KNAPPSTER George Knapp is a longtime reporter and anchor for KLAS Channel 8.

Thursday, March 20, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Mercury

Knappster: No high-fives after this war is over

By George Knapp

By the time you read this, chances are American smart bombs will be shinnying down Iraqi chimneys, American tanks will be ripping across the desert in a full-tilt cruise toward Baghdad, and American boys and girls will be shooting at anything that doesn't surrender. At long last, war. Strap yourself into the Barcalounger, because it should be quite a show, for a few days at least.

This won't be a column filled with second guessing and armchair bitching. The time for that is apparently over. When the shooting starts, Americans generally pull together and get behind the troops, no matter what doubts and divisions existed before. But we all know this little expedition is far different from anything our country has done before, and that's why there seems to be a lot less gung ho jingoism being expressed in everyday conversation, even by those who generally support the war.

It's a given that Saddam is a dangerous madman, a ruthless killer who would nuke us in a second if he could get his hands on a bomb. He's got to go, sooner better than later. But this time--arguably for the first time in our history--we're attacking without being attacked ourselves, or without our allies being attacked. Don't give me that crap that Iraq had something to do with 9-11. Try as they might, the hawks haven't been able to pin that one on Saddam. (No question, Saddam clearly has supported terrorists in the past, just not the ones who attacked us on 9-11.) This new assault on Iraq will be a pre-emptive strike, not an enraged response to hostilities, and that's different for America, different from any of our other wars.

I don't see anyone coming out of our pending victory with pumped fists and yippee-aye-ohs. We'll get rid of Saddam, that's for sure, but we aren't likely to get a lot of slaps on the back for the effort. In all likelihood, nearly everyone else in the world will be pissed off at us, and we will go a long way toward confirming the suspicion (no matter how unfair) that America is a bully. Islamic fundamentalists will have a fresh recruiting pitch with which to attract a new generation of rabid suicide bombers. It's likely to get rough.

A lot of Iraqis are going to die in the next few days, shopkeepers and farmers and little people who have nothing to do with Saddam's reign of terror, except their perseverence through it. Some Americans are likely to die as well. The lives of their loved ones will be changed immeasurably and forever. I realize that getting rid of Saddam is a necessity, but it doesn't make it much easier to deal with the consequences, except for those talk radio warriors and letter-writing Rambos who can't wait to see the bombs start falling.

Back in 1905, the great Mark Twain wrote a little piece in response to public enthusiasm for war. It was called "The War Prayer" and was so scathing that it wasn't published until after his death. In Twain's scenario, troops about to march off to war get together in church to hear a minister pray for their victory. But a stranger in a white robe enters the church and explains that God had heard the unspoken prayer that their march to war will represent.

"O Lord, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their fields with the pale forms of their dead; help us to drown the thunder of their guns with the wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste to their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with their little children to wander their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst. For our sakes, O Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, water their way with tears, stain the white snow with their blood."

It goes on, but you get the picture. Like most Americans, I will support our men and women in battle, and will be relieved when Saddam is finally gone. But there shouldn't be any high-fiving when this is over.

Carson City notes

Anyone who thinks the current legislative session will be able to reach a consensus on sweeping new tax initiatives didn't see what happened in Carson City last week. Even though Nevada voters approved Question 10 last November, authorizing the sale of bonds to raise money for transportation and road improvements, and even though the County Commission signed off on the deal after voters said okay, a panel of Nevada lawmakers spent hours on nitpicky hearings and picayune questions about the plan. Eventually, the Senate Taxation Committee approved the measure 7-0, but it took far too long to okay something the public has already said yes to. Imagine then what it will be like when lawmakers attempt to tackle tax issues on which there is no public consensus. ... We keep reading about how hard the lawmakers are working and how they will barely get their work done in the 120 days allotted. So why is it that the Legislature is pretty much deserted by noon every Friday? The place is a ghost town as many lawmakers split early to get home for the weekend. I'd like that work schedule.

Rick and Sandy update

In response to a column item in this space last week, Knappster heard from both Sandy Murphy and Rick Tabish over the past few days. Murphy and Tabish are serving prison time for the murder of Ted Binion, but both are hopeful they will soon be released or retried once the Nevada Supreme Court rules on their case. Murphy asked me not to reveal details from our phone conversation, except to say she is anxious to get some sort of word from the Supremes and that she is persevering on the inside. Tabish sounded extremely confident in describing some of the next steps his legal team plans to take. Neither wants to say anything that might influence the deliberations that are now dragging on into their ninth month.

Names in the news

Former Sheriff Jerry Keller's retirement certainly didn't last long. Keller has accepted a job as VP in charge of security for Le Reve, Steve Wynn's latest creation. Keller told me that Wynn tracked him down while the ex-sheriff and his wife were vacationing in Missouri to make the job pitch. Once Wynn explained the job, Keller says, it was hard to say no. ... Informed sources say a confidential report has recently been compiled concerning the vulnerability of local water resources. A private think tank conducted an in-depth risk assessment of our water facilities and resources and told local honchos that we are wide open to attack or sabotage. It's probably a similar situation all over the country. ... Bill Cassidy, a former aide to Mayor Oscar Goodman who has run into a string of legal issues, called the other morning to say he wanted to make a statement before he turned himself in on an outstanding warrant. Knappster returned the call but never heard from Cassidy again. Has he surfaced?

Skinwalker redux

Remember the Mercury cover story from last fall about strange activity at a Utah ranch? The articles, dubbed "Path of the Skinwalker," have caused a mini-sensation in paranormal circles. Britain's leading UFO magazine reprinted the articles in their entirety. UFO Magazine (the U.S. version) has a two-part installment coming out next week. The Fortean Times, an international mag dedicated to weird happenings, rewrote its own version of the tale, stealing the material from our articles. And an Internet newsletter has been offering to sell copies of the Mercury stories for ten bucks a pop. For those who didn't see the stories, check out the Mercury website. And anyone interested in learning more about such matters--or who wants to report their own info--can contact the National Institute for Discovery Science at 702-798-1700 or at the NIDS website.