Chess, War, And Honor
By Michael Nevin (04/22/03)
According to certain media elites, Operation Iraqi Freedom was going to be anything but a swift checkmate. The military was stuck in that infamous quagmire which was intended to evoke memories of Vietnam. Cynics believed that the dust storm, during the initial days of the conflict, would spell a bad omen.
Some reporters weren't going to disappoint the anti-war crowd with actual good news. Peter Arnett went on Iraqi television and proclaimed that Iraqi determination had altered the war plan. On ABCs World News Tonight, Peter Jennings was digging in for the long haul. On April 4, Jennings spoke to a reporter concerning breaking news that brought more gloom and doom. Chief national security correspondent John McWethy: ''As the U.S. begins to really squeeze Baghdad, U.S. intelligence sources are saying that some of Saddam Husseins toughest security forces are now apparently digging in, apparently willing to defend their city block by block. This could be, Peter, a long war.''
Peter Jennings replied, ''As many people had anticipated.'' Who were these intelligence sources and how intelligent were they? Could one such source be Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf, a.k.a.Baghdad Bob, the Iraqi minister of information?
While some media professionals, leftists, and Frenchmen seemed to be watching another war unfold, most Americans were able to extract the truth despite the bias. Candor always gets in the way of liberal spin. While Saddam Hussein had twelve years to defy warnings, only minutes elapsed between the President's deadline and target strikes. Saddam may have understood our military efficiency better than anyone as that building came crashing down. Tomahawk cruise missiles send a strong message, especially when they're aimed at you.
The coalition forces, maneuvering faster than any other army in the history of warfare, debunked the myth that victory was a distant dream. The speed and precision in which they completed their combat objectives was simply extraordinary. Our greatest weapons proved not to be any of the bombs or bullets, but rather the soldiers. Many images and stories will be documented, but the compassion and heroism our troops displayed on the battlefield should not be overlooked.
· In Najaf, residents appeared alarmed by the actions of the U.S. troops when they first entered the city. CNN footage showed soldiers trying to calm a crowd who mistakenly thought they were planning to seize the local mosque. ''Smile at the people. Weapons down,'' ordered the U.S. commander to his men as they slowly backed away from the crowd. This was by no means a retreat but rather a show of respect.
· The scene in Baghdad was surreal. Watching U.S. troops move through the city in armored convoys, people flooded the streets to cheer. Women lifted their babies for the soldiers to kiss. I was a big fan of the two Iraqis holding up a sheet bearing the message: ''Go home Human Shields, you U.S. Wankers.'' It seems that the shields never bothered to ask the Iraqi people what they thought about the war.
You can understand the anger. These foreigners, who have the very freedom the Iraqi people desire, came to defend the status quo.
· Lt. Col. Tim Collins, commander of the 1st Battalion of the Royal Irish, summed up the task at hand for the British forces waiting to remove Saddam Hussein from Iraq when he addressed his troops on March 19: ''Iraq is steeped in history. It is the site of the Garden of Eden, of the Great Flood, and the birthplace of Abraham. Tread lightly there. You will see things that no man could pay to see and you will have to go a long way to find a more decent, generous, and upright people than the Iraqis. You will be embarrassed by their hospitality even though they have nothing. Don't treat them as refugees for they are in their own country. Their children will be poor, in years to come they will know that the light of liberation in their lives was brought by you.''
On April 10, the Associated Press reported: ''To the south, officials said the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Regiment had reached Al-Qurnah, said to be the site of the biblical Garden of Eden. The troops were welcomed by cheering crowds of Madan, marsh Arabs who have suffered genocide at the hands of Saddam.''
These are just a few of the many instances in which the coalition forces achieved victory with honor. I would be remiss not to mention the dramatic rescue of the POWs. The extent to which our military went to save their own is inspiring. Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, recently pointed out, ''I don't believe there has ever been a war in history where one side went to such painstaking length to protect civilian lives.'''
The world took notice that Americans will not be trapped in a standstill when our national security is at stake. Enemies who miscalculate our resolve will do so at their own risk. It would be prudent for them to start playing by the rules because dust storms may signal that the endgame is near, and time will not be on their side.
First published on ChronWatch.com.
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