Good news hits record level

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Last updated on June 10th, 2017 at 08:31 am

Earlier editions of Arthur Chrenkoff’s Good News from Iraq series contained 71 links to underreported “good news” stories. The latest edition contains 178 links. A similar trend is evident in Chrenkoff’s coverage of reporting from Afghanistan. As Arthur writes:

Either there is more and more good news coming out of both Iraq or Afghanistan, or the reporters are getting increasingly optimistic about the situation there, or both. Whatever’s the answer, it’s good news.

Sure is.

UPDATE. Weapons on the loose. Not good news, via the NYT:

In the weeks after Baghdad fell in April 2003, looters systematically dismantled and removed tons of machinery from Saddam Hussein’s most important weapons installations, including some with high-precision equipment capable of making parts for nuclear arms, a senior Iraqi official said this week in the government’s first extensive comments on the looting.

The Iraqi official, Sami al-Araji, the deputy minister of industry, said it appeared that a highly organized operation had pinpointed specific plants in search of valuable equipment, some of which could be used for both military and civilian applications, and carted the machinery away.

The threat posed by these types of facilities was cited by the Bush administration as a reason for invading Iraq, but the installations were left largely unguarded by allied forces in the chaotic months after the invasion …

Dr. Araji said equipment capable of making parts for missiles as well as chemical, biological and nuclear arms was missing from 8 or 10 sites that were the heart of Iraq’s dormant program on unconventional weapons.

Posted by Tim B. on 03/14/2005 at 12:51 AM
    1. Yet the MSM continues to ignore it.

      Sick and tired of hearing the bad news, I even sent a link to Chrenkoff to Sunrise (crappy Oz breaky show which does bad news from Iraq all the time.)

      Its a disgrace, but you would hope with all the good news since the democratic elections in both countries that the MSM would get on the band wagon (or get off).

      Posted by jellis on 2005 03 14 at 02:30 AM • permalink

 

    1. Yet the MSM continues to ignore it.

      And the Left still insists it’s ALL LIES!

      Posted by Spiny Norman on 2005 03 14 at 03:13 AM • permalink

 

    1. The Left lives in a fantasy world. So it is not too surprising that they consider everything opposing their fantasies as fantasy. Perhaps it’s Freudian to some extent. But why everything is fantasy to these people to begin with is the problem – maybe it’s genetic, or effectively so? That’s all I got to explain it.

      Posted by J. Peden on 2005 03 14 at 04:05 AM • permalink

 

    1. If you can’t bash the government with it, it’s no use.
      To witness today’s news story about bones being uncovered during road widening at Gallipoli.
      The ABC’s morning radio program (Crittenden now replaced by Fran Kelly, under the Liz Jackson principle) seemed determined to make the most of it. Was this a bad look for the government? asked Fran.
      Presumably it’s a bad look for the French government when their farmers plough up bones on WW1 battlefields. No mention.
      Once again the media is making Australia look bad by being dickheads and whinging.
      Remember,it’s not Australia, but part of Turkey. They are very accommodating in letting us go there, and they are even widening the road for us. It is a very dubious exercise to drum up a controversy on this sliver of an issue, and complaining is just bad form.
      For your sins, media brats, read again the statement by Kemal Ataturk on the subject and just have a cry, quietly, to yourself:
      “Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives… You are now lying in the soul of a friendly country, therefore rest in peace. There is no differences between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours…
      You, the mothers who sent their sons from far away countries wipe away your tears. Your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having
      lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well.”

      Posted by blogstrop on 2005 03 14 at 04:24 AM • permalink

 

    1. And, once again, we find ourselves on the right of history.  Funny, isn’t it, how the same small number of countries always seem to find themselves in that place – the right side of history.

      And, yes, you can count that number of countries on one hand.  Basically it consists of the U.S.A., Great Britain, Australia, and, occasionally, Canada and New Zealand.  And damn few others.

      And that same small number of countries seems to raise the type of people who are willing to make those hard, difficult sacrifices required to be on the right side of history.

      And, we should all be proud that we have, our combined good nations, made the world a better place.  We have, collectively, made the world a better, more just place to live.  We should all be proud of what has been accomplished.

      Posted by David Crawford on 2005 03 14 at 05:44 AM • permalink

 

    1. Totally off topic but March 24, 2005, (Next week) this scribe will be attending a lunch at Sybils, CSL Barrack Street, Synneytown, 12:30pm, along with the author of the Raff Report and rumour has it, Henry Thornton plus our usual luncheon denizens (Computershare, Colonial, and etc).

      I’m flying over from Perth for Easter for family reasons, but have allocated Thursday with the lads for the usual nosh.

      ASIC coppers also dine adjacent to us, both of which the lunch group know. 🙂

      Chance to meet some of the authors of Henry Thornton and maybe Henry himself.

      Posted by Louis on 2005 03 14 at 06:31 AM • permalink

 

    1. ** Off Topic **

      After the second episode of the “new look” Media Watch, I can see a theme developing. Most of the 15 minutes were dedicated to attacking the Murdoch press over the reporting of parochial Western Australian issues. No Ramsey, no Carlton.

      Media Watch, the ABC and Liz Jackson, can get stuffed!

      Posted by Adam B on 2005 03 14 at 06:41 AM • permalink

 

    1. Well of course if you _look_ for good news you’re going to find it.

      Posted by rhhardin on 2005 03 14 at 07:34 AM • permalink

 

    1. As for “missile parts” makers—here in a town of 14,000 deep in the Red State wilds, I know of three commercial facilities and about fifteen private ones perfectly capable of making weapons parts, even missile parts.

      They don’t. They make parts for manufacture and repair of everything from oil facilities through trucks and cars to other manufacturing. If one of the government contractors issues a subcontract, they might make weapons or weapons parts, but at the moment they don’t.

      Equipment suitable for weapons manufacture is also suitable for all kinds of other activity. Maybe some of that stuff went to general manufacturing shops. This is not to say that all of it did, but the devil is in the details.

      Regards,
      Ric

      Posted by Ric Locke on 2005 03 14 at 09:48 AM • permalink

 

    1. Hmmmm.

      Ok.  Now I’m confused.

      Does this mean that Saddam was capable of WMDs?  Or not?

      And is the NYT in favor or invading Iraq, or not?  And is this current position different from their earlier, different, position?  Which would be … what?

      Posted by memomachine on 2005 03 14 at 11:00 AM • permalink

 

    1. THERE IS NOOOOOO GOOD NEWS *stamp*stamp*stamp*  Those people in Iraq were really voting for food stamps because they’re starving since Saddam stopped feeding them!  Those people in Lebanon are marching for US ratification of Kyoto!

      Why won’t you listen?!

      Posted by richard mcenroe on 2005 03 14 at 11:25 AM • permalink

 

    1. Arthur Chrenkoff is a great man performing an invaluable service.

      Posted by Mystery Meat on 2005 03 14 at 12:02 PM • permalink

 

    1. Thank God for the blogosphere.  Because if I still got all my news from the MSM, I would be cowering under my bed, awaiting my imminent agonizing doom.

      Posted by RebeccaH on 2005 03 14 at 03:00 PM • permalink

 

    1. Ric, given Hussein’s previous actions, what can possible make you think that dual-use equipment was used for legitimate civilian purposes?

      In any case, this is beside the point, did Hussein account for this equipment in his declaration to the UN required by 1441?

      Posted by Sheriff on 2005 03 15 at 05:13 AM • permalink

 

  1. WMD’s are in Syria – moved there pre-invasion.

    Sigh – why is the obvious so obtuse at times….

    Posted by Louis on 2005 03 15 at 06:46 AM • permalink