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Republican Congressman Takes a Stupid Pill

By Larry Johnson on April 10, 2008 at 1:20 AM in Current Affairs

News that an Army Colonel was killed by a mortar strike in Baghdad’s Green Zone highlights a problem with press coverage. Worse, a Republican Congressman has posted a video of the Green Zone identifying where mortar rounds/rockets hit. I am reluctant to draw anymore attention to this then necessary, but since it is out there let me explain why this should not be covered. McClatchey is only one of the media outlets reporting on this incident.

The Congressman is unwittingly helping the enemy target its shots into the green zone. Ironically, I got an email from a buddy who is stationed in Iraq. He told me they were getting significant mortar/rocket attacks. He pointedly wrote nothing about location, recognizing that to do so could help those who want to kill our troops adjust their fire and make more effective strikes. This is one instance where the freedom of the press must be curtailed to protect the soldiers who are in harms way. We should provide no information about precisely where rockets/mortars hit. Too bad this knucklehead Republican Congressman does not understand that basic point.

http://www.correntewire.com/blog/myiq2xu myiq2xu

Larry, I understand your point but I’ll bet the Iraqis have detailed maps of the inside of the Green Zone already.

They probably have to move their mortars around, so they really don’t have real-time artillery spotting though.

It’s probably a lot like Vietnam where they just want to make sure the rounds (or rockets) land inside the perimeter. The erratic nature of the attacks and targets is psy/op warfare.
jwrjr

There is a long historical precedent for restricting this sort of information.
TeakWoodKite

Another Geraldo moment. I can think of a number of times I’ve heard repubs on the house floor babbling info that could get someone killed. igits
TeakWoodKite

Sorry for the OT…but Barry is not of two minds anymore…

– Barack Obama joined Democratic presidential rival Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday in calling for President Bush to boycott the opening ceremonies for the Olympic Games in Beijing.
Obama previously had said he was conflicted about U.S. participation

When the wind blows and the grass grows…Little Bigman
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080410/ap_on_el_pr/candidates_olympics
Strawberrybitch

Larry, sweetie, you of ALL people, why does this shit still suprise you? Hell, I’m just a house frau and this stuff is like a 3-4 on my WTF meter.
salo

the green zone is so shot through with spys and what not i’d imagine they have all the sensitive locations down to the Commandant’s privy.
http://www.correntewire.com/blog/myiq2xu myiq2xu

The Green Zone is a huge target, and it sits in the middle of Baghdad.

A mortar isn’t very loud when fired and is light enough to be carried by one person.

It can be set up on a rooftop or a courtyard, and it can be aimed without line-of-sight targeting, so long as the range and direction are known. That could be accomplished with a basic map and a compass.

Precise targeting requires an observer to relay corrections to the operators. But if the weapon is set-up and 2-3 rounds fired before the operators pack up and move it would be extremely difficult to locate and return fire.

The same applies to shoulder fired rockets.

I was too young for Vietnam but many of the NCO’s I served with were there. They told stories of nighttime(usually) attacks on firebases from the jungle beyond the perimeter.

Everything was fortified with sandbags so the attacks usually did little damage unless someone was caught in the open but occasionally the attackers got lucky and hit a target.

That’s exactly what the attacks on the Green Zone sound like.
http://www.correntewire.com/blog/myiq2xu myiq2xu

BTW – You can see the Green Zone on Google Earth.
http://hyper-educated-uppity-woman.blogspot.com Uppity

Not exactly. I wrote a piece on this and blogger dumped a boatload of control characters. It seems Barry has a bit of a problem keeping the same opinion about this. He’s afraid because Chicago has bid for the Games in 2016. So ole Barry can’t make up his mind whether his personal friend who is the chair for the games bid is more important than stopping genocide. Oh he’s a real Human Rights guy, that one.
John

I think the “this is no big deal” and “everyone has this info already” posters here are totally missing the point. Democrats and Liberals in general are constantly being accused of “weakening morale” and “doing harm to the troops” when they say such generic things as “we want to bring the troops home” and “its time to stop the occupation.” In fact, any time any Democrat/Liberal says anything that is seen as Anti-Bush in regards to the war, it’s instantly conflated into Anti-Troops and Anti-American. We are not supposed to question, we are not supposed to criticize, we are only to stay silent and obey.

