Yes, the title of this blog is SMH......I am literally Shaking My Head!
I am currently watching "The Situation Room" with Wolf Blitzer on CNN and he just asked Admiral Kirby, from the Pentagon, whether or not President Obama has signed off or given authorization to use air strikes in Syria. Mr. Kirby evaded the question. Mr. Blitzer took it upon himself to ask this, "Is the U.S. ready to strike when President Obama orders it." Again, Admiral Kirby evaded a "direct" answer to this question. What part does the MEDIA NOT UNDERSTAND? CERTAIN QUESTIONS SHOULD NOT BE ASKED DURING A LIVE INTERVIEW. SHOULD NOT BE!!!
We have hostages being held in the Middle East. There are threats being made at home and abroad, on a minute by minute basis and news hosts, journalists or commentators want to continue to ask STUPID questions on national TV, to tip off our enemies. THIS IS INSANE!!! That is part of the problem now, people in the media talk too much!! The media tipped off that analysts/scientists/investigators were examining the landscape in the background when the beheadings were aired, which prompted ISIS to improvise. Now ISIS has changed their tactics, so it makes it more difficult to analyze the pictures, landscapes and etc. to discover their hiding places. I am appalled and furious at this. We don't need to know everything! We cannot let the enemy know if we are ready, when we are ready, when we will strike. What happened to, "The Element of Surprise?"
When providing specifics, we allow the enemy time to change their tactics and strategy against such moves. Now in Syria, members of ISIS are mixing in with regular civilians, so they aren't detected. So, this makes it complicated for the U.S. to strike because they must keep civilian causalities at a minimal.
Enough!!! I am not going to take it anymore!
As I read this story it reminded me of an issue very similar to this that occurred in 2003 with Geraldo Rivera. As you can see in the story here, http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/03/31/sprj.irq.geraldo/
ReplyDeleteRivera reported the location of troops as he was reporting in Iraq, traveling with a military unit. His actions resulted in him being dropped off at the Kuwaiti border and told not to come back by the United States Military. Although I doubt that Rivera was purposely putting the lives of American soldiers at risk on purpose, it is their drive to get the "big" story that can result in decisions being made that are risky.
In the same way, "The Situation Room" is a show that only survives if they are able to keep their ratings high. A result of this is a constant drive by the anchors to consistently try to get the "big" story so that they are able to keep their job. These risky decisions may seem harmful but they carry drastic consequences.