The Daily Nightly began on May 31, 2005. As Brian wrote in his first post it aims to provide a narrative of the broadcast day and a window into the editorial process at NBC Nightly News. Brian weighs in every weekday and NBC News correspondents and producers post regularly.
Brian Williams became the seventh anchor and managing editor in the history of NBC Nightly News on December 2, 2004. Read his full biography.
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Because Gen. Ray Odierno is a 3-star, the No. 2 man in charge of this massive U.S. presence here in Iraq, he travels with a lot of security -- alongside him in the air and on the ground -- wherever he goes. When we learned that he was heading out today to inspect two U.S. outposts (to make up for a trip that weather canceled last week), we thought it represented the safest possible opportunity for us to get off to a fast start in our coverage and cover a lot of ground OUTSIDE the city limits of Baghdad.
You'll see the trip on tonight's broadcast. We met a lot of enormously capable commanders today -- which is almost always the case -- and they are hugely enthusiastic about the gains they've made in their specific slice of this conflict. It is very clear, in ways we will point out tonight, that the strategy here has undergone a profound change. Richard Engel also went out with U.S. forces today, to Sadr City -- and what he found meshes in many ways with what I saw to the West of here.
One of the more impressive scenes of the day took place in Hit, when the sergeant in charge of the tactical mission we went on briefed the fire teams that were going on the patrol. He ran down the list of streets we'd be using and/or crossing, a classic laundry list of military-given names: Star, Aspen, Apple, Cherry, Strawberry, Plantain (see a theme here?), Mavericks, Bronze. He mentioned that while our planned route was believed to be clear of "all known IEDs" (and I couldn't help but think: it's those UNKNOWN IEDs that we have to worry about...), he went on to warn us that two IEDs that had been discovered "near the corner of Eucalyptus and Peach" and would be detonated, perhaps while we were in downtown Hit, and that we shouldn't be alarmed if and when we heard the explosions. The sergeant, radio call sign "Able Tac One," went on to methodically brief us on the unit's rules of engagement and the response protocol to either direct fire or IED explosion. He told all drivers to "get up on the net" in such an instance (report it on the radio to all other Humvee patrols), and to "push through" any firing or explosion. In the case of sniper fire, our unit was ordered to "identify the source and return fire." Simple as that.
Right now we are in a tent in a fairly serious (even for this region, and I've seen its best) wind storm, which by nature is rapidly deteriorating into a sandstorm. We may have some pretty sporty conditions for our live broadcast tonight. We just now are able to use a working computer, and we have one "hard" phone line to share. Cell service is very spotty -- it is Iraq, after all. Tonight we'll set aside some time to talk about our day -- and the story we collectively reported -- with Richard and with retired Gen. Wayne Downing, who is on this trip with us. He had some interesting opinions of his own about what we saw on both stops today.
Photo caption: Brian and Gen. Wayne Downing. Photo by NBC's Jeff Riggins.
BACK AT THE OFFICE
One bit of family business: Nightly News has a new executive producer. I'm thrilled that Alex Wallace, who was until today our vice president, has agreed to run our shop. Alex is a great journalist, a great leader -- and happens to be great company in the trenches. My favorite story about her is that she applied to the London bureaus of all three television networks on the day she graduated from college. The problem came when her ship came in: She received offers from both CBS and NBC. What to do? How to choose? She accepted both. A day shift at one, a night shift at the other. That's what I tell people about Alex. She's a terrific broadcast executive who is married to a great guy (an educator in New York) and has two kids. If you're a loyal viewer of Nightly News, you've actually seen her before, though you may not realize it. On that day New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle crashed his single-engine plane into a New York high-rise, Alex was en route to her children's school, and provided a valuable eyewitness report to one of our camera crews -- all about what she saw. She held a number of big jobs at CBS News before we managed to steal her away, and while a number of her front-office responsibilities will continue in this job, we are all thrilled that Alex was able to take the position John Reiss once held. We are a very close bunch, and today's announcement keeps it that way. I wanted very badly to be there for today's staff meeting in New York, but I think Alex of all people understands.
