Impressions of the war in Iraq - Week I

The war in Iraq has reached a crucial phase as coalition troops converge on the outskirts of Baghdad.

While the men and women of the allied military forces participate in the most technologically advanced fighting ever, millions of prayers are being offered up daily for a just end to this war, for the safety and lives of those who are fighting and for comfort for those whose loved one's are in harm's way.

This war is unlike any other.

Even with all the technology available in the Gulf War of 1991, the art of warfare and the access to instant communications from war zones have advanced to the point of giving the world a nearly instant view of what is happening.

Here are some impressions after a week of war in Iraq:

Saddam Hussein and his military commanders have once again demonstrated their moral depravity. It is clear that they intend to use any means of warfare available, regardless of the consequences to combatants on either side.

Weapons sought -- but not found -- by U.N. weapons inspectors already have been put to use by Saddam's forces. Coalition commanders now fear the unleashing of chemical and biological weapons as the war intensifies in the Iraqi capital.

Having spent millions of dollars on state-of-the-art communications gear, news organizations have been scrambling to fill air time and newspaper columns with information. But much of it has been just that: filler.

In spite of the lack of significant information to report, millions of Americans who otherwise despise warfare have been glued to their TV sets for days. Most noticeable has been the interest of those who ordinarily avoid contact with anything relating to war, such as watching war movies. These same people say they can't explain their fascination with the availability of instant war coverage.

But even with all the videophones and gadgets to show the war in real time, there is still a lack of access to reliable information when something really significant happens in Iraq. As a result, incomplete or faulty information is repeated over and over.

The English-speaking world has developed a fascination with an old word that has been given new prominence by news organizations: embedded. Every TV, radio and newspaper outlet with resources to send reporters, photographers and camera and sound crews to battle zones now has someone "embedded" with military troops.

Stationery video cameras in Baghdad give the world a up-close view of the city as bombs explode and fires add an ominous glow to the skyline. A puzzling juxtaposition is the view that shows a major street with a steady stream of vehicles that approach a working traffic signal, stop on red and use turning signals before making a right turn onto another street.

The safest places in Baghdad, it would appear, are the hotels where foreign journalists are encamped to provide first-person accounts of the war.