By Col. W. Patrick Lang (Ret.)
Even CNN is shocked by this cynical manipulation of American soldiers.
Let’s see, how did they do this?
First, we go looking for National Guard soldiers who are stiil basically civilians and probably less inclined to the kinds of suicidal and nihilistic behavior which make Regulars unreliable in political matters (generals excepted).
 Col. Patrick W. Lang (Ret.), a highly decorated retired senior officer of U.S. Military Intelligence and U.S. Army Special Forces, served as “Defense Intelligence Officer for the Middle East, South Asia and Terrorism” for the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and was later the first Director of the Defense Humint Service. Col. Lang was the first Professor of the Arabic Language at the United States Military Academy at West Point. For his service in the DIA, he was awarded the “Presidential Rank of Distinguished Executive.” He is a frequent commentator on television and radio, including PBS’s Newshour, and most recently on MSNBC’s Hardball and NPR’s “All Things Considered.” His CV and blog are linked below the fold. |
Then you go through the available population looking for sycophants and Bush loyalists like the sergeant who pled for recognition as having been in New York when the president told Bin Laden that his days were numbered.
Then you have various colonels and generals stand around to make sure no one misbehaves.
Then you have some “wag the dog” creature coach them.
Most of these brave souls believe in the holiness of their mission. God Bless Them.
This is wrong. The American citizen soldier should not be treated this way.
Watch “Rome” on HBO and you will see where we are headed.
– Pat Lang
Crooks & Liars has the video and image.
Personal Blog: Sic Semper Tyrannis 2005
Bio || CV
Recommended Books || More BooTrib <a href="Posts
Novel: The Butcher’s Cleaver
(download free by chapter, PDF format)
“Drinking the Kool-Aid,” Middle East Policy Council Journal, Vol. XI, Summer 2004, No. 2
Although I didn’t see it, I can just imagine how “authentic” this BushCo media event was. I could say shame Mr. pres., but I don’t think he is listening.
Col. Lang, I have another question for you. I have heard on and off since last spring, that by next summer, the US. military will be experiencing their own numbers crunch, as enlistments begin to run out. Can you confirm, or in other ways enlighten me?? Thanks
From yesterday’s WH press briefing:
Q Scott, why did the administration feel it was necessary to coach the soldiers that the President talked to this morning in Iraq?
MR. McCLELLAN: I’m sorry, I don’t know what you’re suggesting.
Q Well, they discussed the questions ahead of time. They were told exactly what the President would ask, and they were coached, in terms of who would answer what question, and how they would pass the microphone.
MR. McCLELLAN: I’m sorry, are you suggesting that what our troops were saying was not sincere, or what they said was not their own thoughts?
Q Nothing at all. I’m just asking why it was necessary to coach them.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, in terms of the event earlier today, the event was set up to highlight an important milestone in Iraq’s history, and to give the President an opportunity to, once again, express our appreciation for all that our troops are doing when it comes to defending freedom, and their courage and their sacrifice. And this is a satellite feed, as you are aware, and there are always technological challenges involved when you’re talking with troops on a satellite feed like this. And I think that we worked very closely with the Department of Defense to coordinate this event. And I think all they were doing was talking to the troops and letting them know what to expect.
Q But we asked you specifically this morning if there would be any screening of questions or if they were being told in any way what they should say or do, and you indicated no.
MR. McCLELLAN: I don’t think that’s what the question was earlier today. I think the question earlier today was asking if they could ask whatever they want, and I said, of course, the President was — and you saw —
Q And I asked if they were pre-screened.
MR. McCLELLAN: You saw earlier today the President was trying to engage in a back-and-forth with the troops. And I think it was very powerful what Lieutenant Murphy was saying at the end of that conversation, when he was talking about what was going on in January, how the American troops and coalition forces were in the lead when it came to providing security for the upcoming election, an election where more than eight million Iraqis showed up and voted. It was a great success.
And he talked about how this time, when we had the preparations for the upcoming referendum this Saturday, you have Iraqi forces that are in the lead, and the Iraqi forces are the ones that are doing the planning and preparing and taking the lead to provide for their own security as they get ready to cast their ballots again.
Q But I also asked this morning, were they being told by their commanders what to say or what to do, and you indicated, no. Was there any prescreening of —
MR. McCLELLAN: I’m not aware of any such — any such activities that were being undertaken. We coordinated closely with the Department of Defense. You can ask if there was any additional things that they did. But we work very closely with them to coordinate these events, and the troops can ask the President whatever they want. They’ve always been welcome to do that.
…
Q All right. Let me get back to the President’s encounter with the troops, if I can. You said that the choreography of this was because of a technological challenge involved in the satellite feed. Well, what does that mean?
MR. McCLELLAN: No, I’m just saying that there — you have delays and things like that when you have a satellite feed, and so, obviously, there’s going to be some coordination going on when you’re setting up an event like this.
Q So the choreography —
MR. McCLELLAN: I think you’re missing the broader point of what this event was about. And what this event was about was to highlight an important milestone in the history of Iraq: that is the upcoming referendum. The Iraqi people are going to be able to freely express themselves this weekend, once again, as they cast their vote for the constitution that was drafted by their elected leadership. And that was the point of the event.
It was also an opportunity for the President to continue expressing the appreciation of the entire nation for the courage and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform. We’re greatly appreciative for all that they’re doing. And these were troops that are on the ground in Iraq. They know firsthand what is going on. And so the President wanted to talk about some important topics that are very important to all Americans, and that is the security situation in Iraq, as well as the upcoming referendum that the Iraqi people will be participating in this weekend.
In fact, today, my understanding is that some of the Iraqi citizens that are in hospitals began casting their ballots already.
Q So you’re saying this was not a staged conversation for PR purposes?
