1991 Gulf War Begins - Back to the Days of Radio

Tonight I am watching a movie I've seen several times before, but am always amazed by, Live From Bagdad. It tells the story of the news men and women that were in Iraq in the days leading up to and during the first hours of the Gulf War in 1991. The story is told from the point of view of the CNN on-location producer Robert Wiener. At the time CNN was the first and only 24 hours news network, but hadn't yet made a serious name for itself. The Gulf War changed all that in one shocking, brilliant moment as the skys lit up over Bagdad and CNN had the only secured live feed back to the west.

At around 2:30 am on January 15th the bombs started dropping on Iraq and CNN went live. Bernard Shaw, Peter Arnett & John Holliman began non-stop broadcasting describing the events unfolding as best they could for an audience that could only hear the bombs and the anti-aircraft guns in the distance. The broadcast was picked-up by all the major networks of the United States and around the world. These three men from CNN had a birds eye view of bombs dropping from the sky, and had the eloquence to describe the event. Not since the radio days of World War II were American audiences so captivated by radio style news broadcasting. From 2 am to 5 am, CNN ruled the kingdom of news. It would catapult them into the stratosphere, and give them the power to stay on top of the news business for many years and create a viable business model for 24 hour news. Today, we all expect our news anytime day or night; back then it was dinner time.

It is an interesting contrast to the start of the second Gulf War. With satellite phones and video phones, the press better prepared; no single network was able to take the day the way CNN was able to do in 1991. No network probably ever will have such great luck of timing and perseverance again, at least no in my lifetime.

Below is first few minutes of Bernard Shaws history making broadcast:

Bagdad Residents Begin Jubilation

This morning, as my TV turned on as a sort of alarm clock, I was greeted by Good Morning America and news of US troops moving into the city center of Bagdad near the Palestine hotel. With the movement of the troops into the city, the residents began to come out onto the streets. First in a trickle and then in a flow. As with a river, the flow had a direction... A huge statue of Sadam Hussein. Over the next hour Iraqi men climbed the statue, tied a rope to it and even began to hack at the bottom of the huge pedstal (standing 30 or 40 feet). Unfortunetly the statue, like Bagdad itself, is huge and not an easy object to bring down. In many ways it seems to be a metaphor for the US effort to free Iraq. A big job laced with dangers, but a job ready to be engaged.

A US armored recovery vechicle drove up to the statue offering its increadible power to help the crowd of young Iraqis to bring down the statue of Sadam Hussein. With a heavy cable from the armored vehecial in toe an energetic Iraqi climbed the pedestal and tied the cable to the statue joined later by marines lacing the statue with more cables and eventually tied an Iraqi flag to the neck of the statue. An image that is as fantastic in showing Sadam's Iraq dieing quickly as it is amazing in that Iraqis and US Marines are working together towards a common goal, the end of Sadam and his many statues. A symbolic act that has been seen time and time again throughout time as hostile regimes fade away into history.

First "Blog" & Thoughts on Iraq

Here we go, my first "blog." Where the name "blog" comes from I haven't a clue, but they seem to be all the rage. From how easy this is to do I can see why "bogs" are so increadible. For what purpose will this, my personal "blog" be used for day after day? Well, just to be the way I post news about myself and any other thoughts I might have.... I don't know if this will go as far as a personal journal; but who knows.

So, what is on my mind? What will this first entry be about? Well the major event of the day of course, maybe the decade (although it might be early to make that decision). The Second Gulf War is, if not the major event of the decade, will probably be a defining moment of the decade and maybe in the end the century. That of course will depend greatly on what follows and if American Goverment policy continues in this direction. It is too early to say whether this war will have a long lasting possitive effect or a long lasting negative effect, I fear it will be more negative than possitive. If this is the start of a nation, an empire to be fair, that will fight for democracy, freedom and liberty around the world ridding the planet of dictators and "evil doers" then the change is a good one. A policy that harkens back to the concept of "might makes right." If however this war is more self-surving then the Iraqis are in trouble becuase our resolve will just not be there and the world will be hurt and the United States an enemy of the world. I have always favored the United States being the policeman of the world, the town Marshall making sure the Cowboys stay out of trouble and punishing them when they do get into trouble. It isn't a popular opinion, but we have the might, we have the money and we have the goverment to try and ride gunshot to make sure we don't turn from Republic bringing liberty to Empire bringing slavery. Americans, even when times are at their worst, wake up in the morning it is to a glorious day of making our own decisions and leading a life that could go in any direction. Many people around the world wake up to the misery of another day in hell with the only escape being death. If we can change that, we should. Call it our new "Manifest Denstiny." If this war in Iraq awakens Americans to this possibility fantastic. I frear though that we are not waking up, but simply opening our eyes, slamming the snooze button and rolling over to catch a few more minutes of sleep in an attempt to escape the rising sun.