Return-Path: <sentto-279987-3991-1007387091-fc=all.net@returns.groups.yahoo.com> Delivered-To: fc@all.net Received: from 204.181.12.215 [204.181.12.215] by localhost with POP3 (fetchmail-5.7.4) for fc@localhost (single-drop); Mon, 03 Dec 2001 05:49:12 -0800 (PST) Received: (qmail 32077 invoked by uid 510); 3 Dec 2001 13:45:16 -0000 Received: from n22.groups.yahoo.com (216.115.96.72) by all.net with SMTP; 3 Dec 2001 13:45:16 -0000 X-eGroups-Return: sentto-279987-3991-1007387091-fc=all.net@returns.groups.yahoo.com Received: from [10.1.1.221] by n22.groups.yahoo.com with NNFMP; 03 Dec 2001 13:44:51 -0000 X-Sender: fc@west.unhca.com X-Apparently-To: iwar@onelist.com Received: (EGP: mail-8_0_0_1); 3 Dec 2001 13:44:50 -0000 Received: (qmail 91960 invoked from network); 3 Dec 2001 13:44:50 -0000 Received: from unknown (216.115.97.172) by m3.grp.snv.yahoo.com with QMQP; 3 Dec 2001 13:44:50 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO west.unhca.com) (63.239.93.61) by mta2.grp.snv.yahoo.com with SMTP; 3 Dec 2001 13:44:41 -0000 Received: (from fc@localhost) by west.unhca.com (8.11.0/8.11.0) id fB3DnEN13439 for iwar@onelist.com; Mon, 3 Dec 2001 08:49:14 -0500 Message-Id: <200112031349.fB3DnEN13439@west.unhca.com> To: iwar@yahoogroups.com Organization: I'm not allowed to say X-Mailer: don't even ask X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.5 PL3] From: Fred Cohen <fc@all.net> X-Yahoo-Profile: fcallnet Mailing-List: list iwar@yahoogroups.com; contact iwar-owner@yahoogroups.com Delivered-To: mailing list iwar@yahoogroups.com Precedence: bulk List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:iwar-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com> Date: Mon, 3 Dec 2001 08:49:14 -0500 (EST) Reply-To: iwar@yahoogroups.com Subject: [iwar] [fc:Misinformation.in.the.United.States.] Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit 29 November 2001 Misinformation in the United States. By H. Thomas Hayden For Americans, learning about the "War on Terrorism," Afghanistan, Marines in Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Islam, is a daunting task, particularly for those who have probably never paid much attention to many of these concepts until recent events following the tragedy on 9/11/01. Many US news media reporters are using the wrong terminology in reporting, which is as bad as getting the facts wrong. An article in the LOS ANGELES TIMES, Sunday, November 24, 2001, "U.S. May Reshape Ties With Saudis," was one the best impartial and non-biased reporting on Saudi Arabia that I have seen. Some in the US news media are starting to get their facts right. The LOS ANGELES TIMES acknowledged that the Saudi government has provided all the help that the American government has asked for. The Saudis have held nothing back except letting FBI agents go into Saudi prisons and interview prisoners. Does anyone think that the U.S. would let Saudis go into US prisons and question US citizens? Not likely! The US uses Saudi air bases every day for "Operation Northern Watch," over Iraq. The Saudis also help where they can on Afghanistan. The Saudis do not beat their breast and yell: "look at me." They are a very humble and easy going people. The Saudi government are consensus builders in the Arab and Muslim world - they avoid confrontation where possible. Recent TV news media accounts by Western news media on the activities in the Middle East and Afghanistan are a little off base. What was the "revolt" at Mazar-i-Sharif? Where was the revolution? At worse it was a prison riot and at best the right of any POW to try to escape. Every US Marine, soldier, sailor or airman, is trained to try to escape as soon as captured. So why was the attempted prison break at Mazar-I-Sharif such a surprise to the Western news media? It should not be surprising to TV reporters who seem to contrast the Marines with their heavy packs and the Afghan fighters who carry only their weapon and ammunition. The Marines are carrying their "homes" on their backs. The Afghans are most likely within walking distance of their homes. The Afghans do not have to ready to be helo lifted a hundred miles to their next battle and stay for weeks at a time. "Light Infantry" mainly means they WALK and not ride in Bradley Fighting Vehicles accompanied by Abrams tanks to battle. The British Royal Marines, US Army Rangers and US Marines are among the best "light infantry" in the world. They will go anywhere "they can take a gun." Meaning rifles and assault weapons. "Light infantry" does not mean pajamas and an AK-47. As far as questioning the Marine Corps' ability to fight in mountainous terrain or cold weather, the reporters obviously have never heard of Pickle Meadows, Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center, Bridgeport, California, in the high Sierras. Most likely every Marine in Afghanistan has been there. Additionally, the Marine Corps Cold Weather Instructors are trained at the Army Cold Weather