C-130s Showing Baghdad What Democracy is REALLY All About | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-07.07.25

Airborne-NextGen-07.08.25

AirborneUnlimited-07.09.25

Airborne-FlightTraining-07.10.25

AirborneUnlimited-07.11.25

Fri, Jan 24, 2003

C-130s Showing Baghdad What Democracy is REALLY All About

Commando Solo Allows Baghdad Broadcast

The citizens of Iraq received a taste of America in action as a January 22 news briefing by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Richard Myers was broadcast via Commando Solo aircraft to Baghdad. Rumsfeld, speaking at the Foreign Press Center, said the department is doing this "because the truth matters." He said the Iraqi people should know and hear the truth.

U.S. Central Command used Commando Solo II aircraft to broadcast into Afghanistan at the start of operations in that nation. Commando Solo aircraft are modified C-130s capable of broadcasting radio and television on a real-time basis. The aircraft are part of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard's 193rd Special Operations Wing based at Harrisburg International Airport. Department of Defense officials will say only that the crews are operating "somewhere in the (Persian) Gulf."

Rumsfeld said broadcasting the news briefings shows freedom at work. Public officials in constitutional democracies [Saddam was 'democratically elected,' after all --ed] are held accountable and must explain their actions to the people, he said. "Every week, General Myers and I stand in the Pentagon in front of independent journalists -- professionals -- and ... try to answer their questions," Rumsfeld said. "Some of the questions are tough, many are insightful, and all add to the information available to the American people and the people of the world."

Rumsfeld said that once the reporters leave the studio they do not fear for their lives. "They know that they and their families will not be threatened and that no one will be beaten or punished," he said. "Truth matters in a democracy," he said; "it is the foundation of justice."

He contrasted that with Saddam Hussein's regime, which, he said, is built on "terror, intimidation and lies." In 1991, Hussein agreed to give up his weapons of mass destruction. "For more than a decade, his regime has refused to live up to his promises," Rumsfeld said. "Instead, it has fed the world a steady diet of untruths and deceptions."

[Thanks to Jim Garamone, American Forces Press Service --ed.]

FMI: www.defenselink.mil

Advertisement

More News

NTSB Final Report: Aviat A1

Airplane Bounced About 3 Ft Then Touched Back Down And Then, With No Brakes Applied, The Airplane Began Veering To The Left Analysis: The pilot entered the airport traffic pattern >[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (07.08.25)

Aero Linx: British Microlight Aircraft Association (BMAA) The primary focus within all aviation activity is SAFETY. In all aspects of our sport SAFETY must come first, whether it b>[...]

Classic Aero-TV: Fly Corvair’s Reliable Engine Alternative

From SnF25 (YouTube Edition): William Wynne Builds Practical Aircraft Engines on the Corvair Platform Seeking an affordable alternative to the traditional aircraft engine options, >[...]

ANN FAQ: Contributing To Aero-TV

How To Get A Story On Aero-TV News/Feature Programming How do I submit a story idea or lead to Aero-TV? If you would like to submit a story idea or lead, please contact Jim Campbel>[...]

Classic Aero-TV: CiES Fuel-Quantity and e-Throttle Systems Praised

From 2023 (YouTube Edition): Bridge of CiES CiES Inc. is a Bend, Oregon-based designer and manufacturer of modular embedded aircraft systems and sensors. The company’s fuel-l>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC