Like, duh.
Posted on 09/16/2002 9:37:36 AM PDT by Asmodeus
For years I have been talking and writing about the distinctions of “form over substance” and “perception versus reality”. Mainstream media malfeasance has been a common theme of my columns, radio talk programs and commentary.
Notwithstanding the monumental silence, of what Drudge would call ABCCBSNBCFoxNewsCNNNYTWashPost et al, the next Iraq war has already started.
MSNBC reports, the “President says United States will act with or without world support.” Hey, “Been there….done that…already have the T-Shirt. “
While America’s atrophied fourth estate has been fixated on the Potomac Two step, London’s Telegraph last week reported. “About 100 American and British aircraft took part in an attack on Iraq's major western air defense installation…in the biggest single operation over the country for four years.”
Despite the epic myopia of mainstream media, THAT raid was a classic demonstration (or should be) to even the most neophyte military observer of “preparing the battlefield”.
The so-called “horse trading” going on is classic form over substance. “In order to gain international support for military action, the Bush administration will have to engage in intensive horse-trading. Powell and British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw made clear that discussions on a new Security Council resolution were in a very early stage and have not yet focused on specific wording or addressed the key issue of possible military action against Iraq.” BULLFEATHERS!!!!
“Possible military action”? Military action against Iraq is inevitable. It is no longer a question of “if” but merely “when”.
The London Telegraph (regarding last week’s raid) wrote, “The raid appeared to be a prelude to the type of Special Forces operations that would have to begin weeks before a possible American-led war.”
“Preparing the battlefield” is a broad brush. It includes anything and everything to reduce the enemy’s capacity to fight. That means destroying or disrupting:
· Air defense capacity
· Command and control (communications)
· Supply and logistics (ammunition, food, water, gasoline)
Notwithstanding the talk about talking about talk…and the Washington Post stroke about “….but will turn to diplomacy first.” Diplomacy my Airborne Butt! We are bombing the snot out of them NOW!
240 miles west of Baghdad, near Jordan, 12 aircraft dropped precision-guided bombs the H3 airfield. Flying out of Kuwait nine American F15s and three RAF Tornado GR4s hit the targets.
At least seven types of aircraft took part.
· Fighter cover was provided by US F-16 Fighting Falcons
· RAF Tornado F3s from Saudi Arabia.
· RAF VC10 tanker aircraft flying from Bahrain were among the support aircraft.
· These also included EA6b Prowlers, which send out signals to confuse enemy radar, and
· E3a Awacs aircraft that co-ordinate operations and carry out reconnaissance of any response.
· RAF Tornados also took part in the reconnaissance.
· American central command refused to go into detail about the number of aircraft involved in the raid.
Now THAT is an effective method of “diplomacy”… the preferred counterpoint to any and all Neville Chamberlainish appeasements.
The official spin was, "Coalition strikes in the no-fly zones are executed as a self-defense measure in response to Iraqi hostile threats and acts against coalition forces and their aircraft."
The Pentagon called the raid a "response to recent Iraqi hostile acts against coalition aircraft monitoring the southern no-fly zone".
Since Iraq has reportedly made 130 attempts to shoot down coalition aircraft this year and as the president noted, “SADDAM HUSSEIN has defied the United Nations 16 times. Not once, not twice, 16 times, he has defied the United Nations. Enough is enough,”….what the hell took us so long?
The attack on what was described, as an "air defense command and control facility" was the first time that a target in western Iraq had been attacked during the patrols of the southern no-fly zone. Previous air defense target strikes had been in the south.
The Telegraph reported, “In a further sign that America was preparing for war, a Pentagon official confirmed that heavy armor, ammunition and other equipment had been moved to Kuwait from huge stores in Qatar.” “Preparing”??????
The War has already started! We just haven’t gotten the memo yet.
In Louisville, Kentucky, the President said that, besides having talks with Mr. Blair, he would be meeting the leaders of France, Russia, China and Canada. He told them that "history has called us into action" to oust Saddam Hussein, the president of Iraq. Now he has tried to shame the United Nothing into support. He says the standoff is as much a test of the United Nations as of Saddam. “The United Nations deserves another chance to prove its relevance. This is a chance for the United Nations to show some backbone,” Bush said, but he added: “Make no mistake about it, if we have to deal with the problem, we’ll deal with it.” And we ARE.
Hey, RIGHT NOW, the US and Britain are in the process of ‘preparing the battlefield’ for the inevitability of intensified combat in Iraq.
The “perception” and spin may be that we are “talking” and attempting to win consensus from world leaders and the American people. However, the “reality” is we are (right now) engaged in a for real shooting war. The war has already started.
Like, duh.
There has been a slight uptick in the frequency, though.
There has also been reports that our special forces are already operating on the ground in Iraq. I don't know if that's been confirmed.
Before getting so wrapped up in the number of aircraft involved, Metcalf should have noticed that it was still just a single strike, and not a sustained campaign.
IOW, it was -- at most -- a message to Saddam and his potential assassins (whom W has been assiduously courting) that we have enough planes in-theater to make life difficult for Iraq.
And it WILL happen- America cannot afford to lose this war, and so we will not. Besides, Clinton is no longer in the White House as a Quisling, and nobody is listening to Jimmy "Let's all hold hands and sing happy songs" Carter anymore (if anyone ever did).
The "change" in America since 9/11/01 is NOT the realization that we are at war; it is the realization that we HAVE BEEN AT WAR FOR YEARS, only we never knew it. We can quibble over the year when the war against militant Islam began (I would fix it at the Munich massacre of 1972, but I could accept 1948, the West's recognition of the State of Israel), but no thinking person can doubt that 9/11/01 was one set of battlefield casualties in an on-going war.
Words are worthless- actions count, and we need to keep our eyes on what is really happening- not what the press and the politicians SAY is happening.
One raid is not the "war" that Metcalf makes it out to be.
The New York Times, Petduh Jennings, Brokaw, Blather, and Time Magizine say it has started.
Of course, the rest of us already know it has indeed begun.
Congressman Billybob
Click for major article on turnover in the House of Representatives: "Til Death Do Us Part."
Click for latest column: "The Star-Spangled Banner, Part II, & More Lies from the Media"
LOL! I can just picture the comedy sketch...
Snooty Limo Lib: Excuse me sir. You should not be fighting that war.
GW: War? What war?
SLL: That fracas in Iraq. Can't have it. It has not been sanctioned!
GW: Oh, that. That's not a war.
SLL: It's not? It most certainly looks like a war, with all the tanks and aircraft and shooting going on. Not sanctioned, I tell you, not sanctioned!
GW: Did you get a memo?
SLL: A memo? What memo?
GW: The memo stating that this is a war. Did you or did you not get a memo?
SLL: Well, I don't recall having received a memo regarding a war. I'm sure if I got one, I would have talked it over with Kofi. But this certainly does look like a war!
GW: You know the rules. You can't fight a war without a memo. So if there's been no memo....
SLL: ... then there is no war. Hmm, something is not quite on the up-and-up here. I may have to go talk with Kofi about this!
GW: Tell him I say 'HI'. If you'll excuse me, I have this police action to take care of here.
When has diplomacy ever worked? It's only ever provided a temporary bandaid and a very expensive one at that.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.