Iraqi people voting with their feet

Through A Glass Darkly, by John Myers, Internet Photojournalist
The war in Iraq isn't over yet, but the Iraqi people believe it is as they are taking to the streets to celebrate our victory.
"Ding dong, the witch is dead, the wicked witch is dead."
Even if Saddam Hussein is still alive, his wicked regime's rule is most definitely dead. The Iraqi celebration is that curious political phenomenon known as "voting with your feet" which is what millions did during the Cold War by escaping from the Iron Curtain.
After about 18 months of American vilification in most Muslim nations, it sure did my heart good to see jubilant Iraqis greet our soldiers as liberators and dance in the streets.
And I think it is high time -- and well past time -- for many members of the American media to say "Oops. We were wrong. Maybe the U.S. war plan wasn't so dumb after all."

Tempest in teapot at Palestine Hotel

But what were the questions being asked Wednesday by the media in Baghdad while Iraqi citizens pulled down a statue of Saddam Hussein and celebrated the American victory?
"Why did American troops shoot back at the snipers from the Palestine Hotel?" has been the main question from members of the media in Baghdad since the incident Tuesday which added to the steadily rising death toll of reporters covering the war in Iraq.
One female reporter even noted in Wednesday morning's press briefing that at least 30 seconds had elapsed between the sniper's shooting at an M1 tank before fire was returned.
"So why did the tank fire back without checking with General Franks first?" was the gist of the reporter's question, which was one of many on that topic at the CENTCOM briefing.
Obviously our troops have no right to shoot back when shot at if journalists are near.

Journalists being used as cover for snipers?

Army Brigadier General Vincent Brooks, CENTCOM deputy director of operations, showed a lot more restraint that I could have mustered but he was obviously at least a bit tired of answering questions about the journalists killed at the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad.
He explained patiently time and again that the Army regrets that any civilians are killed in Iraq, even members of the media (irritating as they are) and he pointed out the obvious.
War is a dangerous place and choosing to stay in a hotel in the middle of a war zone is not the best way to live a long and healthy life, particularly if you're living in a place that sleazy Iraqis will use as a shooting platform because they know they can hide behind journalists.
Brooks didn't say it exactly like that, but he got the point across -- repeatedly -- as journalist after journalist asked the same questions again and again about the shooting.
And the variation of the question that got me the worst was: "Is the Palestine Hotel going to be declared a no-shooting zone, like a mosque?" Brooks just ignored that suggestion.
But let me answer it for him. Suppose the U.S. military did that. You can bet Saddam's death squads and other nuts who still support him are watching those press conferences.
And as soon as any spot is declared a "no-shooting zone" guess where the snipers will go?
They're already using hospitals, schools and mosques for sniper attacks and ammo dumps and using children and pregnant women to shield their suicide-bomb attackers and snipers.
Maybe they should declare the Palestine Hotel a free-fire zone instead. It would thin out some pin-head journalists asking dumb questions.
Seriously, I do regret the loss of any lives in Iraq, but I think the loss of one of our military is more news that some journalists who let themselves be used as sniper cover.