge resulting in an outbreak of comparative peace.

Besides, it's so much more dramatic when America is failing.

In the news:

• "Last One Turn Out the Lights: Marines Quietly Begin Leaving Bases in Iraqi Cities"
  FOXNews (October 17, 2008)
• "Attorneys: Marine's delayed court-martial is ploy"
  San Jose Mercury News (October 3, 2008)
• "Marine takes the Fifth in Fallujah hearing"
  United Press International (October 1, 2008)
• "Marine charged with murder in Fallujah killing"
  Reuters (December 7, 2007)
• "Security in Iraq still elusive"
  McClatchy Washington Bureau (September 9, 2008)
• "NEWS: Why the Iraq Surge failed"
  McClatchy Washington Bureau, via alt.politics.usa.republican alt.politics (September 7, 2007)