Good News Is The Only News

The State Department, in the American 'Bush-era' tradition of reporting only news that casts George and Co. in a good light, is pleased to present a few videos of post-attack Iraq. The narrators of these two and three minute shorts are unseen but apparently the intent is glowering.

"FREEDOM IN IRAQ," the department headlined its statement announcing the link to the eight fully edited, broadcast quality and ready-to-air reports, the latest of which were completed on May 22.

"The dawn of liberation: See historic footage of Iraqis toppling a statue of Saddam Hussein. Witness the jubilation in Saddam City as the spirit of freedom is realized," it says in its preview for "Baghdad Liberated" video, a three-minute report about events on the ground Iraq on April 9.

"As they rolled into Baghdad, the American Troops were cheered by hundreds of Iraqis gathering in the streets," an unseen male narrator intones over the now-famous footage of the toppling of a huge statue of Saddam Hussein.

"The act symbolizing the end of Saddams twenty five-year reign of cruelty and terror ... The fear of repression gone, jubilant Iraqis kicked the statue of the fallen dictator as they dragged it through the town," he says.

"Relief and joy were expressed throughout the city," the narrator continues as the screen fades to soundbites of Iraqis thanking the United States and President George W. Bush follow.

The scenes then shift to shots of Secretary of State Colin Powell vowing to rebuild Iraq and White House spokesman Ari Flesicher describing Bush's reaction to the toppling of the statue.

In related news these links appeared at around the same time Borzou Daragahi informed Salon readers that the U.S.-led occupying force is devising a 'code of conduct' for the Iraqi press.