Air Force Voices

ADSCAM: Measured Effects

The effects of last week's revelations in the growing Canadian Government scandal are showing their first measurable effects.  Canadian newspaper, The Globe and Mail has an article today that clearly shows how the story gained traction this week.   

The story's impact grew exponentially after Captain's Quarters (an American blog) began publishing bombshell testimony in the Gomery Commission previously unavailable to Canadian citizens...sort of reminds me of Woodward and Bernstein...read the last line regarding Captain Ed at the bottom of this post.

Here is an excerpt from Globe and Mail (HT: Captain's Quarters):

"The Ipsos-Reid poll interviews began Tuesday, as rumours of explosive testimony under publication ban at the Gomery Commission were reported in the media and on the internet. A quarter of the interviews were conducted Thursday night, after the ban was lifted and the details of advertising executive Jean Brault's damning testimony hit television airwaves."

"The problem might be that this is the top of the hill," said Ipsos-Reid President Darrell Bricker. "What this shows is the first significant movement in voter opinion since the end of the last election campaign."

"It does seem to be happening on the basis of what was coming out of Gomery. There was no other factor that would suggest it."

[Addendum (1220 hrs CDT):  Not that polls are trustworthy...see The Cassandra Page for details]

However, the Liberal Party is clearly spooked.  The article goes on to say:

Yesterday, Prime Minister Paul Martin's advisers increased efforts to stop a spring election, asking the opposition not to trigger one until after Justice John Gomery delivers his report on the sponsorship scandal.

Or is the Liberal Party simply buying time to counter-spin a story that has already hit its mark?  Captain Ed offers a hint of things to come:

"If the news gets bad enough out of the Gomery Inquiry, perhaps a new election won't be necessary. Enough MPs might decide to switch parties to avoid the inevitable voter backlash to change governments. If the upcoming testimony provides as many new and scandalous revelations as Brault did, that unlikely scenario might soon appear more and more plausible."

One thing is certain...weblogs have entered a new era.

Just as investigative reporting gained momentum following the Watergate scandal...are weblogs starting to achieve similar effects? 

STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS OF ADSCAM...

Finally, in military terms, isn't this what "Effects-Based Operations" is all about?  The answer is obvious...though I wonder if military strategists are paying attention. 

We are in a Fourth Generation of Warfare.  It is well known that kinetic "solutions" are costly and unpredictable.  We spend lots of time in our professional military schools studying Jomini and Clausewitz (and for good reason).  Yet, we spend little time on warfare in this generation. 

The Department of Defense is spending lots of money of effects-based platforms.  In fact, program budget justifications must be written in effects-based language to stand a better chance of getting funded in the President's Budget. 

Soooo...where do you get more "bang" for the buck?

How much does it cost to publish a weblog?  It is extremely affordable...almost free.

Moreover, how accessible are weblogs to the general public?  All you need is access to a computer and a modem.  Public libraries offer such access.

What lessons can be learned?  Governments no longer control information.  It is not enough to hide behind laws and regulations and remain silent.  Silence is extremely damaging and lets others frame the story...just ask the Canadian Government. 

Okay, enough of the soap box...Air Force Voices is convinced.  {BTW:  Read my disclaimer on the left}

Captain Ed...good on you!  This story needs to be chronicled in a book...have you signed a book deal yet?

UPDATE:  Read what Captain's Quarters reader Debbye has to say in Being American in T.O....this post has great detail, lots of hyperlinks and draws a better link (or distinction) to Watergate than I did above.  Debbye...that is a great post.

Also, to get a glimpse of the outrage in this scandal read the comments below Captain Ed's post...

Update III: CBS Cameraman Arrested in Iraq

Greyhawk has an update (see previous posts) that asks some pertinent questions. 

