Old Media Predictable On Captured US Soldier

At the Weekly Standard, Bill Roggio writes:

The day the news broke that the Taliban captured a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan, it was noted here that the media would fall all over itself to give out the details of the soldier’s life. The Associated Press, CBS News, and most every other news outlet failed to disappoint. About the only thing the media left out was the soldier’s home address.

So if it was wise to hide the capture of New York Times reporter David Rohdes’s capture because doing so increased the likelihood he would be returned home alive, why is it wise to splash this esoldier’s entire life of the airwaves and in print? Don’t expect an answer from the guardians of truth.

Here’s the latest rumor; take it for what it’s worth.

Update: This quote from CBS’s Early Show this morning was sadly predictable as well:

In reaction to a propaganda video of the Taliban holding an American soldier hostage in Afghanistan, on Monday’s CBS Early Show, terrorism analyst Jere Van Dyk argued: “What they [the Taliban] are saying is that ‘we can treat American soldiers, we can treat prisoners, better than Americans are treating them.’”

Speaking to co-host Maggie Rodriguez about the capture of Private First Class Bowe Bergdahl, Van Dyk continued to explain his observation: “There’s a story in the New York Times this morning, also in the Wall Street Journal earlier, about prisoner abuse, Americans abusing prisoners in Afghanistan. What they [the Taliban] are saying to the — to the Afghan public is that ‘we can do a better job, do not be afraid of us in the future.’” Rodriguez accepted that premise and added: “Because he’s clean, the place looks like — he’s being fed. They’re taking care of him.”

Go figure — I knew from Newsweek that Korans were flushed down toilets on a regular basis at Gitmo, but missed the beheadings there. Glad President Obama put a stop to those!