Impressions of the war in Iraq- Week III

After three weeks of war in Iraq, many Americans still seek every shred of news and information they can from the news media and the Internet. Those who monitor events minute by minute are struck by the amount of detailed information that has been available since the first bombing strikes in Baghdad. Here are other impressions:

The outpouring of support across the nation for U.S. troops has grown with every passing day of the war. Yellow ribbons are everywhere -- trees, porches and fence posts -- to show concern for our soldiers involved in the mission in Iraq.

Americans paying close attention to the around-the-clock TV reporting of the war are impressed by the thoroughness of the briefings given by the Pentagon and Central Command. For obvious reasons, many details are not being shared, but the wealth of information that is provided gives us far more facts and figures than provided in any other U.S. conflict.

Listening to the official briefings also leaves listeners with an appreciation for how precise the information is.

Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, in particular, has relied on thoroughly checked facts during his briefings. This week, several reporters have barraged Rumsfeld with questions about unconfirmed reports that stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction were found. Rumsfeld has acknowledged the preliminary reports with carefully worded disclaimers that more information is needed.

Despite the care taken to avoid unconfirmed information, rumors and guesses, some reporters continue to hear what they want at the briefings. Time and time again, Rumsfeld has corrected misinformation presented in the form of a reporter's question.

One example was a reporter who asked about U.S. preparations to establish a new Iraqi government, referring to comments the secretary had made earlier. Rumsfeld quickly disputed the reporter's characterization of what had been said and asked an aide to review transcripts of previous briefings. Within a few minutes, he was able to put the reporter straight about what he had really said.

In short, Rumsfeld reiterated the U.S. position that the Iraqi people will determine their own government rather than having one imposed by Washington.

Analyzing the war has been criticized, appropriately, from two perspectives.

The first is the concern that embedded reporters are able to provide live coverage as events unfold, but those events have little context and give us little understanding of the overall thrust of coalition forces.

The second is the concern that retired military experts, hired by news organizations to interpret what is happening, are frequently at a loss to do so because U.S. military tactics have changed so drastically in just a few short years. As one retired general stated on air: "I'm not familiar with this operation. We didn't have that capability when I was in command."