Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 26, 1991 TAG: 9102260404
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Short
But there was more to it. The compulsion to blame ourselves was never so clear, both in what was shown and told, and even more in what was not mentioned.
The most obvious omission: If the U.S. Air Force wanted to kill large numbers of Iraqi civilians, there are easier and cheaper ways of going about it than putting a laser-guided bomb into a shelter.
The second omission: Saddam may have set this up. He has gassed his own people; he has herded civilians ahead of his troops to detonate mines. He had recently invited foreign journalists back and started showing them whatever might be useful to him.
The most likely explanation, of course, is an intelligence error. And how did American television respond to this? By doing everything possible to find out and publicize how targets are selected, without any apparent concern for the damage such disclosure might cause to Americans.
On the opening night of the war, television reported anti-aircraft batteries on the roofs of Baghdad hotels. Since then, Scud launchers have been mingled with Jordanian trucks, military aircraft have been operated from public roads, and command centers have been moved into civilian neighborhoods. Saddam thus makes extensive civilian casualties inevitable in Iraq and can be sure of prime-time coverage in the United States.
The next question: Will television again determine American policy, as it certainly did after the Tet offensive? MONTE D. WRIGHT BEDFORD
by CNB