I will try to gather up some details for a later stand-alone posting from here. Something interesting happens every minute. Would that there were enough time in the day to relay it all.
Read more from Brian Williams 2007, Brian Williams in Iraq
Meanwhile back in the Baghdad bureau
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Memorail Day Nightly News...
I watched the nightly news on Monday May 28, 2007 & was deeply touched by the story about the eldest livng vet from World War I. It was a lovely story. I didn't have a chance to catch his name & I want to send him a thank you note.
I'm sure many people e-mail NBC about the war. I wanted to say that I am in my thirties & have found myself just heartbroken for every family that has lost someone. I have never thanked someone who has served in the Army, Navy, Air Force or Marines because I don't personal know anyone who I can thank. The gentleman who Monday nights story was about could of been my grandfather, or great grandfather. It made me thankful & i just wanted to be able to tell him that. Although the news is sometimes awful the NBC production of the news is done with class. I enjoy watching it every evening. I thank all of you too at NBC for making the news something enjoyable to watch.
Laura Schwartz, Encino, California (Sent May 29, 2007 7:52:14 PM)
Brian,
I met General Odierno last May when we were both inducted into our high school district's Hall of Fame. I was impressed with his caring demeanor and can think of no better soldier to help lead our troops. Thank you for bringing me another "visit" with him via your reporting.
Best wishes to you and all of our troops stationed away from home.
Kathy S., Eastham MA (Sent Mar 7, 2007 9:53:45 PM)
Brian is nice to see you out there unlike the polititians that like to critized and cut short from Victory. Victory is the positive thing that may be happening but there is no time to celibrate we must press on and I'm glad you got the courage to be out there in the middle of things
Eric Oregon (Sent Mar 7, 2007 10:41:03 AM)
Brian, i just wanted to thank you for putting you life on the line along side our soldiers. It is good to hear the truth about what is going on over there. My husband is in Iraq and is part of the 82nd Airborne Division. I worry about him everyday and pray that he along with everyone else comes home safely. We have a 6 year old and a 22 month old (both girls) and they pray for their daddy every night and they also pray for the other soldiers as well. It is a hard thing to deal with when you are a soldier's wife and even harder when you have children, especially one who is very knowledgable about the whole situation. It is like our oldest daughter said, "My Daddy is the best soldier ever, I know he will be okay." My heart goes out to the soldiers and their families. My heart goes out to you also because you are putting your life on the line just so that we here at home can get the inside truth and maybe better understand what is really going on over there. Alot of the other news cast only report what they want the americans to see. and you report live and along side these brave american soldiers who are doing what they choose to do and do so that we can be safe on the homefront. If you happen to run across my husband SSGT Tracy Baker, Tell him his family loves him and misses him very much and that his oldest daughter said to run fast and duck really low. lol :) Again thank you for your informative reports.
Crystal Baker, Whiteville, NC (Sent Mar 7, 2007 1:01:37 AM)
Brian - that story from Iraq last night sounded a lot like propaganda to me. Do you really think Iraqi citizens are going to tell troops with guns to go home? And the soldiers that Gen. Downing talked to - do you think they are going to tell a general the truth? Last I heard, 72% of the troops wanted to come home by the end of 2006. I hope you spend equal time on tonight's broadcast telling about those 9 fallen soldiers and their shattered hopes and dreams.
(Sent Mar 6, 2007 3:15:17 PM)
Brian--You are relating too closely with the military and their specific strategies and narrow self-defined success (not wearing a vest reflects how comfy you're feeling with them). America wants a broader picture of how to provide a better, quicker exit for Americans. Talk to soldiers not making decisions, civilians, citizens of Iraq. We invaded this country, instigated the horror of present havoc and we don't trust the judgement of this president and his advisors--the military is following their orders. Make your visit count for more than creating positive pr for the military--give it to them when they are home safe and sound.
C Weed, Austin, Texas (Sent Mar 6, 2007 1:42:25 PM)
Thank you for your informative report from Hit, Iraq. A few interviews from our brave soldiers would have been more telling. They are the ones living this horrible war day in and day out. My son is one of those very courageous soldiers in Hit with the 3rd Infintry Div.
