Jill Carroll: What Happens Next Is What Matters

If you read the transcript of the "interview" Carroll gave before her release, I don't see what about it is surprising. Her best chance of getting out alive was to make the argument that, as a journalist, she had credibility to tell their story to the American people -- but that wasn't going to work if they didn't think that her version of their story and their version of their story matched. She told them what they needed to hear from her and, keep in mind, she's a young reporter, not a soldier. She had hardly sworn an oath to die before giving the enemy propaganda material.

Now, however, she has given them propaganda material -- boatloads of it.

It's being argued that the second video, made after she was no longer in the hands of the kidnappers, wasn't exactly one where what she said could be considered entirely without duress given the ties of the people who then had her with those who may have kidnapped her to begin with.

Fair enough. Let her get home, relax, be left alone with her family.

But sometime soon, we need to hear from a completely free Jill Carroll, one who can speak her own mind, and can contexualize the words in those interviews.

And so does everyone who's seen those tapes.

Comments

[charles]

I would LIKE to hear her condemn kidnappings as a strategy, and definitely feel good if she railed against their murder of her innocent Iraqi translator.

We don't need or deserve such pronouncements, however.
Not having any idea what happened to her, I would be hesitant to judge her against my wishes.

I certainly don't think she needs to lie about her treatment to create propaganda for us... and given the possible benefit for future victims of kidnapping of reinforcing a norm of treatment... I don't think there's much wrong with her describing her treatment.

[Fresho-Electro]

It seems like people who are in favor of the Iraq war, especially those who are sitting comfortably in their offices typing all their brilliant opinions on their computers while other people have to do all the icky dying, are just itching at the chance to attack this woman. She was just released from captivity! You can disagree with what she has to say, though I'm not sure what kind of facts you base your opinions on, since she lived there, reported there and was actually kidnapped by insurgents. She's been in the shit, as it were. Give here a break. Just because you don't like what someone has to say doesn't mean that person needs to be attacked! You say let her relax with her family and then try again. As if to say, once she calms down she'll get her story straight and say the things us conservatives would like her to say. And if not, off with her head! I know you want her to repeat talking points about evil, villainous insurgents, but life is a big murky, gray mess of good and bad. You weren't there, you don't know what's happening on the ground and you can't possibly know anything about her situation. But you do know one thing....if she says anything that goes against the worldview of neocons that you have proudly adopted as your own, she must be destroyed. It seems like some people have hate in their heart. I may not like what I hear about her treatment, because it goes against what I'd like to believe about the bad guys in Iraq. But if we just shut up and listen, we'll learn something about HER experience. Stop trying to bundle all the myriad facts and stories from Iraq into a sound bite.

[Ron Hardin]

I'd say the news hook is that she represents the woman's view of Iraq, to the soap opera viewers.

I think normal people would pay her no attention at all.

Imagine that some guy had been released, as has in fact happened. There's a few stories about how he takes it (like taking out a contract on his abductors) and that's that. Every man is different and not particularly significant politically.

Not so, here.

[charles]

interesting point... I think you're right, Ron.

The one difference that comes to mind is that she's a reporter with a vocal and wealthy company backing the pr behind her effort. I bet that made some difference.

[dauber]

You people will read into anything. How what I wrote is anything other than a defense of her, given all the questions that were swirling around, is beyond me. Do I think, however, that once she's had a chance to catch her breath at home that she should tell us whether she meant what she said or not? You betcha. Whether you like it or not she provided an enormous propaganda victory for the other side. I would like to know whether that was intentional. Since you seem to think that only those who have really been there have any right to an opinion, it would seem to me you might want to know whether that's what she really thinks in a setting where we can be certain her words are uncoerced as well.

This notion that you can only develop an authentic position on something from inside it is one that is simply contrary to the ability to study, learn, and develop expertise. It would, for example, simply destroy the capacity to study history. In many cases eyewitness testimony is certainly powerful testimony, but it can also be testimony subject to certain weaknesses, and it is far from the only form of evidence. The idea that since I'm not working from Iraq I can't possibly have anything of value to say is a neat rhetorical trick, but at the end of the day that's all it is.

[dauber]

By the way, again, if those who are there are beyond criticism, then no one here has much to say about the job done by the military, do they?

The point is that eyewitness testimony and presnce in the scene matters for some sorts of claims -- but not for all claims. To simply make the blanket assertion that it trumps all other forms of evidence in all instances is both false and a good way to make any productive discussion completely impossible.

[Tracy]

I can't help believing that much of the criticism being leveled at Jill Carroll stems from the fact she is a reporter not working for FOX, which to many makes her allegiance to the USA somehow (sadly) suspect, thus the tapes she made before her release are all the opening needed for the right-wing blogsphere to attack her unmercifully. She was held hostage under the threat of death for 82 days. They had already killed someone she knew. They (hopefully) lied to her the night before she left by telling her they had just killed an American hostage. She was completely isolated from the outside world and thus had zero idea what was going on. She just knew she wanted to go home, to be with her family. And she also knew exactly what it was these terrorists wanted from her - propaganda. So, she gave it to them. She read the script (some reports have it that she was forced to recite the words over 10 times) and gave the performance of her life as a way to win her freedom. Can you blame her? Would you not want your daughter to do the exact same thing? Should she instead have chanted "U-S-A! U-S-A!"? to the 3 men with machine guns? I'm glad she didn't do that. I'm glad she did exactly what it was the experts said was the correct thing to do - say anything, do anything needed to secure freedom. And America IS freedom, that's why she's coming home. She is not suffering from Stockholm Syndrome - she is suffering from being mentally tortured in a way none of us will (again, hopefully) ever experience. Anyone who attacks her should be ashamed of themselves, no exceptions, no excuses. Just ashamed.

[dauber]

Obviously I agree with you in large part, but I don't know where you get the part about Fox. And while I've read some truly vile criticism of her, it seems to me that they are the exception, not the rule, yet people continue to say "the right blogosphere" or "conservative bloggers," as if there's a consensus position or a blogswarm or something going on. Just say "there are a number of jerks out there."

[Bill T]

Okay, sure. There are a numbert of jerks out there. A rather large number, so it seem.

[Sirkowski]

"But sometime soon, we need to hear from a completely free Jill Carroll,"

No you don't need to hear that, because she don't owe shit to you. She's free, fuck the rest.

[Jon Swift]

It was the mainstream media who rushed to judgment by immediately proclaiming that it was a good thing Jill Carroll was alive before all the facts were in.

[SEXMENS]

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