Typical War Coverage
US soldiers (Happy Birthday Marine Corps!) are currently crushing the terrorists wishing (and being granted the wish) to "martyr" themselves in Fallujah. Reports from the battlefield indicate the US strategy is a marvel of old-school boots-on-the-ground combined with the latest in high tech-gadgetry. The jihadis are left with the frightening prospect that their ticket to hell could be punched at any moment without warning.
This display of overwhelming power and precision warfare has resulted in a lightning quick seizure of most of Fallujah in under three days. There have been US casualties, but not on the scale some of the naysayers have predicted. Should the US and Iraqi forces close this thing out during the next few days, the victory will have occurred well under the three week timeline this assault reportedly was given to succeed. Good news, right?
Here is the headline this afternoon in the Washington Post:
American Military Claims Control of Most of Fallujah
Off to a good start. But the article then begins:
BAGHDAD, Nov. 10 -- Gunmen kidnapped a first cousin and daughter-in-law of interim Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi from their Baghdad home on Tuesday, an Allawi spokesman said Wednesday. A militant Islamist group said it would execute Allawi's relatives unless U.S. and Iraqi forces withdraw from Fallujah.
It's almost as if it's impossible for reporters to acknowledge a success in Iraq. One's sense of elation at the seeming report of good news is instantly crushed upon moving from the headline to the story. Like my brother said, he knew things were going well in Fallujah when the news stopped hyping it and moved back to that irrelevant and highly annoying Scott Peterson "celebrity" murder trial.
This display of overwhelming power and precision warfare has resulted in a lightning quick seizure of most of Fallujah in under three days. There have been US casualties, but not on the scale some of the naysayers have predicted. Should the US and Iraqi forces close this thing out during the next few days, the victory will have occurred well under the three week timeline this assault reportedly was given to succeed. Good news, right?
Here is the headline this afternoon in the Washington Post:
American Military Claims Control of Most of Fallujah
Off to a good start. But the article then begins:
BAGHDAD, Nov. 10 -- Gunmen kidnapped a first cousin and daughter-in-law of interim Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi from their Baghdad home on Tuesday, an Allawi spokesman said Wednesday. A militant Islamist group said it would execute Allawi's relatives unless U.S. and Iraqi forces withdraw from Fallujah.
It's almost as if it's impossible for reporters to acknowledge a success in Iraq. One's sense of elation at the seeming report of good news is instantly crushed upon moving from the headline to the story. Like my brother said, he knew things were going well in Fallujah when the news stopped hyping it and moved back to that irrelevant and highly annoying Scott Peterson "celebrity" murder trial.
posted by Mike C | 8:45 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home