SILENCE: Is golden with military intel

“Loose lips sink ships” a catch phrase of the ‘40s used to avoid public announcements about ship movements because German submarines were actively sinking ships off our coastline carrying “lease lend” material to our allies in Europe. It was more than a catchy phase when it came to a schedule for invading Normandy, Iwo Jima or some unnamed island in the Pacific. Can one imagine the consequences if the Japanese Navy had announced their plans to attack Pearl Harbor in advance! It was Top Secret information of the highest order that was closely held for the purpose of keeping the enemy guessing and unprepared for planned operations. As a pilot involved in Task Force 38 operations, during the ‘40s we traveled far and wide in the Pacific using “Radio Silence” for the same identical reason just to keep the enemy guessing.

Need I say that it paid off, and we won!

In contrast to the protection of intelligence information in prior wars, I note with some dismay that it is common practice today in Afghanistan for instance for our military to announce in advance precisely their plans and schedules for conducting offensive operations. After an internal delay, we just announced to the world that 30,000 additional troops would be added to the force in Afghanistan. Providing this intelligence is simply another example of the “changes” that we have experienced in this new generation of “change.”

New “changes” have been the evolution of North Korea’s production of “homemade” Nuclear Weapons while we quietly watched and waited. All the while reporting that according to the UN, “Sanctions don’t work.” The same “foot dragging” process is currently in vogue, “fiddling while Iran burns.”

Question; who is at jeopardy in this case, the UN or the people of the USA?

 Nice to have friends and allies but do we need support by questionable allies to implement our own system of sanctions or do we take the initiative and protect No. 1, the people of the USA.

Would it be a revelation to just wake up tomorrow and see the same old USA that we all once enjoyed in the past and Obama didn’t give a speech!

AL OLIVER

Coeur d’Alene