Over the first week of the war in Iraq there has been a quite extraordinary mismatch between the perceptions of the coalition commanders on the ground and the expectations of the media. The fact that a very small number of British and American soldiers have been killed, wounded and captured is not unexpected. What is quite extraordinary is how few casualties there have been. Media talk of ‘significant casualties’ is ridiculous. Again, the absurd emphasis on the significance of the small bands of Iraqi irregulars that are operating behind allied lines in southern Iraq is misleading. Some of these elements may be around for months to come. With the relatively small numbers of coalition forces involved in this operation, it is not possible – nor is it the intention – to control every square metre of Iraq.
The media should be concentrating on the strategic war aims of the coalition and whether or not they are being achieved, rather than focusing on irrelevant tactical detail.
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