MR. McCLELLAN: This is an event where there’s coordination that goes on and we work closely with the Department of Defense. They worked to pull together some troops for the President to visit with and highlight important topics that are going on right now on the ground in Iraq. The President is going to continue speaking out about what we’re working to achieve in Iraq and he’s going to continue talking about the vital mission that we’re working to achieve there.
The stakes are high in Iraq. This is right up there at the top of our list of priorities. As the President said in the remarks, his most solemn duty and the most solemn duty of our men and women in uniform, like those he was talking to, is the safety and security of the American people.
I just don’t know if some are suggesting that what our troops were saying was not their own thoughts, because it clearly was.
Q Now, we all saw the event, so without getting into what the President said and what the troops said, can you just talk specifically to the choreography? Did the soldiers know what questions they would be asking? Did they —
MR. McCLELLAN: No, I really can’t, because we coordinate this with the Department of Defense, and you might want to direct questions to the Department of Defense, because when we do these events — we appreciate all the help that they provide — the Department of Defense takes the lead in terms of pulling some troops together so that we can do events like this.
Q So you, personally, do not know if those soldiers rehearsed their answers before they were on air, live?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, my understanding is that someone from the Department of Defense was talking to them ahead of time. But I don’t know — I was with the President, so —
Q Can you find out what the answer is?
MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, I think you might want to talk to the Department of Defense. Like I said, they’re kind of the point person in terms of coordinating this with our troops. And we appreciate all that they do to help coordinate an event like this. But I think what the American people heard was some very important information from our men and women in uniform. These are men and women who are on the ground in Iraq, and I think we can get caught up in some of these side issues — because that’s all this is — but let’s talk about what was most important. What’s important is that the Iraqi people are going to the polls this weekend, and they’re going to vote on a constitution in a free Iraq. Just three years ago, the Iraqi people were under a brutal, oppressive dictator, a dictator that killed thousands and thousands of people.
Q How many have we killed?
MR. McCLELLAN: We’ve liberated 25 million, both in Iraq and in Afghanistan.
Q How many have we killed?
Q When the prosecutor tells somebody —
MR. McCLELLAN: Helen — I’m sorry, Bob, I just can’t let this go — our men and women in uniform go out of their way not to target innocent civilians. They go out of their way to target those who are enemies and to bring them to justice. They are making the world safer for our children and grandchildren.
Via the Register-Guard:
A recent Associated Press story noted that America’s citizen soldiers are suffering a markedly higher share of U.S. casualties in Iraq. Since the war began, reservists have accounted for a fourth of all U.S. military deaths, but their portion has nearly doubled since last year.
For the first nine months of this year, reservists accounted for 36 percent of deaths. For August and September, the figure soared to 56 percent. By contrast, they represented only 10 percent of the casualties during the 2003 invasion and 20 percent during all of 2004.
Only to be expected.
Territorials (e.g., National Guard) are not as well trained, commanded, or equipped as active duty troops. Over the next year we should see the casuality percentages move to match the Regulars as OJT happens. They won’t quite match, be higher, as the commanders and equipment are not affected by the troops learning what to do.
Tis why the vast majority of Reserve and NG are planned to be used in a supporting role rather than as combat soldiers. The bodies-on-the-ground crunch has forced the NG into a combat role.
I saw the CNN video of the fake event somewhere on the web. I seem to recall that Malvaux was asked if this was unusual. She said something to the effect that reporters covering the WH are used to these scripted events — it’s just that this is the first time the pre-event scripting was aired.
I remember a similar scripting at the NO airport when Bush arrived. The foreign press took pictures of the fake set up after Bush left.
So when hasn’t there been a photo op or “discussion” with pre-screened and scripted ‘Merkuns? When has Bush ever spoken to citizens without it being fake?
.
A choreographed candid conversation
with the troops in Iraq – Maple Valley
soldier takes part in nationally televised
teleconference with President Bush
Just saw video on CNNi – big smiles – for all.
Is Arni coaching the Prez from Hollywood? Perhaps they prefer to change places. Arni could wear a different mask. CNNi showed only the part of Allison Barber addressing the choir boys in Tikrit!
CNNi was so nice to have video clip followed by Bill Schneider with the latest numbers ::
Poll Approve Disapprove
PEW 38% 56%
NBC 37% 54%
Q&A between reporter and BS to portray the 2nd term presidency as a lame duck, when approval numbers are below 40%. The dissent between WH and members of Congress will grow in the year to mid-term elections.
WOW – at last the MSM are joining the dissent!
Keep spreading the good word, and it will become the truth.
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — President Bush gave a pep talk via teleconference to U.S. troops in Tikrit, telling them: “We’re never going to back down” without a “total victory” in Iraq.
Bush talked with 10 members of Task Force Liberty in Tikrit and an Iraqi soldier, who gave a positive assessment of the security situation and the training of Iraqi forces.
“When you e-mail your families, you tell them how proud the commander in chief is of their patience and their support as well,” Bush said.
The soldiers told the president Iraqi troops were ready to fight and that the Iraqi people seemed to be excited about the upcoming vote.
<snip>
Capt. Brent Kennedy told Bush the 42nd Infantry Division, lead unit for Task Force Liberty, is working with Iraqis to secure 1,250 polling sites in Iraq as part of “Operation Saratoga”.
Before the teleconference, Allison Barber, deputy assistant to the secretary of defense, went through a rehearsal of the scripted question-and-answer session, telling the troops that any non-scripted questions from the president should be handled by Kennedy.
When asked about the rehearsed event, White House press secretary Scott McClellan said the coordination was done because of the “technological challenges” of a satellite feed. He denied responses had been screened.
Allison Barber in “Ask the White House” »»
▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY
Pat is on his Blackberry, and e-mailed me, asking me to post this on his behalf: