Multinational Force Spokesman: Media Being Manipulated by Terrorists

Stating a blindingly obvious point that has somehow escaped the Western media, Army Major General Rick Lynch today said:

"Half the battle is in the battlefield of the media."

It's a shame that the General has to spoonfeed the press like this, but with the massive egos occupying the brainpans, especially in television news, of reporters there just isn't much room left over for analytic ability and common sense.

Common sense should have told even the dullest newsperson in the Palestine Hotel that it had no intrinsic military value other than as propaganda, yet each network dutifully carried water for the terrorist insurgency by replaying the "spectacular explosions" over and over.

"The terrorists will use the media as a combat multiplier to hide their limited capabilities."

Odd, given the broadcast media's fascination for brilliant flashes of light and shiny things that there has been an embargo of images from the 9/11 attacks for years. The excuse given is that they don't want to "inflame" the American public. Unfortunately, there seems to be no equivalent concern about inflaming the ignorant, bloodthirsty, and illiterate buffoons who make up the bulk of the "Arab street".

The general said terrorists recognize the value of the media. Al Qaeda's second in command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, expressed this sentiment in a letter to Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, believed to be leading insurgent actions in Iraq. The letter was intercepted by coalition intelligence sources.

Lynch pointed to the Oct. 24 bombing of the Palestine Hotel as an example of planning an operation for media attention. The hotel is host to international journalists and contractors and has security cameras surrounding it. The attack, which was caught on surveillance cameras and aired worldwide, was meant to shift the world's focus to Baghdad and away from the progress that's being made throughout the country, he said, urging the reporters present not to allow that to happen.

Exactly, and there's bound to be more to come with elections scheduled for December 15. And, as usual, we can expect the bulk of our media to miss the significance of each attack.