[infowar.de] WT 27.03.03: Franks Looks To Sweeten Image Of U.S. Campaign Against Iraq

[Georg Schoefbaenker <schoefbaenker -! - aon - at>]

Infowar.de, http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~bendrath/liste.html
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Washington Times
March 27, 2003
Pg. 12

Franks Looks To Sweeten Image Of U.S. Campaign Against Iraq

By Paul Martin, The Washington Times

CAMP AS SALIYA, Qatar Gen. Tommy Franks, moved by television pictures of 
Iraqi children enjoying candy handed out by soldiers in southern Iraq, 
wants to change the tone of pictures handed out to reporters.

Gen. Franks, the allied commander, has told his public-affairs officers to 
cut back on the "zapping pictures" of high-tech bombs hitting targets. 
Instead, he wants to emphasize efforts to help long-suffering Iraqis.

The pictures that so pleased the general came from an embedded British 
television crew, showing children receiving treats from British soldiers.

Not all the images of areas freed from Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's 
control are quite so soothing.

More than one embedded crew has filmed wary and even hostile subjects in 
towns from which Saddam's forces had been expelled.

"I find these scenes disturbing," said one reporter from ABC News.

Coalition public-affairs officers say hostility from civilians reflects 
continuing fear that Saddam's regime will return and exact reprisals once 
the allies are gone.

The use of the "zapping pictures" had been seen as necessary to show just 
how little damage is done to civilians in such precise attacks.

Unlike the Americans, the British military has not handed out bombing pictures.

Said one British officer: "We recognize that the war for hearts and minds 
is not helped by showing our overwhelming power though it may well be 
intended to imbue middle-level officials and officers with a realization 
that there is no point holding out, as they are hopelessly outgunned."



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