No Embeds at Landstuhl

Far from the battleground, and the eyes of reporters and cameramen, almost 500 wounded U.S. military personnel have been airlifted to Germany for medical treatment since the start of the Fallujah offensive. Despite claims that the heavy fighting has ended, another 46 arrived on Monday.

By Greg Mitchell

NEW YORK (November 11, 2004) -- Dozens of embedded reporters re-enlisted this week, and hundreds of newspapers recounted the invasion of the insurgent stronghold (which turned out to be not quite as strong as expected) as if it might prove to be the turning point in the war. The embeds were far from the scene, however, when several other rebel centers exploded in death and fury.

And they are completely missing from the American tragedy unfolding at the military's Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, where most of the seriously wounded U.S. troops in Iraq are taken. As of Saturday, according to hospital officials, at least 413 U.S. military personnel had been airlifted to the facility from Iraq since the start of the offensive, forcing them to add beds and expand their operations.