Letters to the Editor
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My response to "Teemu Leisti" and company
Does "Riverbend" have a right to remain anonymous? Of course she does. She can call herself Riverbend until the cows come home. My letter was directed at Salon and other media outlets who re-print her blog entries without verifying that the author is who she says she is. Ethically, this is a questionable practice.
If say, the Weekly Standard started re-printing the blog of an anonymous writer who only presented an unblemished, rosy picture of Iraq, we'd have every right to insist that the editorial staff at the very least confirm the author's identity. And if said author turned out to be some right winger living in New Jersey, the publication's reputation would deservedly suffer.
If you go to Iraqi Bloggers Central, you will find many linked bloggers who are not anonymous -- some of who provide a portrait of present day Iraq that is anything but rosy. I think "Riverbend" has attracted more attention because of her unwaveringly bleak outlook and her complete inability to say anything remotely positive about the post-Saddam Iraq. But hey, it got her a book deal. The few book reviews I've read also fail to mention that the only source for information about Riverbend comes from Riverbend herself.
How much effort would it take for Salon editor Gary Kamiya to insist on a 15 minute phone call with his star blogger. I'm just speculating, but if she is the daughter of a Baathist diplomat or high ranking official, who received the kind of education and benefits that most Iraqis under Saddam could only dream about, then I think Salon's readers deserve to know that. She can still remain anonymous and call herself Riverbend, even when staring at a mirror.