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Schadow
Vice Admiral
Joined: 30 Sep 2004
Posts: 936
Location: Huntsville, Alabama
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 Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 6:21 pm Post subject: NY Times defends Zarqawi in blooper reel |
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Our guys in Iraq found footage on the cutting room floor which was left over from Zarqawi's latest 'look at me' film which was flashed around the world. The rejected footage showed the Leader of the Council of Holy Warriors having a hard time mastering an American M-249 SAW. The New York Times, after consulting some military officers, decries the release of the bloopers as not nice:
| Quote: | By C. J. CHIVERS
Published: May 6, 2006
An effort by the American military to discredit the terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi by showing video outtakes of him fumbling with a machine gun — suggesting that he lacks real fighting skill — was questioned yesterday by retired and active American military officers.
The video clips, released on Thursday to news organizations in Baghdad, show the terrorist leader confused about how to handle an M-249 squad automatic weapon, known as an S.A.W., which is part of the American inventory of infantry weapons.
The American military, which said it captured the videotapes in a recent raid, released selected outtakes in an effort to undermine Mr. Zarqawi's image as leader of the Council of Holy Warriors, formerly Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, and suggested that his fighting talents and experience were less than his propaganda portrays. But several veterans of wars in Iraq or Afghanistan, as well as active-duty officers, said in telephone interviews yesterday that the clips of Mr. Zarqawi's supposed martial incompetence were unconvincing.
The weapon in question is complicated to master, and American soldiers and marines undergo many days of training to achieve the most basic competence with it. Moreover, the weapon in Mr. Zarqawi's hands was an older variant, which makes its malfunctioning unsurprising. The veterans said Mr. Zarqawi, who had spent his years as a terrorist surrounded by simpler weapons of Soviet design, could hardly have been expected to know how to handle it.
"They are making a big deal out of nothing," said Mario Costagliola, who retired as an Army colonel last month after serving as the operations officer for the 42nd Infantry Division in Tikrit, Iraq.
An active-duty Special Forces colonel who served in Iraq also said that what the video showed actually had little relationship to Mr. Zarqawi's level of terrorist skill. "Looking at the video, I enjoy it; I like that he looks kind of goofy," said the Special Forces officer, who was granted anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly on military matters. "But as a military guy, I shrug my shoulders and say: 'Of course he doesn't know how to use it. It's our gun.' He doesn't look as stupid as they said he looks."
The release of the captured video reflected the dueling public relations efforts between the American-led forces fighting in Iraq and the terrorists and insurgents. It also reflected increasing interest by the military and civilian strategists in trying to ridicule Mr. Zarqawi.
"In Arab and Muslim societies, pride and shame are felt much more profoundly than they are in Western culture," said J. Michael Waller, a professor at the Institute of World Politics, a graduate school in Washington. "To find video like this that can cut him down to size and discredit him is a real way of fighting terrorism." A paper written by Professor Waller advocating the use of ridicule against the insurgents has been circulating at the Pentagon and among military commanders with experience in Iraq recently, according to several military officers.
But the retired and active officers said the public presentation of the tape did not address elements that were disturbing, rather than amusing: the weapon was probably captured from American soldiers, indicating a tactical victory for the insurgents. And Mr. Zarqawi looked clean and plump.
"I see a guy who is getting a lot of groceries and local support," said Nick Pratt, a Marine Corps veteran and professor of terrorism studies at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies in Germany. "You cannot say he is a bad operator." He added, "People should be careful who they poke fun at." |
John Hinderaker of Powerline Blog adds (emphasis mine):
| Quote: | Unbelievable. I suppose they could have defended Zarqawi further by noting that his weapon of choice is the knife.
The Times also said they think that releasing the video footage wasn't effective propaganda because Zarqawi looks "clean and plump." (Really, I'm not making this up.) Okay, here's an idea: how about if we haul Khalid Shaikh Mohammed out of whatever cell he's being kept in and release a video of him? I doubt that he's looking too "clean and plump" these days. Do you think the Times would like that propaganda effort better? No, I don't either. Other than waving a white flag, it's hard to think of anything the military could do of which the Times would approve. |
Schadow
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Capt, 8th U.S. Army, Korea '53 - '54 |
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homesteader
PO3
Joined: 17 Sep 2004
Posts: 294
Location: wisconsin
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| Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 5:01 pm Post subject: |
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The content of the video is not the story. The real story is that we got the video. The bloopers were just an excuse to release it without openly stating the unspoken message to Zarqawi. "We are closing in. Who in your inner circle let us get our hands on this video? Who can you trust anymore? The price tag on your head may be getting tempting to people close to you." It is also telling the media..."ya we know. In fact we know more than you do".
My read is that we are now inside Z's decision making circle and it is only a matter of time. |
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GenrXr
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Joined: 05 Aug 2004
Posts: 1720
Location: Houston
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| Posted: Tue May 09, 2006 3:03 am Post subject: |
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From the article,
| Quote: | | An active-duty Special Forces colonel who served in Iraq also said that what the video showed actually had little relationship to Mr. Zarqawi's level of terrorist skill. "Looking at the video, I enjoy it; I like that he looks kind of goofy," said the Special Forces officer, who was granted anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly on military matters. "But as a military guy, I shrug my shoulders and say: 'Of course he doesn't know how to use it. It's our gun.' He doesn't look as stupid as they said he looks." |
What is wrong with this everyone?
This is a spec-war Colonel and sees nothing in a supposed trained terrorist lack of knowledge in a common weapon?
Propaganda like this is stupid.
This Colonel is a figment of a fanciful writer’s imagination, a paper pusher and/or sold his soul to attain full bird.
I would like to ask this supposed Colonel, "Do the special operatives under your command know how to operate an AK-47?"
How about other firearms the enemy posses, which they might find themselves in a must use situation?
I doubt this active-duty Colonel exists.
_________________
"An activist is the person who cleans up the water, not the one claiming its dirty."
"All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to stand by and do nothing." Edmund Burke (1729-1797), Founder of Conservative Philosophy |
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