How the media missed the story of victory in Iraq

Austin Bay:

...

Collect relatively isolated events in a chronological list and presto: the impression of uninterrupted, widespread violence destroying Iraq. But that was a false impression. Every day, coalition forces were moving thousands of 18-wheelers from Kuwait and Turkey into Iraq, and if the "insurgents" were lucky they blew up one. However, flash the flames of that one rig on CNN and, "Oh my God, America can't stop these guys," is the impression left in Boise and Beijing.

Saddam's thugs and Zarqawi's klan were actually weak enemies -- "brittle" is the word I used to describe them at a senior planning meeting. Their local power was based on intimidation -- killing by car bomb, murdering in the street. Their strategic power was based solely on selling the false impression of nationwide quagmire -- selling post-Saddam Iraq as a dysfunctional failed-state, rather than an emerging democracy
As I pointed out repeatedly during this time frame, the enemy attacks had no military significance. There was no attack that effected the ability of the US and coalition forces to conduct operations. Whereas every attack by US forces was directed at effecting the ability of the enemy to operate. Only liberal Democratrs could lose a war like that. Many of them were ready to cut and run last year. It is now time for their political retreat.

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