Using his verified Twitter account, Drudge Report owner/editor, Matt Drudge, criticized the mainstream media Tuesday over their deafening silence on the issue of mounting U.S. troop casualties in Afghanistan. In his tweet, Drudge takes issue with the fact that although more American service-members have been lost under Obama than under his predecessor, George W. Bush, the media have not bothered to report that fact.
—
More US troops dead in Afghanistan on O watch than W. No urgent NIGHTLINE reading of names. No 60 MINS on disillusioned soldiers. Invisible.
— MATT DRUDGE (@DRUDGE) July 9, 2013
—
According to the Wall Street Journal, 1029 American troops were killed between 2001 and 2008. Since Obama assumed the presidency in 2009, 1,875 have died.
The “Nightline” reading Drudge refers to occurred on the ABC news program back in December of 2007:
[Nightline anchor Ted Koppel solemnly read aloud the names of 721 U.S. servicemen and women killed in the Iraq war during an unusual edition of “Nightline” Friday.
Koppel’s recitation – illustrated with corresponding photo, military branch, rank and age of each of the fallen since March 19, 2003 – occupied the expanded 40-minute program.
There was no music, no graphic flourishes. Name followed name, photo followed photo, with two Americans’ pictures on the screen at any given moment. Some of the faces looked determined. Others were smiling. There were brief station breaks, but, jarring as they may have been, they were also welcome, giving viewers a chance to catch their breath.
At that time there were 721 fatalities, fewer than half the number lost under Obama’s watch.
Follow John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.