Lieutenant Josh Rushing, former press officer for Central Command, was online to take questions on his role in the documentary "Control Room," a look behind Al-Jazeera's portrayal of the Iraq war, set to air on the Sundance Channel.
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Josh Rushing: Hello everyone. This should be interesting. Ask me anything and I'll be as open as possible. Also, you can see me on MSNBC live today on Lester Holt's show around 2:30-3 pm PST. Let's get started.
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Arlington, Va.:
I will be interested in both of your opinions on the difference between "a different view" and "a spin" when reporting a news item. Also do you make a difference between "reality" and "perception." Thanks.
Josh Rushing: In the court of public opinion, perception is reality. Spin is a difficult area for a military spokesman. As a non-partisan broker of the truth there should be no place for spin. However, it is nearly impossible to present a serious of facts without context. Often the spin of the question sets the answer in motion one way or another before it even begins. Even in this discussion, look at each question. It is not difficult to see how most are loaded with a strong point of view. How should that affect my answer? If it does, is it spin?
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washingtonpost.com:
Note: Hassan Ibrahim has not yet joined the discussion. We will alert you when he arrives.
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Annandale, Va.:
Hi Josh. Don't you think that the statement that really got you into trouble was :
"If I get out of the Marine Corps and do anything, I want to do something with the Palestinian issue. I don't think Americans are getting good information about it, I really don't."
Now I totally agree with the statement but I dare say it just shows how naive you were at the time. Making comparisons between Al-Jazeera and Fox is one thing, but correctly indicting the entire US main-stream media is quite another. It was a very brave statement indeed. Think this is what did you in?
Josh Rushing: No. Ironically, it was nothing that I said in the movie that got me silenced by the Pentagon. It was a quote I gave the Village Voice that said there is some value in Al Jazeera showing all the gruesome footage from war. It reminds that war is a horrible thing.
However, I later did receive some grief from the Pentagon about that Palestinian comment. They reminded me that I am not an expert on Middle Eastern issues and I should know "my place" and stay there. In my opinion, I've never tried to represent my self as a Middle Eastern expert. I simply was offering observations that seemed obvious from where I was.
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Washington, D.C.:
Lt Rushing, I was so impressed with the wisdom and perspective evident in your comments in Control Room - I'm so glad that you are representing our Armed Forces.
My question is, how did others (co-workers, people from home) react to your participation in the movie?
P.S. -- Have you ever considered running for office? I think our country needs more leaders with your background and personal qualities.
Josh Rushing: First I am honored by your question about running for office, but I don't see that in my future...
Your question is interesting, because I thing most perceive me as being persona non grata with the military. The truth is I received more 'fan' emails from Marines than I did from everyone else combined. They all thanked me for representing them so well. I think our military has far more caring and thoughtful people in its ranks than anyone ever gives it credit for -- a fact I find much hope and comfort in...
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Arlington, Va.:
I thought the documentary was incredibly interesting -- I highly recommend it. Josh and Hassan, do you feel like it portrayed a balanced view of what's really going on with the media effort over there?
Josh Rushing: I think it gave a fair portrayal of Al Jazeera, but I don't think it intended to give a balanced view of the entire media effort over there.
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California:
Dear Mr. Rushing,
While I admire your observations on the sanitization of War, I was curious how you viewed this prior to joining the service. Did you think the military was in the business of realistically portraying the art of killing?
How could it be to the war industry's advanatage to show war for what it really is?
Josh Rushing: Having significantly traveled the world, I've seen how important it is for a nation to have an open military and an open government for that matter. It seems to keep the power, and eventually corruption, in check. My job as a spokesperson for the military was to be a conduit for that openness. It is remarkable how open our military is to the press. One would be challenged to find a better example in the world past or present. The character of this relationship between our government, its military and its populace speaks volumes about the character of our nation.
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Arlington, Va.:
Since the filming of the documentary, have either of you noticed a difference in the coverage or working relationship between the military and the media?
Josh Rushing: Frankly, no. I don't think the military took much notice of the film.
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Washington, D.C.:
How accurate do you believe you were portrayed in the film?
Josh Rushing: I am very grateful to Jehane (the director) for how she portrayed me in the film. I know she had enough footage to make me look however she wanted. I like to think the way she chose to protray me is accurate, but it is very hard to watch oneself objectively in such a situation.
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Suitland, Md.:
First, I wanted to thank you for taking our questions.