The media defense of their actions generally takes some form of the argument that the public has a right to know all sides of the story. Here at Mudville we couldn't agree more with that sentiment. We don't shy away from covering all aspects of the War on Terror. With that in mind, we believe the public has the right to know:

How much does CBS pay it's cameraman? Do they pay a set salary or per video provided? Or only if the video is usable by CBS?

Were any American soldiers or Iraqi citizens hurt or killed in any of the attacks videotaped by CBS' cameraman?

Does he in turn pay the terrorists - or is he simply one of them? If so, how do the surviving family members feel about CBS funding the attacks on their sons, daughters, husbands, or wives?

If not, how do the surviving family members feel about CBS paying for video of attacks on their sons, daughters, husbands, or wives?

How do CBS' advertisers feel about their money supporting this effort?

Let's hope we get some answers.

Amen brother!  These are some great questions.

Update: CBS Cameraman Arrested in Iraq

Iraqi citizens informed on CBS cameraman, leading to his arrest by coalition forces (see previous post):

Other bloggers who are carrying the story or are starting to weigh in: Austin Bay, Power Line (Power Line adds another twist), Blogs for Bush, Blithering Bunny, Hyscience, Say Anything, Military Matters, Chrenkoff, Day by Day by Chris Muir, Roger L. Simon, Instapundit, and Random Probabilities (great read and earlier post on 6 Apr). 

UPDATE II: 1000 hrs CDT....FoxNews is now carrying the story on TV.

I agree with the Fox analysts on one point...this is a big counter-intelligence problem.  Credentials do allow terrorists to gain access to sensitive locations.  This must be addressed.

However, I don't agree with Fox analyst Greer that the "insurgency" is growing.  You are just hearing the MSM/DNC herald these attacks so they can inject their worldview...again.

Thanks to all who are covering this...More later.

CBS Cameraman Arrested in Iraq

Iraqi citizens informed on CBS cameraman, leading to his arrest by coalition forces:

Greyhawk is all over this one!   Sisyphean Musings has the original post.

The Associated Press (AP) has this to say:

April 8, 2005, 2:30 PM EDT

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A cameraman carrying CBS press credentials was detained in Iraq earlier this week on suspicion of insurgent activity, the U.S. military said Friday...

...Officials are investigating the man's previous activities as well as "his alleged support of anti-Iraqi insurgency activities," the statement said.

What type of footage was this cameraman (and CBS) trying to obtain?  U.S. soldiers dying in a suicide attack?  Was CBS trying to create an Iraqi Tet?  (see previous post).  Not just CBS...the whole MSM/DNC apparatus?  Else, why try and embed with the terrorists?

Here is what CBS News has to say so far...video link here.

After watching the CBS video, I had to laugh when the reporter commented that the CBS cameraman carried an American press credential at great danger to himself. 

Yeah right...the "insurgents" know what happened in the American media after the 1968 Tet offensive.  It is called an "information war" stupid!  Images are part of enemy propaganda...which explains the Pulitzer prizes...

Pulitzer's Breaking News Photography Prize was awarded to the AP...seemingly glorifying "insurgent" activities (see Michelle Malkin's previous post)...one can only wonder what images the MSM/DNC were trying to capture and disseminate. 

But I digress...

<sarcasm>I'm sure we'll all hear more about the incident after Charles and Camilla are on their honeymoon...proof that there are always happier things to report. </sarcasm>

In the mean time, here is how Reporters Without Borders is trying to spin it (HT: Sisyphean Musings):

CBS freelance cameraman shot and wounded by US soldiers

Reporters Without Borders today called for a thorough and transparent investigation into an incident yesterday near the northern city of Mosul in which US soldiers shot and wounded a freelance cameraman working for the US television network CBS News.

"Once again the US forces have targeted a journalist just doing his job," the press freedom organization said. Reporters Without Borders pointed out that this was not the first time that US soldiers shot a cameraman after mistaking his camera for a gun.

The ghost of Easongate anyone?

Thanks to Sisyphus and Greyhawk for covering this...more to follow later.

