[Apple a Day]

Okay, maybe I'm a little skewed but a trend I see happening
:
On one side you have the U.S. and U.K. military who are skirting around urban centers, cutting them off, and refusing to get tangled in house-to-house fighting. I assume the idea is to cut the militia off from supplies and keep them contained until we can get Saddam Hussein and his top chronies, thereby ending the war from the top down. This strategy won't end the fighting completely but it will lessen the will to fight. It will also give resistance against Hussein time to foment and hopefully encourage the Iraqi people to take back their own cities. The result: fewer coalition casualties.

On the other side you have the Iraqi fanatics who are doing everything they can to draw coalition forces into the urban areas where they can ambush and boobytrap all over the place. They know if they go out into the open to attack coalition forces they will get stomped a dozen ways to Sunday so they set about abusing the populace and forcing civilians to fight for them. Perhaps the shangheid fighters incite some casualties, perhaps they get our troops to overextend and walk into ambushes... any way to cause casualties which will, they hope, sap the American people's will to support a war.

In between you have the media, who are trying to grab public opinion by the short hairs. They show stories of a "humanitarian crisis" in the urban centers without, of course, indicting the Iraqi hardliners, and pretty much demand that the U.S. and U.K. military go in and clear the areas to make way for humanitarian aid. Some are quite blatant about it while others are more subtle. Don't get me wrong, I am sure civilians are in dire straits. There's a limit IMO to how much you can do while there's active combat going on, though

Is this the impression other people are getting? If so, is this something that you believe is an intentional push by the liberal media types to encourage casualties on coalition forces? Is this being done in conjunction with anti-American politicos from places like France, Germany, and Russia? The very idea of it makes my skin crawl and my blood boil but then again, maybe I am giving too much credit. I'm not usually the tinfoil hat type but the possibility is too ugly to ignore. :mad:

[ahenry]

Is this the impression other people are getting? If so, is this something that you believe is an intentional push by the liberal media types to encourage casualties on coalition forces? No, I think its pure-dee ignorance coupled by the media’s desire to sensationalize everything.

[Coronach]

The media are bored. This conflict is going amazingly well. The only thing holding up our advance through Iraq thus far has been the weather and our leading elements outracing the supply train. We've suffered a handful of casualties (regrettable, all), and inflicted an absolute arse-whipping on the enemy. This is amazingly, phenominally stunning. This is like going up against Mike Tyson and, as your gameplan, allowing him to just pummel you for 11 rounds so he'll be nice and tired in the 12th. Mmmmmmm-kay.

The media remind me of the monkeys from 2001, sitting before the Monolith and chattering, stunningly ignorant of what is before them. Every now and then one of the brighter ones (usually FNC) picks up a bone and hits something with it, and actually asks a good question. But then the moment passes and its back to chattering and screeching.

So, now that we've raced half the length and most of the breadth of the country with less than 50 KIA/POWs, we've settled in for the set-piece battle that will happen outside of Baghdad, the wait for 4ID to get in-country and spun up, and the operational pause to get our leading elements back to close to 100%. The media, sensing the need to say something besides "boy, we're sure kicking their butts" and being profoundly ignorant of all things military, start using the words 'quagmire' and 'humanitarian crisis.'

And in one sense, they're right...if we lay siege to the cities, the citizens inside will suffer. And if we start MOUT, they'll also suffer. So its a catch-22. The only thing you can do in a situation like this is to find the best course of action to WIN the conflict, and then DO it. Screw the chattering classes, they'll be chattering either way.

This is not to say that things can't get ugly. Medina Division, supposedly, is now chemical-armed. And there will almost certainly be MOUT in Baghdad and elsewhere. That will result in casualties and civilian deaths. But up until now this has been amazingly smooth.

Mike

[boing]

"Every now and then one of the brighter ones picks up a bone and hits something with it..."

LOL :D

[Zundfolge]

The media is a non-issue ... General Franks doesn't care what they say, he'll run this war the way he sees fit and to h-e-double hockey sticks with the ijuts in the press.

God bless 'im :D

Bush is smart enough to let Franks run this war too.

[hammer4nc]

Gen. Franks just gave a press conference, and it was very positive on the military aspects of the campaign. As a topic for discussion, though, I can see a completely successful military campaign being pointless, unless the non-military battles (political, humanitarian, media, economic) are won as well.

Prior to military victory, world opinion could turn more negative over images of extended urban conflict. Other Arab countries uniting against USA.

Looking beyond, after the military declares victory, if there's a steady stream of suicide bombings, snipings, etc., the success of the overall operation will be questionable. If, after the military declares victory, a coalition govt. can't be effectively formed, leading to economic prosperity in Iraq, success will again be questioned.

I'd like to think that what we see as Iraqi civilian resistance now, is rooted in fear of Saddam...and once the regime is broken, the masses will welcome liberation. I'd like to think that the reality of a murderous dictator who tortures and executes dissidents, will be cast off by Iraqi citizens. Saddam statues being destroyed in Baghdad by jubilant crowds would be a nice touch!

I guess what I'm saying is that the media war has to be waged and won, as well. It can't be dismissed as senseless chatter.

What is MOUT?

