iaamoac wrote:

> --- In [EMAIL PROTECTED], "G. D. Akin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > We pretty much decided that the public does have a right to know,
> > but not as  it is happening.  Those were live Marines, very much
> > in harm's way.
>
> AFAIK, though, nobody is showing live battle scenes, are they?   (Due
> to various constraints, most of my war coverage has been through
> radio, not TV - not that I even have cable).

Yes they have been.  Live and up close and personal.  Marines laying on the
ground look through scopes at a building where the resistance was.  In the
distance, between the Marines and the building were two or coalition tanks
peppering the building.

> > Another topic was about Operational Security--we're certainly
> > not the only  people watching the "show".  The bad guys can use
> >the pictures as up to the  minute targeting information.
>
> My understanding is that the US has very strict rules regarding
> reports from embedded reporters to prevent this.  Indeed, almost all
> of the shots I have seen from embedded reporters have had a man-made
> backdrop to prevent this.

You said earlier most of your war coverage has been from radio.  There are
live shots and the backdrop is real desert and real people.

> > I know the on-scene commanders neither need nor want "help"
> > from armchair generals in the States.
>
> A friend of mine actually pointed out to me yesterday that all of the
> networks now have "retired generals" as military analysts, and that
> some of these generals have been "retired" for as little as weeks or
> months.   This suggests that the Pentagon very much wants these
> generals on the networks providing a "military viewpoint" to the
> coverage.

True: Most give a positive spin and a "military viewpoint" and are
knowledgable about our capabilities if not the exact plan (which they
wouldn't divulge even if they knew it).  However, I meant active duty
military in the States second guessing real-time battle field decisions.

 George A



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