We're going to lose the PR war

[AgPete]

No matter how many American casualties we suffer, no matter if U.S. troops are fighting in self-defense, and even if Saddam Hussein is responsible for civilian deaths, the repetitive footage of dead Iraqi civilians on Al-Jazeera is going to stick in the Islamic world's minds for years. We are going to make A LOT of enemies with this war. I hope our leaders know what they're doing. Bush may be warning us now that it could be a long war but we need to win this war quick to avoid civilian casualties. Only if Saddam Hussein starts using WMD will international opinion turn in our favor and even then, many factions that already hate us will look at it as self-defense if Al-Jazeera continues to show this type of footage. When this war is over, if there is one thing we underestimated, it will probably be the PR battle. We didn't have to deal with this type of coverage in the first Persian Gulf War.

Jazeera shows grisly pictures of dead Iraqis

KUWAIT (Reuters) - Al-Jazeera television, quoting Iraqi medics, say that 50 people have been killed in U.S. bombing around the
southern Iraqi city of Basra and it has aired grisly footage of dead and wounded civilians.

Among the scenes, beamed across the Arab the world by the Qatar-based satellite channel, were a child with the back of its
head blown off -- it was unclear if it was a boy or a girl -- and bloodied people being treated on the floor of a hospital.

"It's a huge mass of civilians," one angry woman told al-Jazeera, standing among the wounded. "It was a massacre."

The report could not be independently confirmed. U.S. and British forces have been in action around Basra. U.S. Marines
defeated Iraqi forces in a battle on the outskirts of the city on Saturday, and took many prisoners, a U.S. officer said.

It was not immediately clear who controlled Basra and there was no other immediate confirmation of the bombings.

Asked about whether U.S.-led forces had bombed Basra, a military spokesman in Qatar declined comment, saying: "That is
considered an ongoing operation and until it is over we're not going to go out there one way or another on that."

U.S. and British forces say they are intent on keeping civilian casualties to a minimum in their war to overthrow Iraqi President
Saddam Hussein.

Jazeera quoted hospital sources as saying a total of 50 people were killed -- including one entire family and a Russian citizen --
when U.S. F-16 warplanes planes bombed the city.

[rexalllsc]

Jenin Massacre. 'nuff said.

People will believe what they want to believe.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Okay, so executing prisoners is less of a p.r. sin than collateral damage? Not ripping you personally, just incredulous at that notion, even more so because realize I don't know if you're all that far off base.

Eh, it'll be like it always is I suspect -- those who get it won't fall for it and those who don't get it didn't need any excuses to hate the U.S. anyway.

[Airhog]

Maybe the government wants us to be attacked by terrorist groups. War is good business or so they say. A perpetual terrorist war is just the same as the war on drugs. It wont solve the problems, but it will generate tons of revenue for the government, and the defense and security sectors.

[Tekneek]

As has been proven, terrorist attacks here are VERY bad for business.

[Airhog]

yes it is, but the resulting war is very good for business.

[Tekneek]

No, the war in Afghanistan has done little to nothing to help business. If tomorrow goes like today went, the markets are going to go down. Nobody likes to see an 'easy war' go bad fast.

[CamEdwards]

Don't forget, Al-Jazeera was also the media outlet that ran the Iraqi state tv footage of the POW's. I think that will turn some stomachs as well.

And the Pentagon also said today that the Iraqis are moving women and children into military installations and other targets as human shields. When the media can confirm that, the public relations war might turn a bit.

I doubt it, but it could.

[Fritz]

Islamic news outlets have reported that the US has used nuclear weapons. I think truth is not an objective of these news outlets.

[Airhog]

Originally posted by Tekneek
No, the war in Afghanistan has done little to nothing to help business. If tomorrow goes like today went, the markets are going to go down. Nobody likes to see an 'easy war' go bad fast.

Sure some companies do suffer during war. But other companies make a killing during war. And the economy is not always tied to the war, many other factors could influence the economy.

[Tekneek]

Originally posted by Fritz
Islamic news outlets have reported that the US has used nuclear weapons. I think truth is not an objective of these news outlets.

Nuclear weapons? Hahahah. I know there are some brilliant people in the Middle East and that have come out of the Middle East and are now in places like the UK, Canada, and the US. Still, it stuns me the ignorance that is displayed throughout the Middle East on a daily basis. When the truth isn't spectacular enough, they make it up, and everyone believes them. Heck, if they are told something by a Muslim cleric they are ready to blow themselves up over it. It is really difficult to understand a society like that in this modern age.

[Airhog]

Originally posted by Tekneek
it stuns me the ignorance that is displayed throughout the Middle East on a daily basis. When the truth isn't spectacular enough, they make it up, and everyone believes them.

I dont think that the middle east region where news is fabricated. In not saying everything that the news in the US is made up, but alot of the news has a pro-american spin put on it, just like Those middle eastern news agencies put a spin on their news.

[Tekneek]

Oh, I agree with that. However, saying nuclear weapons have been used in this conflict isn't just putting a spin or bias on a news story. It is a fabrication.