Lessons Learned

Security Watchtower has a great post and an ominous warning for all military strategists.  Here is an excerpt:

"North Korean officials have been pouring over video tape, maps, and resource files in an effort to better understand U.S. strategy, tactics and weapons capabilities in Iraq. According to author Joseph Bermudez, the studies conducted by North Korea are 'extensive' and included all U.S. military operations in recent years."

"The North Korean government has warned their population of 22 million on multiple occasions to prepare for war with the United States, and last year issued a 33-page guidline manual for what to do in event of war. From a military perspective, one could assume that the North Korean Army has been adapting tactics, weapons and planning based upon what they have witnessed in Afghanistan and Iraq."

Security Watchtower makes some great points.  My favorite passage is the following:

"Dictators, tyrants, despots and terrorists are taking notes and their findings are conclusive. The U.S. military is the most powerful military force ever to grace the planet. Under the current leadership they are unafraid to use it, and pre-emptively so if necessary. The American people have paid a far greater price in the past to vanquish their enemies, and the resolve remains strong today to do the same."

The only point I would make is U.S. military should not get complacent and fight the last war.  U.S. military planners must continue to adapt strategy and tactics and keep the enemy guessing. 

Major Mike has a series of great posts on what is needed to fully transform given geopolitical and economic realities.  Well worth reading. 

The Perfect Storm

The Pentagon is headed for the Perfect Storm.  Arnaud de Borchgrave and Harlan Ullman tell us why in an interesting column in today's Washington Times (HT: Early Bird). 

Recent senior-level resignations; Congress debating the "nuclear option" (ending the filibuster); teeing up the QDR; a host of expensive weapons platforms the Pentagon cannot afford; and an armed force stretched to the limits...all key ingredients for the perfect storm.

The column sums it up nicely:

"Wow. Each of these challenges is Sisyphean. The sum is breathtaking. And that excludes wild-card events such as a major terrorist attack here or in Britain perhaps just prior to the May 5 parliamentary elections, a crisis over Taiwan or North Korean or Iranian nuclear intentions, an unraveling of the new government in Iraq and many other unpleasant possibilities."

"So what can or should be done to prevent a perfect storm? The Pentagon understandably will argue it needs to complete the QDR first to provide the basis for future choices. Normally, that would make sense. But in today's supercharged world, all participants in these decisions must be on board for takeoff if they are expected to be in on the landing. Beaming Congress or key allies up after the fact will not work this time around."

"Hence, the administration would be well advised to begin consultations now with Congress and key allies to get not only their inputs but also their participation before and during as well as after the QDR process. This is not 1949. But, if not handled carefully, it could be much worse."

It is going to be a bumpy ride.  I like it though...the playing field seems to be equal.  We'll see what shakes out.

Iraqi Tet?

With pen and sword, Milbloggers in Iraq continue to win the information war. 

Mudville Gazette has an excellent post on recent attacks on American compounds with several links to other blogs.  Greyhawk asks the question: "What if They had a Tet Offensive and Nobody Came?"

It is an great question and points to the larger issues of winning the public opinion wars.  Here is my favorite passage:

"The terrorists earned media praise for a new level of cunning.  Wild claims of terrorist manpower numbering in the hundreds of thousands were trumpeted in the New Year as the Iraqi elections approached.  Tet was on everyone's mind - but the best the enemy could do was a series of car bombs that detonated without ever reaching their targets."

"Given the numbers of terrorists that were supposedly operating in Iraq, I was surprised each and every day that a thousand or so didn't rush the walls of my happy home, just to create a news story.  Obviously the numbers were inflated, but I could think of only two explanations for that. One - the opposition was never the force that the media made it out to be, or two - we had utterly crushed the insurgency, something I thought possible last October but confess I left as a question for fear of a jinx."

