Measuring The Road Ahead

By: Katie Couric
Topics: Katie's Notebook

(CBS)

Hi there from Baghdad. It's 4 a.m. local time here but I fell asleep at 8 p.m. last night and got up early to prepare for a busy day.

Yesterday, I spent most of the day with General David Petraeus. We flew on his Blackhawk to Fallujah, a place here the General considers to be a great success story. Widely reported at the time in 2004 after four Blackwater contractors were mutilated, burned, and strung from a bridge here, Fallujah was the scene of some of the bloodiest battles of this war. Not long after the contractors were killed, Fallujah became a "no-go zone" for U.S. troops. Then, al Qaeda came to this city and later the people here decided they hated al Qaeda more than the Americans. Today, Iraqis are pretty much policing the town along with U.S. soldiers.

Fallujah, in the Anbar Province, makes up about a third of the country. These days, there is observable peace and prosperity in parts of Fallujah, but not everywhere. Occasionally, even in peaceful sections of Fallajuh, you can spot a face that is not so friendly. Parts of Baghdad are still frightening; fighting in the North and Shiite Militias are still wreaking havoc. These are the factions that are reportedly backed by Iran.

After spending yesterday with Gen. Petraeus, I observed him to be a leader who is approaching the psychology of winning over the Iraqis differently than his predecessors. Gen. Petraeus says he is trying to secure neighborhoods and create a feeling of safety in daily life, as opposed to merely routing out the enemy.

Today, we walked around Baghdad and when we went to a market, I have to say, the people here seemed genuinely glad to have us. When the small children saw us, they warmly swarmed towards us wanting candy. It was reminiscent of the scenes we watched four years ago when the U.S. soldiers first arrived on the ground here, before everything went south.

I also spent lots of time today with a U.S. General in charge of neutralizing the Shiite Militias, who are fighting each other and killing Sunnis for control. I spoke to our soldiers and everyday people in the streets.

It's the average person we don't often hear from in the coverage of the war. They have expressed to me their desire for peace, security and basic services. If the U.S. can facilitate those seemingly basic but elusive things here, maybe all is not lost. The problem, of course, is that the Sunnis and Shiites populations still have hatred for each other. With the Shiites in control, and after 35 years of the Sunnis being the favored group here, the Sunnis are marginalized and in a region of the world with traditions, mindsets and ways of doing business that are dramatically different from ours.

I guess the big question is whether this government can form some kind of functional coalition that successfully brings the Sunnis into the fold. But before they can be elevated to the level of partners or members of a collation government, they would need to get basic services like electricity and water; it is a matter of both necessity and dignity.

However, none of this can be oversimplified by any one group or outside observer. It is all so complicated, with many moving parts. I also feel that domestically, Americans may have become so conditioned, possibly some even invested, in the notion of complete failure here in Iraq that they almost don't want to hear about any progress.

But that hesitancy may not be without merit. There is still much to criticize here. Just this past week, two retired British generals criticized the U.S. over its Iraq policy, calling the strategy "intellectually bankrupt" and even "fatally flawed."

The opinions and reporting differ greatly making it extremely difficult for many people to measure the road ahead. However, I feel positive news should be treated two ways: it should not be overlooked nor should it be overblown for political gain on either side. Sometimes, it should just be heard.

This is Katie Couric signing off from Baghdad.

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by drdelos79924 February 27, 2009 7:53 PM EST: Why don't you liberal Obama puppets pull your heads out of the boys rectum and report the truth, instead of only what he lets you.
You all should get on your knees and beg Oreilly or Hannity to give you some classes in telling both sides of the stories you report. They know how to report the news and don't care what party it is. If it's bad, they say so.; Reply to this comment


by eaweller September 5, 2007 5:25 PM EDT: You know perfectly well that al quaeda of Mesopotamia is NOT al quaeda and you should not have used the name to refer to a group that "has been active in this region" repeats the same not-clear-enough and not-critical-enough reporting that got us into this mess. You have a chance to be this fiasco''s Cronkite and poke some holes in the PR-based policy that continues these horrors and you could help replace it with Reality-based policy... if you find that reality/those realities) and communicate it/them clearly.
Here''s a good thing to do: Ask EVERYBODY, if you can, the ways in which things would be better or worse FOR IRAQUIS without US presence in Iraq.; Reply to this comment


by corlisdees September 4, 2007 11:01 PM EDT: Katie, I am so thrilled about you actually getting to go to Iraq. I honestly believe you will tell us the actual truth about what you are allowed to see with your eyes. I want you to be careful. However, I have been so lost since you took the anchor job because, I think they are trying to take that wonderful bubbly, personality away from you and try to make you look like all the other talking heads. I am a conservative type person, but unlike some of those out there that wear this name, I really want the news to be the news that I was so used to when I was younger. I was a young fan of Walter C. ...I know I am showing my age, but there was something about the man that made me trust him. I grew up in Houston with Dan... but, Dan seemed to change through the years. I actually have been waiting for a long time to be able to come in and enjoy the evening news. Honest, true, straight forward, and complete. I really appreciate you. But, up until now I have been watching and it seemed that you were not really yourself... all the way... but, how that changed tonight. You are doing a wonderful job. Thank you so much for being there and telling it like it is. A Friend from Indiana.
Corlis Dees II; Reply to this comment