Training Center, Ft Greely, Alaska, where the weather gets down to a minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Contrary to many news reports that the "numbers of fully trained specialists mountain warfare troops is still relative small," is way off base. Unless you call tens of thousands "small numbers." The Afghan "mountains" and cold weather are a piece of cake for the Marines and the Army 10th Mountain Division. Americans should not be surprised if there is no central authority to replace the Taleban any time soon. Afghanistan has never really been a "state" as is commonly know in Western terms. Afghanistan is a collection of tribes and clans who have strong local governments but have really never had an acceptable central national government for decades. The so called "Northern Alliance" is a lose coalition of Tajiks, Uzbeks, Hazaras and some Pashtuns. They are barely maintaining control in the interim to forming a new government. Bandits and common criminals are rampant through out much of the country. It is reported that one can hardly go beyond Kabul's suburbs without running into armed gangs. The average Taleban soldier and their leaders are simply falling back to a warlord's fiefdom. It is seriously doubtful that many Taleban, or Northern Alliance soldiers, believe the $25 million bounty on the head of Osama Bin Laden. "That's a fantasy," one majhadeen commander told a NEWSWEEK reporter. The Americans and the UN are hoping that the Afghans will forgo their century old tradition of fighting for a living for two reasons: battle fatigue and total destruction of the country and the promise of billions of dollars in foreign aid. Even though it has been explained many times, it seems that the Western news media do not understand the military strategy that has been at work in Afghanistan. Americans want instant results. However, the military strategy has been the same from the start: (1) destroy communications, command and control centers of the Taleban and Al Qaeda, (2) destroy air defense and fighter aircraft that could interfere with Allied operations, (3) destroy training bases of Al Qaeda and Osma bin Laden, and (4) destroy the Al Qaeda organization and all its leadership. It is time to face facts. American air power cannot win the war in just a few weeks or months. It will take coordinated air and ground forces, coalition forces, US and British Special Forces and maybe US Marines and soldiers to finish the job. American resolve in this so called "Fight Against Terrorism," has finally been proven with their deployment of the US Marines to an area south of Khandahar. This proves more forcefully than any chest beating utterances made by US officials since 9/11, that the US is both serious about its campaign against terrorism and Al Qaeda and are in the game for the long haul. Additionally, the US news media fretting that the US cannot sustain heavy causalities in foreign entanglements has been woefully wrong in all polls and public opinion surveys. The last refuge of liberals and know nothings on the War Against Terrorism is "Human Rights." It was truly unpleasant to see the former president of Ireland, now head of the UN Human Rights agency, blasting the Northern Alliance for so called Human Rights abuses. Also, Amnesty International is now collecting millions of dollars as they joint the fray. Where was Amnesty International and the UN when the Taleban were in power and smashing the rights of women, children, and opposition movements. It is hard to believe that educated leaders in the Western world think that the ex-Taleban or mujahadeen even know what the concept of Human Rights is all about. The last item that has garnered much adverse publicity in the Western press is the concept of Military Tribunals. It seem to be a good idea for Nazi or Japanese war criminals after World War II. The Taleban and Al Qaead claim to be warriors and represent some kind of army in a war against the US, democracy and stability in the Middle East. The specter of an "O.J. Simpson style trial" with high price lawyers and prosecutors vying for publicity and TV fame is beyond imagination. A serious word of caution to those who seek to undermine the US president's call for military tribunals. When US Marines and soldiers are tired, bleeding, hungry and thirsty after days of combat, how many of them may want to capture the instigators or supporters of the 9/11 horrifying tragedy, and then see another "O. J Simpson" go free over legal wrangling that has become so common in the US legal and jurists system? H. Thomas Hayden Riyadh ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> See What You've Been Missing! Amazing Wireless Video Camera. Click here http://us.click.yahoo.com/75YKVC/7.PDAA/ySSFAA/kgFolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> ------------------ http://all.net/ Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
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