[hansolo]

Just a thought: Saddam and his military leaders are seeing OUR broadcasts; what some would label "warm and fuzzy fluff pieces", like Geraldo chatting with the Commander of the Screaming Eagles, or another Fox News correspondant asking a young Marine from 29 Palms, "Do you feel anxiety with this Lull?"
"Well, Sir, I just want to get it on." with a big grin. This, in the wake of the suicide car bomb that took out four U.S. Soldiers.

IMHO, the Iraqi Military schmucks are getting this message: "the Coalition armies are NOT demoralized and they are coming to GET YOU!" After we win, the decent Iraqi people, with little to fear, will rise up against any remaining BG's and be emboldened to take back their country. Saddam, if still alive, has got to know WE WILL BE VICTORIOUS. I could be wrong, but I doubt it. As stated on the News, if the BG's use Chemical/Bio weapons, the Global Community, including the sniveling French and Germans will know Bush & Co. is Doing the Right Thing.

[ReadyontheRight]

The media remind me of the monkeys from 2001, sitting before the Monolith and chattering, stunningly ignorant of what is before them. Every now and then one of the brighter ones (usually FNC) picks up a bone and hits something with it, and actually asks a good question. But then the moment passes and its back to chattering and screeching.

That is an awesome analogy.;)

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/03/20030328-4.html

I saw a press briefing with Ari Fleischer the other day where members of the press were asking him questions about someone in the administration calling the media's coverage "silly". A reporter became very defensive about being called "silly" and even tried to call Gen. Wallace's comments "silly".:rolleyes:

Of course, what we average Americans don't realize is that this war is all about the how well the media are portrayed.:confused:

A bunch of screeching monkeys -- that's perfect!

[longeyes]

"The media remind me of the monkeys from 2001, sitting before the Monolith and
chattering, stunningly ignorant of what is before them. Every now and then one
of the brighter ones (usually FNC) picks up a bone and hits something with it, and
actually asks a good question. But then the moment passes and its back to
chattering and screeching."

I'm afraid I'm a little more cynical. The media reminds me of second-graders. OUR second-graders. This is the result of years of bad education, political indoctrination, and isolation from reality. It is what you can expect, to a much greater degree, when today's children, their impressionable minds molded by the weakest rather than the strongest, grow up and have the say in this nation.

[Diesle]

You want to build a REAL conspiracy theory...? Tune into Al Jizeera or one of the other Arab news formats. Assuming you have a translator handy.

Diesle

[dev_null]

The involvement of the media and the public opinion sobsisters really points out how warfare has changed. Last time Baghdad was attacked, they were beseiged. The whole point of a siege is to cut off all food, water, etc., until the defenders give up. Hell, the Mongols catapulted plague-infected corpses into Constantinople. I can just see the hand-wringing if we were to put a real siege in place around the city these days. :rolleyes:

-0-

[UnknownSailor]

What is MOUT?

Militart
Operations
in
Urban
Terrain

City fighting, house to house type stuff.

[longeyes]

We are already fighting in "urban terrain." Our own. We need to pay more attention to the cultural war that has long been waged in our own society. The media are but part of that problem, and that will ultimately be the real front.

[El Tejon]

Saddam's goons may continue to fight long after Saddam is found hanging upside down somewhere. History is replete with evil men refusing to give up their evil ways. The "Werewolves" fought until late '46 in Germany. Confederate bands remained active after the Civil War and some later turned into robber gangs.

The American media does not want their enemy, America, to prevail. This is no secret. They hate GWB more than than love their nation (which considering how much they loathe us, isn't hard to do).

[faustulus]

I agree that the media isn't doing a good enough job. They are not asking the really hard questions and they are not following up on the good questions they do ask that get stonewalled. Some one needs to ask Chaney if the "weeks not months" statement still stands. Someone needs to press the president on plans for a conquered Iraq because several of his statements indicate he doesn't have one. Someone needs to press the issue of the terrorist link and find where the Scuds and other missles are or even if he still has them.

[Wildalaska]

I only watch Fox news, I dont read the newspaper coverage or any other station. As far as I know we are kickin butt!

WildboycottnewsprintAlaska

[Peter Gun]

I dont watch the TV news very often, but I've already seen two reporter statements/questions that just stunned me w/ their stupidity.
First was right after the maintenance platoon was taken POW and the CNN anchor (ugly dark-haired female w/ specs) said "we can't release the names of the POW's, but we can tell you one of thier first names is James". I couldn't beleive it. She just got every American w/ a husband or son named "James" in Iraq to completely freak out. The only motivation I can think of for this is so evil I couldn't accept it at first. They just wanted to get all those relatives glued to CNN for the next year. I'll bet they don't even know the first names, they just picked "James" because its the most common. I wont ever watch CNN again.
The other was at a press conference w/ Rumsfeld and Franks and as they were finishing a reporter yelled "how come these things happen in war?" (referring to collateral damage, I think). Rumsfeld, etc, looked through the audience to see if a kindergardener snuck in (at least, thats what I would have been thinking) and then chuckled, shook their heads and walked out.
Did anyone else catch these? I'm surprised I havent heard any comments about them. If this is the intelligence of the media today, I think I'll just take the Generals' word for it for now. :rolleyes: