Is this the most stage-managed offensive in recent times? (From Asian Image)

Is this the most stage-managed offensive in recent times?

5:37pm Monday 15th February 2010 in

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It seems the media planning for ‘Operation Moshtarak’ was as carefully managed as the offensive itself.

As well as ensuring any ‘mistakes’ are quickly explained the manner in which the offensive has been portrayed has been meticulously managed.

From local news feeds to the national TV stations each part of the media machine has been indirectly involved without knowing it. Many local radio stations and local media have been able to boast that their reporters are ‘on the ground’ following their particular regiments as they ready for battle.

It has helped to put a friendly and familiar face to the impending confrontation.

Twenty-four hour TV channels have tended to run similar stories a few days into the offensive. The number of blogs and ‘exclusive dairies’ seem to have exploded on to the internet.

The importance of social networking sites has also proved to be an equally significance. You can get Twitter updates on the war from an array of sources. But don’t expect any to tell you the actual human sacrifice.

When twelve civilians and ten members of the same family were killed over the weekend it was important to tell people that this was a genuine error and apologise straight away. But what we did not get was a picture or camera shots of this mistake.

It has also been very important to show how it is the Afghan army that is leading this assault and how the allies are working with them to defeat the Taliban. This has been of paramount importance during the build-up to the offensive.

After months of depressing and sad news one can only say that the way this particular offensive was portrayed was as equally important as how it succeeds on the ground.

Few commentators at this stage have pointed out this out. Maybe to do so would be a little unpatriotic.

Yet, the truth is war is never friendly, war is never easy and war cannot be made to look like pretty.