by nonagaile September 4, 2007 10:51 PM EDT: Couric is certainly out of her depth in Iraq. Her "dog and pony show" remark to General P. was apalling not only to myself but others watching the program with me.
Ms. Couric is not a journalist and she has proved that beyond a doubt with this latest fiasco in Iraq. Such obvious left wing reporting is an insult not only to the intelligence of the American people in general but was so blatantly slanted even Liberals were disgusted.
Reporters should report the news, not slant it to meet their own personal agenda.; Reply to this comment


by ericmichael1 September 4, 2007 10:16 PM EDT: Katie,

It was good to see Cry-soldiers comment. It means your security people are doing their job. There should be a couple of other units that were disappointed as well, as decoys. Terrorists should not be given advanced warning of your arrival. Anywhere.

Come home safe. Stay security conscious, and keep it up when you get back to the states, too.

You''re doing a great job over there. Don''t let the cry-babies on this blog get you down.

Eric; Reply to this comment


by leemarcus1 September 4, 2007 8:08 PM EDT: I am so disappointed in the previews I saw last night. I could have sworn I was watching Fox news. Okay, Katie, everybody in Iraq is thrilled that we''re there, our soldiers are all thumbs up. Gee whiz, what a great war! Here''s my story: I have been a loyal CBS watcher since I was a little girl (I''m 58). I have recently been loyal to Katie Couric and thought she was getting a bum deal from the rest of the media and a public that can''t accept a woman in her position. So this is really hard for me to say, but I''m saying it: no more CBS news, no more network news, I''m sticking to NPR, The Nation, and Alternet, where at least they are trying to find out the truth. Shame on CBS and Couric. I''m so bummed.; Reply to this comment


by citizenusa-2009 September 4, 2007 3:42 PM EDT: If the post by CryinSoldier is on the level, Katie has lost every ounce of credibility she has ever sought to achieve.

I find it curious that she and "Bush Jr." are there at the same time, and predictable that she''s declined (so far) to write any more than "puff pieces" concerning this war. If her daughters were in uniform, I''d wager to say that her "reporting" would be a little different.

I''ll follow her reporting for awhile, and if she continues to be "political Polly", I will have to seek out more reliable sources of information; Reply to this comment


by cryinsoldier September 4, 2007 4:58 AM EDT: Katie,
First off I would like to tell you that the soldiers of Diyala Province went through a lot to get the place ready for you from route clearing, setting food, waking up early after 2hrs of sleep, and all you can do is turn you back on them and not even come...we looked up to you but you showed your true colors by turning your back on us, you don''t care about the soldiers all you care about is your ratings. Us soldiers out here in Baquba looked up to you and you really let us down. Some people are out here just upset with how you did us...how can you be so selfish to treat us like that? We went through alot to make sure that when you got here you would be happy, and treated with the best service atleast you should feel bad b/c we have it the worst out here, soldiers in Baquba have it really bad everyday and you were a morale booster and just to let you know that you really killed a lot of soldiers morale and you should feel sorry and I hope you think about the soldiers before you act next time, how selfish and self centered of you to only think about whats best for your career I use to look up to you but now you nothing but fake hopes and dreams.; Reply to this comment


by petersemkiw September 4, 2007 4:30 AM EDT: Dear Katie,

Your segments on the CBS Evening News tonight were very interesting, including the interview with President Bush. Looking forward to your reports this week, Stay safe!

Peter; Reply to this comment


by mh4cbs1 September 4, 2007 2:53 AM EDT: Can you believe this? Katie just happens to be in Iraq when the President shows up?

This is nothing more than in-your-face corporate collusion with the NeoCon agenda. CBS cheerleading Bush warmed over.

Katie, I am glad you are in Iraq to witness the death and destruction that you and CBS are in part RESPONSIBLE FOR. Yes, fact is that two reported from Knight-Ridder reported the Cheney-Bush WMD lies and the "Al Qaeada line to Saddam" lies BEFORE the needless Invasion. But they and the anti-war voices were drowned out as the networks regurgitated the Bush LIES and scare tactics.

Katie, why did you not ask Bush to explain his LIES to the American people that got us into this mess?

Katie, have you or anyone in CBS apologized for your complicity in the death of ~3,800 US troops, the $500 Billion wasted, the couple hundred thousand dead Iraqis, the million or two refugees, the destroyed cities? Have you apoloigized for not asking Cheney and Bush the obvious questions BEFORE they Invaded Iraq??; Reply to this comment