So I’m watching the news after the president’s speech last night, and what do I hear and see but detailed accounts of how many troops we’ve got in the Middle East, where they’re stationed, what kind of weapons and equipment (and planes and tanks) they have, what tactics they’ll be using, what “surprise” missiles they have (yes, they told us what the surprises were!)…
…
Um, huh? Do they think Saddam is the George McLellan of the modern age? Shouldn’t they be keeping this info a secret? Or is it that surveillance is so sophisticated nowadays that there’s no use in trying to hide anything?
Heh… and how do you know they’re telling you where they really are, how many there really are, and what weapons and tactics are really going to be used?
Indeed, I’ve got a buddy who’s dad is ex-DoD, and he says that any time you hear a troop number on the news, it’s only about half the number of troops who are really there. Also, there’s a considerable number of things which I’m sure we’re not hearing about. (The fact that everyone’s assuming Saddam’s going to hunker done in Baghdad, makes me inclined to believe the US knows he’s not going to be there when the bombing starts.)
It’s all about the First Amendment, baby. If the media can find it out, they have the right to publish it. Read up on the Pentagon Papers.
Of course, sometimes there’s a good case to be made that publishing it is not the right thing to do. But by and large, the government’s hands are tied once the information has been leaked.
I also heard that because of the limited response we’re expecting (relative to what we’re doling out), it doesn’t really matter if they know where we are. We’re gonna kick butt and take names with little to no resistance. Relatively.
Stuff like how large our forces are and what kind of technology we have is no secret in times of war or peace. In fact, the government seems to like disclosing that sort of thing, since it gives them a chance to stretch the truth to their favor (such as exaggerating the effectiveness of the patriot missiles in the last gulf war).
So, if they want to talk about the effectiveness of the new PAC3 missiles or let the public know how many avenues of attack we have available, it’s probably for its PR benefits. And considering just how much fuss is being made about where we can and cannot station troops, it’s pretty difficult information to hide anyway.
The military and the media have an odd relationship. It’s usually in the military’s best interests to be as open as possible; in the past, the military has suffered when it hid information that could have cleared up misconceptions.
No cite, but didn’t the US military give the press false info during the fist “Gulf War” to throw-off the Iraqi war planners? Perhaps this is the same plan.
