AgPete
03-18-2003, 04:35 AM
Like most Americans I tuned into the President's speech to the nation last night. Am I the only one who noticed this or does it seem like Bush is getting a lot better at speechmaking? He doesn't stumble on his words near as much as he used to and I'm glad he comes across more assertive and intelligent in his speeches these days because the country needs strong leadership more than ever. Jeers to CBS and NBC who showed the speech, talked about the horrible implications of war for a few seconds and then switched to King of Queens or another sitcom. :p ABC actually treated it with respect and made me think they were the only news network that realized we are making history. With this war, our foreign policy changes forever and perhaps the U.N. becomes an irrelevant body. Anyways, just wanted to pat ABC on the back because the rest of the networks probably gave Elizabeth Smart's reappearance more press than they did this critical moment in our nation's history.
One of ABC's special news programs last night was one which predicted possible war scenarios. It brought up some interesting tidbits but I'll only be able to remember a few:
- Recent intelligence says Saddam Hussein has dispersed WMD to his troops in the field, specifically, a poison gas to be used in artillery shells against U.S. troops.
- To give you an idea how advanced our military is after only ten years, the first Persian Gulf War used 10% smart bombs, this war will use approximately 80%.
- Overall, there are less U.S. (and allied) forces than the first war.
- The U.S. will drop more firepower from the air in the first day of this war than they did in the entire 44 days of the first Persian Gulf War.
- The "BIG IF?" of this war is if Iraqi civilians will look at American troops as liberators or conquerors.
- Just like the first war, the Iraqi army is bigger than the U.S. (approx. 400,000 Iraqi grunts) but also like the first war, they're still poorly trained and equipped and morale is low.
- U.S. military leaders have seen subtle hints by Iraqi field commanders that indicate they will surrender without a fight as soon as war breaks out.
- Hussein has a very good human intelligence network that will last until the war's very end but the U.S. will wipe out all radio and phone transmission devices on day one. Rumors are that Hussein is already in hiding and his son will run the war. (The youngest son, the one in charge of his secret police.)
- The U.S. is hoping small special forces units can take out a strong armored division in the north or prevent refugees from entering Turkey. (I guess the U.S. still has troops in the sea north of Turkey waiting for the okay to enter.) The Kurds in the north are more concerned with a Turkish invasion than a U.S. one. Turkey is rumored to invade north Iraq as soon as the invasion begins and seize Kurdish lands and the Kurds do not want to be under Turkish rule and treated like current day Kurdish residents of Turkey.
- Hussein's forces are much more spread out than last war. We won't see any roads littered with destroyed Iraqi tanks this time.
- With barely a decade separating both Persian Gulf Wars, the U.S. is already far more advanced. Estimates are that the missiles we employ now can inflict 5x more damage.
- The rough plan in this war is to march quickly to Baghdad ignoring resistance along the way. The U.S. hopes that by going easy on Iraqi troops in the field and not pulverizing them like the first war they will give up easily.
- 120+ ships waiting to seize Iraq's coastal regions.
- Intelligence rumors are that Hussein thought he would have more time to prepare after a warning from Bush. Thought he would have at least 72 hours.
- More than half of our country's Marines will be in Iraq.
- Most strategists agree that Iraqi civilians will be thrown into the fight and placed in the way of our troops. Hussein will even kill them himself and blame it on the Americans in order to gather international support for a quick end to the war.
- Hussein has a very limited hiding area. The north and southern regions of Iraq would kill him or arrest him just as quickly as American troops would.
- This war will revolutionize media coverage of wars. The military is trying things it never has before. There are approx. 600 reporters stationed with the troops. Satellite and instant news technology are better than ever. The U.S. Military will not censor anything and will only have small one hour periods of blackouts at critical strategic moments like before the invasion launches. Luckily our military hasn't become as bad as reality T.V. yet and dead soldiers will not be shown nor will announcements of their death be made public until the service can notify the families. But, with little censorship, if our troops accidentally killed Iraqi civilians, it would be seen, any mistakes are going to be shown and this will not be what many criticized in the first war as a military PR machine.
BTW, I noticed CBS or ABC had a reporter via satellite in Baghdad but unlike the first war in which reporters were still affiliated with their broadcasters, this journalist was labeled as "freelance journalist." :D
One of ABC's special news programs last night was one which predicted possible war scenarios. It brought up some interesting tidbits but I'll only be able to remember a few:
- Recent intelligence says Saddam Hussein has dispersed WMD to his troops in the field, specifically, a poison gas to be used in artillery shells against U.S. troops.
- To give you an idea how advanced our military is after only ten years, the first Persian Gulf War used 10% smart bombs, this war will use approximately 80%.
- Overall, there are less U.S. (and allied) forces than the first war.
- The U.S. will drop more firepower from the air in the first day of this war than they did in the entire 44 days of the first Persian Gulf War.
- The "BIG IF?" of this war is if Iraqi civilians will look at American troops as liberators or conquerors.
- Just like the first war, the Iraqi army is bigger than the U.S. (approx. 400,000 Iraqi grunts) but also like the first war, they're still poorly trained and equipped and morale is low.
- U.S. military leaders have seen subtle hints by Iraqi field commanders that indicate they will surrender without a fight as soon as war breaks out.
- Hussein has a very good human intelligence network that will last until the war's very end but the U.S. will wipe out all radio and phone transmission devices on day one. Rumors are that Hussein is already in hiding and his son will run the war. (The youngest son, the one in charge of his secret police.)
- The U.S. is hoping small special forces units can take out a strong armored division in the north or prevent refugees from entering Turkey. (I guess the U.S. still has troops in the sea north of Turkey waiting for the okay to enter.) The Kurds in the north are more concerned with a Turkish invasion than a U.S. one. Turkey is rumored to invade north Iraq as soon as the invasion begins and seize Kurdish lands and the Kurds do not want to be under Turkish rule and treated like current day Kurdish residents of Turkey.
- Hussein's forces are much more spread out than last war. We won't see any roads littered with destroyed Iraqi tanks this time.
- With barely a decade separating both Persian Gulf Wars, the U.S. is already far more advanced. Estimates are that the missiles we employ now can inflict 5x more damage.
- The rough plan in this war is to march quickly to Baghdad ignoring resistance along the way. The U.S. hopes that by going easy on Iraqi troops in the field and not pulverizing them like the first war they will give up easily.
- 120+ ships waiting to seize Iraq's coastal regions.
- Intelligence rumors are that Hussein thought he would have more time to prepare after a warning from Bush. Thought he would have at least 72 hours.
- More than half of our country's Marines will be in Iraq.
- Most strategists agree that Iraqi civilians will be thrown into the fight and placed in the way of our troops. Hussein will even kill them himself and blame it on the Americans in order to gather international support for a quick end to the war.
- Hussein has a very limited hiding area. The north and southern regions of Iraq would kill him or arrest him just as quickly as American troops would.
- This war will revolutionize media coverage of wars. The military is trying things it never has before. There are approx. 600 reporters stationed with the troops. Satellite and instant news technology are better than ever. The U.S. Military will not censor anything and will only have small one hour periods of blackouts at critical strategic moments like before the invasion launches. Luckily our military hasn't become as bad as reality T.V. yet and dead soldiers will not be shown nor will announcements of their death be made public until the service can notify the families. But, with little censorship, if our troops accidentally killed Iraqi civilians, it would be seen, any mistakes are going to be shown and this will not be what many criticized in the first war as a military PR machine.
BTW, I noticed CBS or ABC had a reporter via satellite in Baghdad but unlike the first war in which reporters were still affiliated with their broadcasters, this journalist was labeled as "freelance journalist." :D