Michael Yon has written a new article about the media’s coverage of Iraq and Afghanistan that includes a harsh assessment of the military’s handling of the press:

My experiences with the U.S. military as a soldier and then as a writer and photographer covering soldiers have been overwhelmingly positive, and I feel no shame in saying I am biased in favor of our troops. Even worse, I feel no shame in calling a terrorist a terrorist. I’ve seen their deeds and tasted air filled with burning human flesh from their bombs. I’ve seen terrorists kill children while our people risk their lives to save civilians again, and again, and again. I feel no shame in saying I hope that Afghanistan and Iraq “succeed,” whatever that means. For that very reason, it would be a dereliction to remain silent about our military’s ineptitude in handling the press. The subject is worthy of a book, but can’t wait that long, lest we grow accustomed to a subtle but all too real censorship of the U.S. war effort. […] The media are far from perfect. War reporters, like everyone else, get things wrong. Some of them, unsympathetic to the war aims, undoubtedly try to twist the news. But no coverage at all is even worse. It does a disservice to American soldiers. It is cruel to their families. It leaves the American public in the dark. If we lose the media war, we will lose Iraq, Afghanistan, and the entire “war on terror.” If our military cannot win the easy media battles with writers who are unashamed to say they want to win the war, there is no chance of winning the hearts and minds of Afghans and Iraqis, and both wars will be lost. And some will blame the media. But that will not resurrect the dead.

Read the rest. Perhaps asking the Pentagon to yank CNN reporters embedded with U.S. troops isn’t the best way to respond to its decision to air an insurgent video of sniper attacks.