Time for Saddam TV to go off the air?

[Reginald]

I've watched the daily news conference from Iraq with interest, Ive been suprised that there is some truth in what they say. Some of the casualty reports have been quite reasonable (some not so).

But I now feel its time for us to drop the "Leave it on so they can see he's dead" Philosophy, and get his propaganda organ off the air.

While Any off the "High Command" are broadcasting there will be a sense of unity and "structure".

I know we have this restriction about destroying infrastructure but I now feel that it's continuing broadcasts are causing diffeculties.

Maybe I am overestimating the contribution that is coming from this?

[kourama]

Wow! I think that's a great idea. Along the same vein, let's shut down all the U.S. broadcasting stations to prevent them from broadcasting any more government propaganda! :rolleyes:

EDIT:

I guess I shoulda mentioned BBC's, but nobody watches those anyway, do they :D

[Smalso]

Remember back during the first Gulf War the name was changed from "Operation Enduring Freedom" to "Operation Enduring Coverage"?

I don't know why they didn't take out Iraqi TV on Day One.

It seems to me we are going a lot lighter on Iraq than we did in 1991. Who came up with this battle plan?

We should bombard them from the air like we did in 1991 until their will is broken. These skirmishes of our ground troops are completely unneccesary

It's time to ramp up the aerial bombing campaign and quit pussyfooting around.

[billiefan2000]

Originally posted by kourama
Wow! I think that's a great idea. Along the same vein, let's shut down all the U.S. broadcasting stations to prevent them from broadcasting any more government propaganda! :rolleyes:

EDIT:

I guess I shoulda mentioned BBC's, but nobody watches those anyway, do they :D

You forget to mention NPR and PBS which is the most known Propaganda Stations out there.

[no one in particular]

Reginald, I was thinking about this last evening. The first thing would be that the fewer things the coalition destroys the fewer things U.S. taxpayers have to rebuild (not that Franks is thinking about that, just me). My next line of thought was that the Iraqis and the Baath party must know that the coalition is allowing them to broadcast, so there is some psychological damage just from that fact. (You may very well be right though, how many canned messages will the Iraqis receive before they ask, ‘wait a tick, he didn't say anything specific...hmmm’?) But, I think there could be no finer sign to the Iraqi people that the Baath party is done for, and that the coalition has taken over, than to broadcast that news directly to the Iraqi people from their own non-destroyed medium. Or the coalition will destroy it tomorrow, who knows?

[corplinx]

Originally posted by LukeT
?

We should bombard them from the air like we did in 1991 until their will is broken.

No we shouldnt. We have the technology and training now to minimize military and civillian losses. No more carpet bombing. We are shifting from attacking with the sledgehammer to attacking with the needle.

[Reginald]

It's just a couple of things spring to mind, Firstly Tv and Radio are established means of consolidating any group of people during a time of crisis. For example in the case of nuclear war we were always told to listen to the radio, theres a sense of order (mind you if you heard nothing for 3 weeks you would have known you were on your own and it was time to kill next door for his stash of baked beans) and "comfort" that comes from this.

Consolidating the Iraqi people at this time is the last thing that the US/Uk Govs want.

And secondly it would stop that silly man with the chromed AK-47 coming on waving it around. He could put an eye out with that if he isn't careful!!

[Jim_MDP]

Originally posted by Reginald
And secondly it would stop that silly man with the chromed AK-47 coming on waving it around. He could put an eye out with that if he isn't careful!!

Even on the gun boards he gets a laugh. Who the hell hard-chromes an AK? It look like some silly commemerative from the Hamilton Mint. :D

[Troll]

Like everyone else so far the same thought has crossed my mind. I mean there's probably a few high ranking officials there and to suddenly not see them for the next few days would indeed send out the message that there is no more command and control to give orders.

But we'd have to rebuild it all and there would be civilian casualties which is something we've been trying to avoid, otherwise this whole thing would have been over already.

[MRC_Hans]

There's also the angle that IF the government was to collapse and new people were to take over and surrender, it would be handy if they have a TV system to announce it over.

Hans

[Troll]

Originally posted by MRC_Hans
There's also the angle that IF the government was to collapse and new people were to take over and surrender, it would be handy if they have a TV system to announce it over.

Hans

Oh yeah. That would definitely add to the fewer casualties attempt. Excellent point.

[Reginald]

Originally posted by MRC_Hans
There's also the angle that IF the government was to collapse and new people were to take over and surrender, it would be handy if they have a TV system to announce it over.

Hans

That is a good point!

I know little about mass media.

If we were to knock it over, how quickly could some "makeshift" station be set up?

[Tmy]

Iraqi TV is a great source of info. For example if you see Saddam blabbing away, then you know he's alive. Plus there could be info on POW's and the like.

.