Gruesome Iraq Images Could Shake U.S. Opinion

[historian]

Live coverage was the beginning of the end for vietnam - lets hope it happens again
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=564&ncid=564&e=2&u=/nm/20040401/ts_nm/iraq_images_dc

[mikey_1962]

1. This isn't Mogadishu, or Saigon.

Public opinion didn't start to go against the Viet Nam until the body count was over 10,000.

[Iceburg]

2. It has the power to ... remembering Mogadishu

Here's an excellent article/discussion on the role of the media with the war on terrorism ...

A Brookings/Harvard Forum: Press Coverage and the War on Terrorism
http://www.brookings.edu/comm/transcripts/20020123.htm

In particular, examine Larry Eagleburger's remarks on how he thinks TV has shaped foreign policy in Somalia

<snip>
Eagleburger said, "I will tell you quite frankly, television had a great deal to do with President Bush's decision to go in in the first place; and I will tell you equally frankly, I was one of those two or three that was strongly recommending he do it and it was very much because of the television pictures of the starving kids, substantial pressures from the Congress that came from the same source, and my honest belief that we could do this, do something good at not too great a cost. Certainly without any great danger of body bags coming home."

And shortly President Clinton was saying, "This past weekend we all reacted with anger and horror as an armed Somali gang desecrated the bodies of American soldiers."

And Marianne Means, the newspaper columnist, had written "We went into Somalia because of horrible television images; we will leave Somalia because of horrible television images." But somehow, that sounds too simple.
<snip>

[Mari333]

3. Long overdue, truth.

Long Long overdue.
http://www.bringthemhomenow.com