The Weird War

Even weirder than Vietnam in some respects. NPR's coverage of the Battle of Tentburg is beyond weird. You know you've entered the Twilight Zone when the shaken correspondent's report from the front begins "I was standing at the spaghetti bar when..."

They are just flogging the story to death, despite a near-complete lack of facts.

Announcer: How many people were killed?
Reporter: We've just had an update, and they say it's about 22.
Announcer: How many were American soldiers? [as if it mattered - Dr. X]
Reporter: 18.
Announcer: Do they have any idea yet whether it was a rocket or suicide bomber?
Reporter: No, not yet, the Pentagon is not saying. But they have not ruled out the possibility of a suicide bomber.
Announcer: So perhaps it was a suicide bomber.
Reporter: Or a rocket.
Announcer: Or a suicide bomber.
Reporter: Or a rocket.
Announcer: What is the Pentagon saying now?
Reporter: You mean, since we started this conversation?
Announcer: Yes.
Reporter: Nothing.
Announcer: What does that say about the Pentagon's approch to this terrible situation?

Anyway, we have learned an important lesson for future operations: avoid the spaghetti bar.