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November 02, 2007
Front Page News...Theoretically
This seemed like a very important story, from Tuesday's Houston Chronicle::
Oct. 31, 2007, 12:53AMFreed sheiks celebrate quick rescue
Iraq military, backed by U.S., found kidnapped Sunni and Shiite leadersBy HAMZA HENDAWI
Associated PressBAGHDAD — It had to be done quickly. Rogue Shiite militiamen were holding hostage a group of Sunni and Shiite tribal sheiks who had joined a revolt against al-Qaida. For the Iraqi government and its U.S. backers, the seven men represented a rare symbol of national unity.
A daring rescue operation secured their freedom.
A meeting Tuesday between most of the former captives and military officials — including the Iraqi commander of the rescue operation — offered the first detailed picture of the tense and fast-moving events: the kidnapping, the slaying of one captive and the seven-hour rescue mission Monday converging on an area that was "not fit for rats."
The sheiks, recounting their 30-hour ordeal to a small group of reporters including The Associated Press, said they were tortured and humiliated. At least three of the sheiks were visibly bruised. One man's left eye was red and swollen. The two others had bruises on their backs, arms and legs.
But they insisted that they emerged from captivity more determined than ever to continue their fight.
"We already forgot the pain and the wounds from our ordeal," said Haroon al-Moham-medawi, the bearded leader of the group from Khalis, a region in Diyala province where the terror organization has a heavy presence. "We pledge to you, the people and leadership of Iraq, that we will stay the course."
Al-Qaida militants, the sheiks told Iraqi and U.S. commanders, had prevented food rations from reaching them for a year, cut off power to their villages and ruined their orchards.
"Al-Qaida has condemned us to death," said al-Mohammed-awi, a Shiite. "But we have a strong uprising and we have volunteers from the age of 14 to 75."
Emphases mine. Here's more evidence that the Anbar Awakening has spread to other parts of Iraq. Michael Yon reports on yet another area of Iraq where the Awakening has taken hold (hat tip to Captain's Quarters). And yet this story in the Chronicle was buried in the back of the front section.
So what does the Chron think is fit for 1-inch bold headlines across the front page? From November 1--the very next day--we have:
Marine recruiters punished for cheating on entrance examsHOUSTON — The military has punished nine Marine Corps recruiters who arranged for stand-ins to take Armed Services entrance exams for new enlistees.
The cheating was made public Wednesday, though Capt. John Niemann, a spokesman for the local recruiting district, said officials at the Military Entrance Processing Station in Houston noticed in April that signatures of test takers didn't match those on enlistment forms.
Nice job, editors! It's good to know we can depend on you for consistency.
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