The Coalition air war against Iraq, also known as “A” day, has begun at about 9 pm local time in Baghdad. The military nicknamed the type of operation as “Shock and Awe.” What we saw was impressive, but I am sure there is a lot more of it going on around the whole country, and not just in the city of Baghdad. The night is young in Irag—I imagine that it will continue all night long.
It was eery to see the bombing of selected sites within Baghdad on live television. All of the major news agencies have cameras near the center of town. As I watched, I got a little bit of that same sick feeling in my stomach that I had while I watched the World Trade Center towers burn and collapse back on Sept. 11. As the government officials say, they are targeting military and Iraqi leadership positions. The vast majority of the ordinance being dropped is called “smart” bombs. There should be a minimum of civilian deaths. I pray that they are right.
Right now, there seems to be a lull in the bombing. The cameras are showing several cars driving around the streets. One of the green, night-scope cameras is watching a bunch of people mulling around a street corner, watching a burning building. How odd.
The major networks have committed a major faux pau. They concentrated most of their efforts in Baghdad. It is true that they have imbedded reporters with certain marine and army units as they move into Iraq, but their reports are sporadic. Why didn’t networks place camera crews in each of the major cities like Mosul, Basra, Kirkuk, and Najaf?