"What was increasingly obvious was that the reality of Iraq was significantly different from the picture presented to Americans at home.  Sure, insurgents can lob mortars over walls, or detonate truck bombs, or assassinate election officials, judges, and others - but where were the thousands wanting death to the point they'd charge the walls of the infidel strongholds? Every passing day it seemed less likely that such a force existed."

"Was that Tet? Was that all the bad guys could bring? Is something bigger coming in the near future?"

No one really knows what the future may bring.  The war clearly isn't over and our troops are at the ready.  I agree with Greyhawk...Milbloggers will be there to provide accurate accounts of what is really happening there. 

Remarkably, they are winning at both the tactical and strategic levels of war.  These soldiers make us all proud.

MSM/DNC

Left-wing bias is clearly evident in the media.  This is no surprise...military members have long understood this bias. 

In fact, military members have witnessed this bias ever since the Kennedy Administration started its policy of official lies regarding its role in Vietnam--and the media replaced those lies with lies of their own and the Vietminh (which is why there is little trust between the military and the MSM/DNC). 

Still, some officials have called for improvements in this relationship--forging a closer relationship with the media (e.g. embeds, internships, greater access, etc.).  These are all good ideas.  Yet, these initiatives do not address the strong institutional bias in the media (see previous post for more).

I have argued in class the MSM is biased...only to have senior officials counter that "bias" is difficult to prove and should be further researched...well...

The Cassandra Page has an excellent post that does just that and more (BTW: the blog takes its name from Cassandra in Homer's Iliad): 

First, The Cassandra Page categorizes how the MSM uses propaganda techniques to bend facts and stories that fit within its worldview. 

Second, The Cassandra Page shows a link between the elite media and the Democratic National Committee (which was subverted by fringe elements of the left-wing). 

Finally, The Cassandra Page made me familiar with a new term:  the MSM/DNC. 

I like this term and will use it in the future.  The only thing missing from this term is the bias in academia.  However, that is the subject of another post.

What is important is to expose this bias, fix it, and move on to better reporting.  The Cassandra Page and others are doing just that.

UPDATE:  Need more evidence?  See this post on recent MSM/DNC lies.  Great work folks at The Cassandra Page...keep it up!

Enemy Websites

Some folks dismiss the power of the internet to shape public opinion and rally people to their cause.  Though I disagree...in this case I hope they are right...

Democracy Project has a great post (and an ominous warning) regarding enemy websites.  Winfield Myers' post links to an MSNBC article which:

"ought to remind everyone that the war on terrorists is still on, both at home and abroad. It's easy to push these thoughts out of our minds, with spring coming on and, so we assume, better things to worry about. But there are still people in this country and abroad who seek to do us grave harm here in America."

NOTE:  As part of my ongoing research, I was asked to explore the effect of these websites in both our country and around the world.  With my paper due in less than three weeks, it is difficult to say whether I will be successful or have to recommend further study. 

In any case, these websites are especially alarming!!  Is anyone else paying attention?

An Unpopular War?

Larry Elder has a great commentary in the Washington Times that pretty much nails the NYT and its penchant for posing "another editorial masquerading as a question." 

No surprise:  The NYT doesn't let inconvenient facts (see previous post) get in the way of its world view.

I like Elder's commentary because he takes us through history looking at popular opinion in:

• The Revolutionary War
• The War of 1812
• The Mexican-American War
• The Civil War
• The Spanish-American War
• World War I
• World War II
• The Korean War
• The Vietnam War

Finally, I like the way Elder ends his commentary:

"This brings us to the "unpopular" Iraqi War. Mr. Bush obtained a resolution from Congress (which passed the House 296 to 133, and the Senate 77 to 23) authorizing use of force. At the time of America's entry into Iraq in 2003, a CBS/New York Times poll found 76 percent of Americans approved of the U.S. military action against Iraq. Even now, the majority of Americans want us to stay the course.

Aside from that, the New York Times reporter pretty much nailed it."

Heh Heh!