Coalition Cruise Missile Takes Out Iraqi TV

[Jedi Knight]

That cruise missile attack that just occured was a good thing. I was thinking about it all day. You want to take Iraqi TV off the air so if there is a chemical attack Saddam won't be able to broadcast it.

That will then put moral responsibility on Al Jazeera, since if they broadcast it then it will make them look unprofessional and an instigator of pro-radical-Islamofascism.

Even though it would have helped in the rebuilding of Iraq to keep the TV station intact, this was a smart move, IMO.

It also means the US is fixing to take out Baghdad.

Go Army1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

JK

P.S. It was the new Top Secret E-Bomb (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/02/24/iraq/main541815.shtml) that took out Iraqi TV, according to reports.

[Bjorn]

Originally posted by Jedi Knight
P.S. It was the new Top Secret E-Bomb (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/02/24/iraq/main541815.shtml) that took out Iraqi TV, according to reports. Your link is not mentioning it - did you make it up? :p

[Goshawk]

He's not making it up--he did see it on CBS News Dot Com. They changed their story.

If you search the CBS News website for "e-bomb", you get this hit:
http://search.atomz.com/search/?sp-q=e-bomb&sp-k=&sp-a=sp1001c63c&sp-p=all&sp-f=ISO-8859-1&sp-s=doc_date
Fierce Fighting In Central Iraq | March 25, 2003 19:14:06 •••

...Air Force used an experimental electromagnetic pulse weapon -- known as an "e-bomb" -- to knock government television off the air in Baghdad, reports...But if you click on the link, it takes you to JK's linked story, which conspicuously does NOT say anymore that it was definitely an e-bomb.

And there's this.
http://www.spacewar.com/2003/030326025037.o4oov6zj.html
CBS News reported Tuesday that the US Air Force had blasted Iraqi television with the experimental electromagnetic pulse device to try and knock off its signal and shut down Saddam's propaganda machine.

The Pentagon does not acknowledge the existence of such devices aside from US military having non-lethal, electronic means.So they rewrote their story, since the Pentagon is refusing to confirm that it was in fact an e-bomb. Chalk up another one for the media's intense desire to scoop the competition. :rolleyes:

Originally posted by Goshawk

So they rewrote their story, since the Pentagon is refusing to confirm that it was in fact an e-bomb. Chalk up another one for the media's intense desire to scoop the competition. :rolleyes:

Stupid use for it, if true. A TV transmitter is not sophisticated equipment. Ordinary bombs would work just fine.

[Goshawk]

And apparently "ordinary bombs" was in fact what they used.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=564&ncid=716&e=15&u=/nm/20030326/ts_nm/iraq_usa_television_dc
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. and British forces used missiles and air strikes to hit Iraqi television, a key telecommunications site and Baghdad satellite communications early on Wednesday, U.S. defense officials said.

< snip >

Tomahawk land-delivered missiles and air delivered ordnance were used in what officials described as an important strike that damaged a "key" part of Iraq's overall command and control operations.

< snip >

U.S. defense officials said they had no information that a so-called "E-bomb" had been used in Wednesday's strike.

[Bjorn]

Originally posted by Goshawk
He's not making it up--he did see it on CBS News Dot Com.

...

So they rewrote their story, since the Pentagon is refusing to confirm that it was in fact an e-bomb. Chalk up another one for the media's intense desire to scoop the competition. :rolleyes: Thanks.

It seems like we should allow a 24 hour cooling-down break before we believe the news from the war. :p We skeptics, I mean.

[PygmyPlaidGiraffe]

The US Air Defense may actively be "taking down" Pro-Iraq/Saddam web sites and antiwar websites. Can anyone confirm this? I as of yet am unable to determine if this is a strategy the US will use to try and get an edge on Public Relations.

I hope the attack on the Iraqi TV transmitter does not set a precedent in this war to start attacking non-combatants. Will western journalists be targeted in return by Saddam? Are there westerners still in Baghdad?

Will Westerners be safe in other muslim countries?

yikes, I hope cool heads prevail. I fear otherwise.

PPG

[Goshawk]

The US Air Defense may actively be "taking down" Pro-Iraq/Saddam web sites and antiwar websites.Dunno. Never heard of a group called "US Air Defense". Who are they and why would they have the right to take down websites? Can anyone confirm this?Dunno. I've never even heard it. Where did you hear it?

I'd be really amazed to hear it even proposed, let alone implemented. How in the world could anybody hope to suppress billions of Web pages?

[DrBenway]

Originally posted by Jedi Knight
That cruise missile attack that just occured was a good thing.

I have no problem with that creepy, oily minister of propaganda, Mohammed saeed al-Sahaf, with his thin, crooked smile, falling off the air.

JK, I've just had two beers. The effect strongly enhances the quality of your posts.

[Questioninggeller]

Originally posted by DrBenway
JK, I've just had two beers. The effect strongly enhances the quality of your posts. [/B]

LOL... I agree :)

It was only a matter of time until the US decided to do that. Hopefully that won't aim for the infrastructe that effects the innocent people there, even the US starts taking heavy hits.

[DrBenway]

The bloody thing is back up again.
http://asia.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=focusIraqNews&storyID=2449039

[zakur]

Iraqi TV staggers on (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2889863.stm) (BBC) Iraqi state television and radio has struggled to broadcast throughout the day following bombing attacks on Baghdad on Tuesday night.

Although the UK Defence Secretary, Geoff Hoon, has insisted there was "no direct attempt to take Iraqi TV off the air", its broadcasts have been severely interrupted and for long periods have stopped altogether.
TV targeting against Geneva Convention: Amnesty (http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s817425.htm) (ABC Online, Australia)Amnesty International says the recent coalition strike on the state television building in Baghdad could be a breach of the Geneva convention, which forbids attacks on non-military targets.

British Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon says Iraqi state television is a legitimate target because it is part of Saddam Hussein's control and command network.

[DrBenway]

If it can be proven that Iraq TV is putting out lies that are causing Iraqis to risk their lives unecessarily, I'd say the rule of "the lesser harm" would apply. But I'm no attorney.

And now to indulge in some wild speculation:

I'm starting to feel that Saddam and his two deranged boys are dead. I would like for the media to start opining in this direction, to flush him out, if for no other reason.

But I think he's dead. That last video had over 70 edits, indicating it was not only pre-recorded, but hacked to death to fit the circumstances. Why work so hard, if a living Saddam might be able to say a few words?

If Saddam is no more, then who's running the country? My bet: the Minister of Information, the one and only, the clean shaven, Sahaf.

Look at how pleased with himself Sahaf appears. And witness his easy sadism in his handling of information regarding the POWs. He's smart. He's a player. I think he's in charge.

Why not do an Al Haig and take over? Well, perhaps, to avoid becoming a target. Or to buy time while shuffling the government and various bank accounts around.

Why no chemicals yet? Perhaps to play out a couple of other strategies first:
1. see if the U.N. and/or the opinion of the Arab world, and/or world opinion, is provoked to such outrage with the coalition forces, that the coalition is driven from Iraq in short order, regardless of whether Bagdhad is taken or not.
2. see how well an offense against the coalition plays out south of Baghdad, before the 4th infantry arrives in the theater.

I hope somebody keeps watch on any money moves between Iraq and al-Jazeera.

[PygmyPlaidGiraffe]

Originally posted by DrBenway

And now to indulge in some wild speculation:



wow you sure did indulge. I would call that a meal. Not quite a buffet though.