In response to the Jan. 16 Post-Gazette editorial "Santorum's War: The Senator Wants to Downplay the Casualties":

The speech I delivered in Valley Forge last week was intended to convey my impression of our progress in Iraq. I underlined the immense consequences of a premature withdrawal of American troops and what Americans need to do to ensure that we, unequivocally, win this war.

The terrorists and Islamic fascists know that they can never defeat our military on the battlefield -- they can achieve their objectives only by deflating support here in America and forcing a premature withdrawal of our troops. During my speech, I was critical of the media for undermining the public's support for the war, support that is vital to our success. I stand by that critique.

My issue with the media coverage of this war does not, as the Post-Gazette so disingenuously suggests, stem from my "want to downplay the casualties." Instead, it comes from the media consistently downplaying or, worse, not even acknowledging any action or incident in Iraq that does not include violence and bloodshed.

Yes, I agree that the American people deserve to know about the tragedy of a lost American life -- understanding the cost of this conflict is extremely important. I certainly do not believe that our citizens are "fragile souls who need to be protected from such information," and any assertion otherwise is a comical distortion of my words.

But Americans also deserve to know the entire context of our soldiers' lives in Iraq -- and as I said last week, the media do every soldier a disservice by reporting only on the last chapter of their service in Iraq.

As I mentioned Thursday, we hear incessant reports of Iraqis being killed at military and police recruiting stations. Yet the media never reports the fact that, in spite of these attacks, Iraqi men return to these same stations the very next day, so stalwart is their desire for freedom. The second point is at least as important to understanding the situation in Iraq as the first, but we never hear it. I believe that with its consistent use of selective reporting, the media have entirely failed to fulfill their most important responsibility -- a responsibility to the truth.

The irony of its condemnation of my address is that the editorial board of the Post-Gazette did exactly what I was critiquing the media for -- using half-truths to misrepresent reality and ultimately push their own agenda. The prevalence of such tactics persuaded me to call on the president to cooperate with a committed group of Americans, removed from politics, who can travel to Iraq and provide the American people with a fresh look at what's happening there.

Monday's editorial only enhanced my belief that such a group is sorely needed, and I reiterate my request to President Bush here. There's simply too much at stake to delay any longer.