As long as we have these men and women, willing and ready to stand up for good, then evil will never prevail.
The American people need to know and have a right to know as much as possible about the way things are going there. The blood, sweat and tears of our greatest treasure, our children, is invested there.
To the troops, "God Bless each of you and come home safe to your loved ones", and to you, Brian Williams, "Thank you and safe journey home".
J.F. Rochester. Pa. (Sent Mar 6, 2007 11:52:53 AM)
I love the fact that I live in a country where we can have debates like this -- and where men can get a shave without the barber being threatened with death. We DO have a mission in Iraq -- the Iraqi people would love to have the freedoms that we have. I can't understand why Americans wouldn't care about that. Maybe it's because we can't get our journalists to the Iraqi people themselves and that the Iraqi people live in so much fear of retaliation that they can't speak their minds. Surely we are fighting for a just cause. United we stand, divided we fall. Americans need to get behind this effort. Oh, in case you think the war is too far from home to care about, check out the relationship, which continues to blossom between Venezuela and Iran. Look at a map to see how much closer Venezuela is to the U.S. -- do ya think that's getting close enough for ya? (hint: missile range) Let's see, Venezuela, Iran, Cuba (with an ailing Castro) all decide to join forces against the U.S. Hmmmm...does succeeding in Iraq start making sense now? Do a little research on how the Taliban operates and dictates people's lives -- story today about the pressures they are putting on people in Pakistan. For those who think this is a simplistic fight over oil, check out who we are really fighting. The war is much more complex than we think and it is creeping closer and closer to our borders.
Peggy Bair Leavenworth, KS 66048 (Sent Mar 6, 2007 11:16:24 AM)
Thank you for a recognizing that you needed to see for yourself what is happening in Iraq...the positive as well as the negative. Many times younger reporters are out to make a name for themselves by becoming known as "war correspondents". Violence and body counts enhance such an image. Reports of stabilizing seem boring by comparison. In fact, when our troops have asked why the positive news isn't being reported, they've been told that newscasts don't have time for anything more than the battles and the body counts. Again, thank you for taking your mature sensibilities to the scene of the story and presenting all sides of it.
Columbus, OH (Sent Mar 6, 2007 10:15:43 AM)
Brian,
Could you ever mention or give credit to the pilots that are behind the scene's doing the flying. Nothing big just a note, my husband is one of the pilots pictured with the Gen. and flew you and your crew around for 6 hours with not one mention of who they are, and I just wish they got a little credit for making sure everything was ready for you guys to ride with them on their mission. I
Jamie Hatley San Antonio Tx (Sent Mar 6, 2007 8:55:43 AM)
I enjoy Brian's blogs and reporting. We need more comment from the troops, not the brass. It is funny, put an officer, any rank, and an enlisted man, any rate, together in a situation. The Officer will sugar coat it and the enlisted man will tell it like it is, good or bad. But take my word, as an ex enlisted man, you can count on the latter as being closer to the truth. Z.T.
Z.T. Armstrong. Fort Worth, Texas (Sent Mar 6, 2007 8:36:56 AM)
Dear Mr. Williams, It seems that your report of relative tranquility contrasts greatly with the 9 US serviceman's deaths yesterday in Iraq. This appears to be a deadly game of "Whack-a-Mole" with the various warring groups.
David Darmstadter, Barboursville, VA (Sent Mar 6, 2007 8:13:52 AM)
Brian, thank you for a true picture of what our military is doing in Iraq. My son is in the 3rd ID in Hit. I must say that this was refreshing news from what is normally put out by the MSM as Iraq news. A body count every day is not news.
As to what the soldiers think of the MSM, to quote my son "I don't watch it, listen to it or read it!" He and the soldiers he serves with know what the real story is and to hear the garbage the MSM puts out every day is depressing to them.
Hope NBC continues to report the truth and not propaganda.
Terry Edge, Manchester, NH (Sent Mar 6, 2007 6:04:30 AM)
As I sit here at 4:00AM reading the news that 9 more American young men have been blown to kingdom come, tell me Mr.Brian Williams how "enthusiastic" are your Generals today?