I wanted to say that Control Room was a great, unbiased documentary. I saw it a few weeknds back, and watch it at least once a week since. My question is, did the U.S. Military ever do a thorough investigation into the news buildings that were bombed, and did they look into the deaths of the journalists who were in the buildings? I know Al Jazeera was targeted, but I can't remember the others. Thank you.
Josh Rushing: I think there has been an investigation by the Pentagon. I'm not sure if it has been released yet. It is still my belief that AJ was not 'targeted'. You can check with Reporters Without Borders to track the issue.
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Pittsburgh, Pa.:
Lt. Rushing, listening to your candid assessment of your different reactions to seeing footage of dead Iraqi civilians and U.S. soldiers was the first (and probably only) time there was honesty from our military and government in this war.
Frankly, sir, watching you in "Control Room" gave me hope. Thank you.
Did you think "Control Room" portrayed you accurately? Did you have pre-conceived notions about al Jazzera before the war and did they change? And do you dare answer whether U.S. TV networks gave an awfully bland and patriotic view of the war?
Mr. Ibrahim, if only American networks had people of your caliber, news in this country would be so much better and more honest.
Josh Rushing: Thank you for your kind words... I must say I disagree with your assessment of the honesty of our military... I do hope that CR portrayed me accurately. In other words, I'm proud of how I'm protrayed in the film but lack the objectivity to judge its accuracy... And yes I do think American's are served a sterile picture of the war. My comment on this in the Village Voice is what got me in trouble with the Pentagon. I think you can still find that article online. The question is who do you blame for such coverage? The government (least likely), the media, or the consumers/citizens who eat it up with little complaint? It's my position that the audience shapes the medium and eventually the message. FOX is what it is because enough viewers/consumers want it the way it is.
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Alexandria, Va.:
Josh, Do you support the war in Iraq? Knowing what you do, do you believe there will be a positive outcome from this week's election?
Josh Rushing: I regret that we didn't exhaust every diplomatic option prior to the invasion.
I support our troops and their efforts in Iraq. I think they must stay until Iraqi security forces are mature enough to control the situation.
I believe the elections are important because to the world, particularly the Arab world, they will frame the security problem in a different light. The insurgency will be seen as the enemy of Iraq and the people of Iraq. This is much less empowering position for the insurgency than being the enemy of the US. Ergo, these elections are a major step toward an independent Iraq free of US forces.
Also, postponing or canceling the elections would empower the insurgency and justify they efforts.
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Parkville, Md.:
Mr. Rushing,
The film seems to document a transformation in your thinking on the role of media in war, and the Iraq war in particular. Is that accurate? Did you really come away from this experienced "transformed" or do you think you views were more "nuanced" than most to begin with.
Josh Rushing: My transformation is a common observation from the film; however, it is a result of clever editing more than reality. The filmmakers only followed me for a couple of days during my six months over there. Rather than transformation, it really reflects the complexity of the situation I was in. I could at the same time believe that we were doing the right thing and be open to understanding -- and occasionally agreeing with -- the way Arabs perceived our actions. It is very difficult to hold a nuanced position with black-and-white resiliency.
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Silver Spring, Md.:
I just watched Control Room on DVD this weekend. This question is for Josh. I surprised myself by agreeing w/Al-Jazeera's decisions to broadcast some rather gruesome pictures of the war -- i.e. footage of American soldiers who had been killed/wounded and footage of civilians who had been injured. I agree with this because I find the U.S. press to be too pro-Iraqi war, and it is this coverage that has led to many Americans to blindly support the war. I think if Americans saw more of this type of footage, they would be less inclined to support any war. I also thought it was honest of Josh to note that pictures of American wounded caused him more pain or introspection than pictures of Iraqi wounded. My husband and I discussed this point, and noted that when we hear of the latest bombing in Iraq, we are always "relieved" to hear it is "only" Iraqi wounded/killed and not Americans. It's a terrible way to think and I thought it brave of Josh to admit it. All in all, the documentary gave great insight into the makings of a "media" war.
Josh Rushing: I've found that the relief you are referring to is a
universal thing. Our empathy is strongest for those
who are most similar to us. By understanding we have
more in common than in difference with other citizens
of the world, our empathy extends more organically to
them as well. Thank you for your comments.
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Josh Rushing: Thank you all for your questions. The film airs on the Sundance Channel tonight. Also, I won't be on Lester Holt today after all. With Warmest Regards, RUSH
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