Media Coverage of Iraq Suffers After Katrina
by Arianna Huffington, AlterNet

The monomaniacs in the media are at it again, focusing all their attention on a single story to the exclusion of all others.

At least this time, the story the galloping herd has focused on is a mega-disaster and not Michael Jackson or Natalee Holloway or the Brad-Jen-Angelina triangle. But as monumental a story as Katrina is, why aren't the American media capable of covering two disasters at the same time?

I'm talking, of course, about the other disaster facing our country, Iraq. You remember Iraq, don't you? I wouldn't blame you if it's slipped your mind, because it has certainly fallen off the media radar screen since Katrina came ashore -- devastating the Gulf Coast and blowing the devastation in the Persian Gulf off the front pages.

... what is preposterous is this latest presidential lie. C'mon, Mr. President, there clearly weren't enough troops in Louisiana and Mississippi to keep order after the storm -- just like there weren't enough troops in Iraq to keep order after the fall of Saddam. And our troops over there are still stretched to the breaking point. Things are so bad, the Pentagon has even refused to grant emergency 15-day leaves to hundreds of Mississippi National Guardsmen in Iraq who lost their homes to Katrina -- unable to spare the manpower.

Full story here.