Just another old Vet who knows this war is lost.
Guy Cucchiara, Bradford, Ma. (Sent Mar 6, 2007 4:08:44 AM)
Please ask around if it would be acceptable for Iraq to be divided into States as we are in The United States with a Federal Iraq sharing the Oil Revenue. This would give each Tribal and religious group more control over its population.
Dwight D. Leister: Chair: Committee To Elect (Sent Mar 6, 2007 2:52:24 AM)
I didn’t like Brian Williams report from Iraq tonight. He made it sound like all was going well with the British withdrawal and our new tactics of embedding GIs with the Iraq militias. He ignored another suicide bomber who blew people to hell in a market area in Bagdad. He spoke of the dedication of our GIs on their second and third tours over there, how Gung Ho they are, making it all sound like he favored a war which is going well, too much like the bull we hear from the Generals in charge. The enemy is not going to come out and fight. They will simply fade away wherever our troops show strength and attack elsewhere.
John Keckhut (Sent Mar 6, 2007 2:22:18 AM)
Brian,
Good reporting from Iraq. It is refreshing to see a close up of what our soldiers are actually doing, rather than just hearing our politicians and media pontificate for their own gain.
Noah (Sent Mar 6, 2007 12:28:20 AM)
WOW! I can't beleive I'm watching the same Brian!
tonight's broadcast was very uplifting it seems the US forces are making progress.Thank you for a good and positive report! Please keep them coming. Brian, show the real deal.
Dan Jacobsen, Phoenix, Arizona (Sent Mar 5, 2007 11:14:50 PM)
As a mother of a U.S. Marine in Ar Ramadi, and his battalion which is spread out all over Anbar Province, I would like to thank you for your coverage tonight. Usually, NBC has been a bit bias, but for those of us with skin in the game, it is finally good to see some reporting that mirrors what our sons have said all along. Stay safe in your journey, and Thank you again, for a more balanced reporting.
Julie Smithwick, Grand Junction, CO (Sent Mar 5, 2007 11:12:48 PM)
Mr. Williams Thank you for another great broadcast. When you were speaking with the troops and they said that the Iraqis wanted them to stay I thought I hope there is cooperation from the other side to quell the violence. I always enjoy seeing Richard Engel alongside you. His report from Sadr City showed some change, but also one cannot take anything for granted. If these people are underground and biding their time I hope they can be stopped. Hopefully progress can be made in the right direction for peace. Please stay safe and well Brian, Richard and the rest of the crew. Come back home soon! God Bless our brave military
Lisa McNeil, Alpharetta, Georgia (Sent Mar 5, 2007 11:12:37 PM)
Brian, Thanks for going to a dangerous place and having the courage to truthfully report your findings (although it is inconvienient for some). We cannot fully evaluate, or appreciate what is happening there otherwise. Take care, and be safe.
Brad Bernadot, Las Vegas, Nv. (Sent Mar 5, 2007 10:54:07 PM)
Tonight's broadcast puzzled me. We heard a lot from the generals and commanders in Iraq about how the Iraqis want the troops to stay there and about how the troops support the mission and want to stay in Iraq. Yet, not one Iraqi was interviewed, nor was any rank and file soldier. Is this what passes for journalism? Where is the investigation?
(Sent Mar 5, 2007 10:29:02 PM)
Give the generals a chance... I think they have it right. Much better than our time in VN.
Robert Brown, San Clemente, CA (Sent Mar 5, 2007 8:15:02 PM)
Your comment about Americans wanting all troops out of Iraq was misleading (in response to what the troops said they and the locals want). I believe most Americans support us fighting al qaeda in places like you were today in Ramadi but not placing our troops in the middle of Sunni/Shia sectarian conflicts in places like Baghdad (taking the pressure off Iraqis to solve their internal problems). I assumed you would be more nuanced in your interview/guided tour by knowing the nature of the fight where you were today and not give the general and those who report to him a softball like that on national TV.
(Sent Mar 5, 2007 8:13:45 PM)
I agree with j bert.
Let us take core of own.
(Sent Mar 5, 2007 8:00:34 PM)
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