Still Not Ready / Haditha & The Media

The Department of Homeland Security has issued a comprehensive report saying that the country is unprepared for a national disaster, natural or otherwise.

The report was ordered last September by President Bush.

So, nearly five years after its inception, the Department of Homeland Security can only tell us that we can pretty much expect a royal clusterfuck should disaster strike.

Seems like we've got bureaucracy up to here, and very little product. Dipstick warnings about duct tape and plastic sheeting. Recommendations to stock up on canned tuna and powdered milk. Nifty color codes, two of which will never, ever, be used.

So when the Republicans start hammering the national security theme, think about that so-called safety they claim to have provided.

On the other hand, I'm probably going to sound like a FOX News type when I say that the media needs to be extremely careful with what they say about the Haditha investigation.

With one investigation complete and under review at the command level, and with an ongoing case under the purview of Naval Criminal Investigative Services, the investigating authorities have been careful not to prejudice the public by revealing their findings in a premature manner.

Which probably means someone will leak a few tidbits to score points or feed fears of a cover-up.

With a new Iraqi government in place, a leak could do far more than embolden insurgents and recruit terrorists. It could, quite literally, force Prime Minister al-Maliki's government into an untenable position, destabilizing Iraq and undoing the tenuous advances that have been made.

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