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'America goes to War' Comprehensive coverage of the military buildup only at ORBAT.COM the USA's top orbat source.

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A commentary that highlights the thoughts of much of middle America a month after the worlds worst terrorist attack and still no effective response from the worlds most powerful armed forces...........many now believe that only the terrorists can have benefitted from this unexplained delay.

Welcome to the war - on paper anyway

Wall Street Journal:  "U.S. plans to bomb Taliban assets"
MSNBC:  "In Pakistan, Blair builds support"
AP News Wire: "U.S. deploys troops to Uzbekistan"
NBC: "Britain releases dossier of evidence"
Washington Post:  "FBI, CIA warn of more attacks"

The President says it, the news channels all say it, and even the peace-niks are out in full force.  It looks like full scale war.  The only thing missing...well...is the war.

At 8:00 am PDT, October 5th, nearly a full month since the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, not one shot has been reported by the American Press.  AFI Research has reported movements and possible clashes between special forces (U.S. and British) in Afghanistan, but little else has escaped the region's apparent news blackout.

So if there is a war, where are the photos of tracer fire into the night, the searing white blossoms as a smart weapon impacts on a vital communications center.  Where are the shots of U.S. warplanes streaking off the carriers or from a land base, as they head out to destroy our latest enemy.

Well, there are none.  It is a strange war, is it not?  We, who have had our teeth cut on the pounding of Iraq with Stormin' Norman calmly pointing out the lucky truck driver crossing a low bridge as a 500 pound laser guided bomb removes that small piece of infrastructure from the map.  We who were awed at the sheer volume of tracer fire on the green field of a night vision scope, or the eerie static electricity charges glowing on the blades of a Blackhawk helicopter.

It is still, and looks to remain as, a war of words and behind the scenes financial and political wheeling and dealing.  Tony Blair is putting the U.S. ducks in a row in a visible "last ditch effort" at convincing the Taliban to capitulate.  Colin Powell has disappeared from the radar screen.  Rumsfield is in the region, but his lackeys back home are talking about the air campaign...dropping food packs...yes that's right food packs on the Afghans.  A former King is saying he'd be happy to be the rallying point for a new ruling order in Afghan, and so called tribal leaders are calling for a tribal council to formally kick out the Taliban and institute a new government.

But our appetite for retaliation, just a small piece of retribution for the well photographed, documented, immortalized aircraft plunging into the Twin Towers has not been answered with the same satisfying images of destruction "over there".

Perhaps we should be happy that we are such a civilized nation, a country that can take its time to line up support, eke out support on many fronts in this new war.  And least we forget, it took some many months, August to January for U.S. troops to be ready to repel Saddam's invasion of Kuwait.  Does it not make sense then that there are liable to be some delays as the pieces are moved around on the map?  Of course.

But the fact remains that U.S. troops are not at home, and military serviceman's families are in that strange almost unreal land of worry and doubt with no good or bad news to trigger any emotion except fear.

So we wonder at the absence of stark images of war and wonder at the predictions of more attacks and danger at home ("oh my god, do I need a gas mask?  Where is the FBI when you need them?  What's up with our Attorney General?  Isn't anybody out there going to protect us?")

News Flash:  It's a propaganda campaign, my friends.  This is how the new world order gets the world ready for the nasty realities of war.  Not only do you expect it to happen, but you almost anticipate the moment.  We are being manipulated.

Having said that, the thought comes to mind, "well the stakes are pretty large and it is better than the other extreme, an ill prepared world is assaulted with body bags being loaded on cargo planes and news pictures of American families mourning over the caskets being unloaded in their home town."

Like a well rehearsed marketing campaign, the Bush administration is carefully going about its business, preparing their public for the worst, and perhaps preparing a meal that, if all goes right, will include less bloodshed and a quick transition from an Afghan ruled by religious heretics and fanatics to a benign somewhat passive government more in tune with the western world's needs.

It is an interesting time to say the least.  Any morning we steel ourselves to wake up to the news that the bombs are dropping...after all why are all those B-52s over there in Diego Garcia?  But no, not yet...we only feel like we are at war...the smell of cordite is a ways off yet.

(c) Copyright Michael Crawford MILNET, USA 2001
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'FIGHTING FORCES' a review of 26 of the worlds most important armies is published on the 28th September by Barrons Educational Publishers of New York and written by Richard M. Bennett of AFI Research

It covers in detail the armies of Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Turkey,
as well as the USA, UK, Russia and China.  ISBN 0-7641-5343-9, priced at $29.95 with a 10% discount for orders placed on www.barronseduc.com in September.or call US Toll-free 1-800-645-3476, International  Tel: 631-434-3311 and Fax: 631-434-3217

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AFI, a commercial organization, has a well deserved reputation for confronting major issues with both impartiality and total independence from Government and Corporate influence and with its US partners make up the AFI-Milnet-Orbat Intelligence network, offering one of  the leading international sources of expert information on the worlds conflicts, armed forces, intelligence, security services and related subjects.....contact us today to find out how we can help keep you better informed than your competition

Media Information

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Richard M Bennett (UK)

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Dr James Hawker (Australia-Consultant) and Ms Kate Bennett (UK)

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AFI are pleased to announce a new review of some of the most important armies in world, 'FIGHTING FORCES', to be published on the 28th September by Barrons Educational Publishers of New York and written by Richard M. Bennett.

ISBN 0-7641-5343-9, priced at $29.95 with a 10% discount for orders placed on www.barronseduc.com in September.or call US Toll-free 1-800-645-3476, International  Tel: 631-434-3311 and Fax: 631-434-3217

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