[iwar] Media's role in war

From: Mohammad Ozair Rasheed (ozair_rasheed@geocities.com)
Date: 2001-10-24 22:39:15


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Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 10:39:15 +0500
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Subject: [iwar] Media's role in war
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http://www.dawn.com/2001/10/25/op.htm#4
 
Media's role in war



By Eric S. Margolis


In war, said Napoleon, the moral element and public relations are half
the battle. And that was before radio and television. 

For the first time, a Mideastern antagonist of the United States - Osama
bin Laden - has not only mastered public relations, but is using the
media as a potent weapon against the world's mightiest military and
media power. 

Washington had planned to repeat in Afghanistan the success it enjoyed
during the 1991 Gulf War against Iraq, when the Pentagon monopolized,
filtered, and shaped all news coming from the theatre of operations. To
this day, the number of Iraqis killed by US bombing remains secret. 

However, researchers have just learned through the Freedom of
Information Act that the US government expressly destroyed Iraq's sewage
and water treatment facilities, apparently knowing full well the result
would be widespread disease and epidemics. In short, biological warfare.
The US refuses to allow Iraq to import chlorine to purify water,
claiming that the chemical could be used as a military weapon. Iraq's
inability to purify its drinking water continues to spread sickness
across that blighted nation. 

According to the UN, 500,000 Iraqis, mostly children, have died from
disease and malnutrition caused by US sanctions. Thousands more Iraqis
are suspected to have gotten cancers from US depleted uranium munitions.
When asked about this huge toll, then US Secretary of State Madeleine
Albright memorably replied, "the price is worth it." One cannot but
wonder if the anthrax terror now afflicting America is payback. 

Israel's American supporters are currently beating the war drums over
Iraq. Such pro-Israel loudspeakers as 'The Wall Street Journal' and 'The
Washington Post' have been straining every sinew to link the September
11 attacks against the US to Iraq. Their intent is plain: to push the
United States into attacking Iraq, which is considered a major long-term
threat to Israel. The Israel lobby wants to see Iraq demolished, Saddam
Hussein killed, and partitioned into three weak mini-states. Israel's
American lobby is ready to fight to the last American to destroy Iraq. 

In Afghanistan, the Taliban stole a march on the US by giving
Al-Jazeera, the Arab world's only uncensored TV station, exclusive
coverage. Bin Laden uses Al-Jazeera and Pakistani media to promote his
anti-US cause and challenge America's control of information. As a
result, the White House is trying to silence bin Laden by the
disgraceful recourse of censoring America's media. 

The president of a democracy whose very essence is founded in free
speech has asked the media to silence bin Laden and his allies under the
laughable pretext that by wiggling an ear or rubbing a nose they
communicate information to Muslim terrorists lurking in the United
States. This would be comical were it not such a threat to the basic
freedom of all Americans. 

Almost as shameful, much of the US media has cooperated, reducing its
role from useful critics to public relations hacks.-Copyright Eric S.
Margolis 2001. 


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


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