Terrorism and Civil Liberties

Terrorism and Civil Liberties: Phase 3IP

Barbara Hanrahan

Professor:

CJUS253-1204B-06: Homeland Security

January 28, 2013

This paper focuses on the stress between the U. S. Military during the Vietnam War and the Media. The conflicts are the two parties, one the military wanting to deal with the operation behind closed doors, while the media wants to make the information public to all to see. The advantages of having the first amendment rights, gives the right to freedom of the press, but then those rights can conflict with national security issues. The justice here is the two problems and how they must overcome their differences, with absolute scrutiny in doing so.

Viewing both sides of the media-military relations, it would sound like after the Vietnam War, that there was a decade or more of remarks that emerged as to who was to blame or fault for the outcome of the war. It was simpler to blame just one party, the media for all that had transpired. It was more on the social outlook of teaming up and finding ways between the military and the media, working together. Regardless if it was military or media is all a political act, to inform the public about its affairs at war time or what the political leaders are doing to control the situation. The military has to work with the press to assure that though preparation and progress, that they will achieve their mission to maintain control, but it's through the media, that this can be accomplished.

One reporter, Joe Galloway has nothing but a positive experience with the military, but states that after the war, that officials after the war used a smoke screen or "red herring was dragged through the O' Club bar of a thousand posts for a decade or more after the end of the Vietnam War. It became an article of faith for a generation of officers, and lead directly to the over-control and the spin control that allowed the Gulf War to be fought in a near-vacuum" (Galloway, J., 1996). Because in such a situation it drawled in such negative feelings between the two parties, the new generation of military wanted to find the cause of the failures of the war, only to find "by placing full blame and responsibility on the press they could avoid delving deeper, peeling to the underlying layers of the onion and exposing the more important failures of political leadership at home and military leadership right down the chain of command from the joint Chiefs to the commander, U.S. Forces Vietnam and on down to Corps and Division"(Galloway, J.,1996).

I know it sound like this person (Joe Galloway) in particular has a negative and ill feeling as to who is to blame, but it is quite the opposite as to the experiences that are noted or accredited to the people in the military. Joe Galloway expresses he's positive remarks, through his adventures, by being endangered by experiences that are noted. These experiences he has witnessed next to soldiers, has given a different look on life for what they have given him in return,