Al-Qaeda Nation

Suddenly everyone in Iraq is al-Qaeda again. It seems like just a couple of weeks ago that the administration and the Pentagon were reporting on how the Iraqi people were standing up against al-Qaeda. But that was two weeks ago and support for the occupation and the surge has declined even more so as Glenn Greenwald reports everyone the US fights is now al-Qaeda.

That the Bush administration, and specifically its military commanders, decided to begin using the term "Al Qaeda" to designate "anyone and everyone we fight against or kill in Iraq" is obvious. All of a sudden, every time one of the top military commanders describes our latest operations or quantifies how many we killed, the enemy is referred to, almost exclusively now, as "Al Qaeda."

But what is even more notable is that the establishment press has followed right along, just as enthusiastically. I don't think the New York Times has published a story about Iraq in the last two weeks without stating that we are killing "Al Qaeda fighters," capturing "Al Qaeda leaders," and every new operation is against "Al Qaeda."

Of course the New York Times chief stenographer for the Bush administration, Michael Gordon is repeating the spin.

In virtually every article from the Times now, anyone we fight is automatically designated "Al Qaeda"

Reporting on the war is not easy.....

But what is not inevitable is to adopt the patently misleading nomenclature and political rhetoric of the administration, so plainly designed to generate support for the "surge" (support for which Gordon himself admitted he has embraced) by creating the false appearance that the violence in Iraq is due to attacks by the terrorist group responsible for 9/11. What makes this practice all the most disturbing is how quickly and obediently the media has adopted the change in terms consciously issued by the Bush administration and their military officials responsible for presenting the Bush view of the war to the press.

Go read Glenn's piece for more details.