So when Republicans shoot of their mouths like this, we are more than entitled to call them out on it. Because according to THEIR OWN RULES, this is information that could hurt the War Effort.

“They already know?” “The Green Zone can be seen on Google Earth?” Yes, and we all know that the Green Zone gets shelled and where Baghdad is on a map. What is the point? This is military information that should not be shared with the public by a CONGRESSMAN, and CERTAINLY not a Congressman from a party that screams “You are Anti-American!” every time someone suggests that the occupation isn’t going that well or that our attention might be better invested elsewhere.
Fred C. Dobbs

>>> This is one instance where the freedom of the press must be curtailed to protect the soldiers who are in harms way.

No sir! Wrong verb.

Tempered by judgment might be more appropriate.

More ink-stained wretches with brains and fewer who are trying to beat the latest, “Lindsay Flashes Her Hoo-Hoo!” deadline would improve things immensely.

Besides, the only way we will Win Their Hearts and Minds is to collect them into Strategic Hamlets.

Ooops! My Bad!

Wrong, “Wrong War.”
Diane

Larry, Congressman McHenry is from Hickory NC, the district next to mine. Since the video has been wiped from his website, I see no harm in berating him in the public forum – he is a showboater & hack, and hopefully this will get him out of office in ’08.
Fred C. Dobbs

>>> A mortar isn’t very loud when fired

No, but the SECOND time you hear it, in the dark, from outside your perimeter, that little, “chuff,” will wake you out of a sound sleep, right in the middle of the dream in which Elke Sommer ties the knots in the cord.

Which is why, of course, it’s called, “Harassment and Interdiction Fire.”
>>> …applies to shoulder fired rockets…

Lobbing an RPG is NOT the route to an accurate hit, although it might be argued that, given the size of The Green Zone, required accuracy is relative.

The Soviet 122 mm rocket (erroneously called “Katyusha”) has been fired from the back of a donkey cart in Baghdad, back in 2005. Requires two 1×3 sticks and 6 volts to send it on its merry way.

Leaves smoke trail (day) and light bloom (night).

Best employed in, “Shoot and Scoot,” – style attacks, lest Shoother’s BEE-hind becomes subject to being Policed Up.
militarytracy

Sad but true that a lack of information over a casualty in a mortar attack means more safety for those on the ground in that war zone.
Dawnelle

What a bunch of IDIOTS!!

Is NOTHING sacred anymore? I’m all for freedom of the press, etc but not at the expense of American (or even MORE innocent Iraqi’s) lives.
fred

Thank You LARRY From All Of Us At Hillary_Clinton_In_2008 : Randi Rhodes Leaves Air America. A statement from the station’s chairman, Charlie Kireker, and president, Mark Green, to be released Thursday says the popular progressive host decided to leave after the station suspended her over the off-air comments.
This video below is pretty silly, but it started circulating late last night it. It blames everything on Larry Johnson over at No Quarter, which is laughable. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8aCay5e6lU
TeakwoodKite

Ain’t the truth!
The Gringo’s Wife

Thank YOU Fred!

And of course, a snappy salute to Larry.

Well done, well done. Now that we know our Knight has such cunning powers, who’s next?

(bahahahahahaha made my day!)

Thank You LARRY From All Of Us At Hillary_Clinton_In_2008 : Randi Rhodes Leaves Air America. A statement from the station’s chairman, Charlie Kireker, and president, Mark Green, to be released Thursday says the popular progressive host decided to leave after the station suspended her over the off-air comments.
This video below is pretty silly, but it started circulating late last night it. It blames everything on Larry Johnson over at No Quarter, which is laughable.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8aCay5e6l
Montag

Big Deal! She’s already gotten a new radio job. You know, this is becoming ridiculous. Now not only staffers of the political campaigns are being penalized for speaking their minds, but innocent bystanders as well. And the reverse is true, too. Ed Schultz calls John McCain a “warmonger” and BARACK OBAMA is expected to apologize profusely and probably disembowel himself with a samuri sword just to prove he’s serious. Unbelieveable! Better watch what you say, Larry, or Hillary will get called on the carpet for it. Did you cuss out your lawnmower today? Well Hillary had better DISASSOCIATE herself from that language, or else! And where the Hell are the freakin’ THOUGHT POLICE? We can’t let people get away with irresponsible political speech on the technicality that it wasn’t actually spoken ALOUD! Eternal paranoia is the price of liberty–vigilance is not enough.