The lies of Operation Swarmer

We were led to believe that Operation Swarmer marked a huge step forward in the ongoing struggle against the Iraqi insurgency.

We were led to believe that Iraqi forces stood side-by-side with their American counterparts and, for once, took the lead in that struggle.

We were led to believe that "the 'largest air assault since 2003' in Iraq using over 50 helicopters to put 1500 Iraqi and U.S. troops on the ground had netted 48 suspected insurgents".

We were led to believe that there was light at the end of the tunnel, that things were getting better.

What we were led to believe was a lie. Time is now reporting this:

But contrary to what many many television networks erroneously reported, the operation was by no means the largest use of airpower since the start of the war. ("Air Assault" is a military term that refers specifically to transporting troops into an area.) In fact, there were no airstrikes and no leading insurgents were nabbed in an operation that some skeptical military analysts described as little more than a photo op. What’s more, there were no shots fired at all and the units had met no resistance, said the U.S. and Iraqi commanders.

Yes, U.S. and Iraq forces found some weaponry and related paraphernalia in that farming community, but: "Before loading up into the helicopters for a return trip to Baghdad, Iraqi and American soldiers and some reporters helped themselves to the woman’s freshly baked bread, tearing bits off and chewing it as they wandered among the cows. For most of them, it was the only thing worthwhile they’d found all day."

It's good that those weapons were found. Whether you support the war or not, whether you want U.S. forces to come home or not, there's no good reason at all to wish the insurgency well.

But what is real and what is spin? The problem with much of this war, from the case its proponents initially made right through to Operation Swarmer, is that it's been waged on the basis of lies, on the basis of a distorting spin that makes it all look so much better than it really is. Is it any wonder Americans have lost so much confidence in their political leadership? It's precisely that leadership that continues to lie to them.