[iwar] [fc:Misinformation.in.the.United.States.]

From: Fred Cohen (fc@all.net)
Date: 2001-12-03 05:49:14


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Date: Mon, 3 Dec 2001 08:49:14 -0500 (EST)
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Subject: [iwar] [fc:Misinformation.in.the.United.States.]
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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


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