But seriously, WHY is CNN reporting "1000 U.S. paratroopers jump into northern Iraq"

[ReiAyanami]

i mean sure saddam probably would find out that there are some paratroopers in northern iraq within a day, but why does our media give them the exact number and region?

and jeez, on the first night of war i bet when saddam logged onto his homepage, CNN.com and saw the big letters "DECAPITATION ATTACK IN IRAQ" he then went into his super secure underground bunker tunnel network.

well anyway, now he knows to send 2000 Republican Guards to the north, if there are that many left

 

[NightTrain]

The most infamous expression of this neutrality fetish occurred during a PBS debate in 1989. A hypothetical case was put to Peter Jennings and Mike Wallace: You're covering a war, traveling behind enemy lines with a "North Kosanese" military unit that sets up an ambush to kill a group of Americans. Do you film the ambush, or do you try to warn the Americans?

Jennings answered first. "I think," he said after a long pause, "that I personally would do what I could to warn the Americans."

That appalled Wallace. "I am astonished" that you would interfere, he said to Jennings. "You're a reporter!" But shouldn't a reporter do
something, asked the moderator, when his fellow Americans are about to be massacred? Doesn't he have a higher duty than covering the story?

"No," Wallace replied at once. "You don't have a higher duty. No. No. You're a reporter!"

Jennings backed down. "I wish I had made another decision," he said. "I would like to have made his [Wallace's] decision."

 

[ManSnake]

Because Saddam don't have control of Northern Iraq at all. The region is controlled by the Kurds, who hate Saddam very much.

 

[yhelothar]

so but saddam could still prepare for the north..

 

[Feldenak]

Originally posted by: virtualgames0
so but saddam could still prepare for the north..

Exactly. It forces him to prepare for 2, possibly 3 fronts and spread the defense thin.

 

[Yzzim]

Originally posted by: Feldenak

Originally posted by: virtualgames0
so but saddam could still prepare for the north..

Exactly. It forces him to prepare for 2, possibly 3 fronts and spread the defense thin.

exactly!

you think the Pentagon is accidently letting this information through? Haven't we learned anything from the Gulf War? The Pentagon is using the media as a tool, whether they know it or not.

Even with the journalists on the "front lines" this is still a Pentagon fed version of the war.

 

[kleinesarschloch]

do you really think saddam has to rely on cnn for inteligence? you don't think iraq has a secret service and a million other ways to gather information, just like any other country?

 

[Kadarin]

I think it's a bit more odd that they're putting as much emphasis on this as they are. FOX News called it as opening a new front in the war, as if 1000 paratroopers could go up against an armored division or two.

 

[Yzzim]

Originally posted by: kleinesarschloch
do you really think saddam has to rely on cnn for inteligence?

All the news stations during the Gulf War were talking about a huge amphibious assault. Where did Saddam put most of his tanks/artillery? Along the coastline, of course. We all know what happened during the Gulf War...the infamous "left hook" which totally suprised Saddam and caught him off guard.

you don't think iraq has a secret service and a million other ways to gather information, just like any other country?

No, I don't. Saddam doesn't have the resources such as the US, Britain, Russia, China, etc do. Sure Iraq has scouts placed in vaious positions to report to the Iraqi commanders as to what is happening on the ground, but I do bet Saddam and his commanders are paying attention to CNN and other various news organizations. Don't know how seriously they are taking it, but it doesn't matter. The idea that the US/Britain are opening up another front requires you to account for them.

 

[Siddhartha]

CNN et al report only what the military wants them to report.

 

[TheJTrain]

Originally posted by: Astaroth33
I think it's a bit more odd that they're putting as much emphasis on this as they are. FOX News called it as opening a new front in the war, as if 1000 paratroopers could go up against an armored division or two.

But the objective wasn't to take all of Northern Iraq with those 1000 brave souls - it was to take an airfield, which they did, that's now being used to bring in all kinds of hardware, Bradleys, M1A1 tanks, artillery, helicopters, etc. We established a control point and base of operations in the north, from which we can surround Baghdad and just overpower the remaining Iraqi forces.

 

[conjur]

Originally posted by: TheJTrain

But the objective wasn't to take all of Northern Iraq with those 1000 brave souls - it was to take an airfield, which they did, that's now being used to bring in all kinds of hardware, Bradleys, M1A1 tanks, artillery, helicopters, etc. We established a control point and base of operations in the north, from which we can surround Baghdad and just overpower the remaining Iraqi forces.

Give that man a cigar!

 

[Pepsei]

It's public information given to CNN....

If it's a secret, CNN wouldn't know about it, you'll have to read it on National Enquirer.

 

Originally posted by: TheJTrain

Originally posted by: Astaroth33
I think it's a bit more odd that they're putting as much emphasis on this as they are. FOX News called it as opening a new front in the war, as if 1000 paratroopers could go up against an armored division or two.

But the objective wasn't to take all of Northern Iraq with those 1000 brave souls - it was to take an airfield, which they did, that's now being used to bring in all kinds of hardware, Bradleys, M1A1 tanks, artillery, helicopters, etc. We established a control point and base of operations in the north, from which we can surround Baghdad and just overpower the remaining Iraqi forces.

that and the kurds said they would gladly follow an american commander if turkey stays out of it. So they also have that going for them.