Not one, but two startling quotes in this story about the urban warzone of Falluja.
Explaining the Marines' restraint in deciding against airstrikes (for now):
"We don't want to rubblize the city," said Colonel McCoy, whose battalion of 800 clashes daily with insurgents. [Good for us, I'm thinking. Maybe there's still a chance to win hearts and minds.] "That will give the enemy more places to hide." [Oh. Nevermind.]
And a comment more honest and insightul than any I've heard recently from the punditocracy:
"It's their Super Bowl," said Maj. T. V. Johnson, a Marine spokesman. "Falluja is the place to go if you want to kill Americans."
Did you know the federal government is funding a satellite TV alternative to Al Jazeera? I didn't, until today's PBS Evening News. Obviously, I can think of worse ways to spend our tax dollars. Like rubblizing cities to liberate them, for starters. But it's at least ironic that the U.S. pipes in propaganda skillfully disguised as counterprogramming. Beam them Jay Leno -- that'll convert them for sure.
Posted by Vernam at April 15, 2004 08:59 PM | TrackBack