US Golfer Blasts Media Reporting On Iraq

Pro golfer Jerry Kelly visited Iraq as part of a USO tour and like others who visited Iraq, he is upset with the US reporting of the entire situation.

He came away with a new appreciation for what the soldiers are accomplishing and expressed in strong terms his disdain for how the war was being covered by the American media.

"Our soldiers are so selfless," he said. "We need to be promoting them and telling people what a great job they're doing. All they're hearing is bashing.

"One guy told me, `I'm hesitant to do the job I was trained for. I don't want to return fire because I might be on CNN the next day.' That's sad. That's a guy risking his life for us. He doesn't want his family to see him on CNN being portrayed the way those guys are being portrayed..."

"They're spreading so much goodwill," he said. "All the kids are coming up to them and hugging them and mobbing them. People were waving at us. They want us there. There's a Sunni-Shiite faction that is fighting for power. Both of them want us to leave so they can have their civil war.