Embedded media is a very clever concept devised by the defense deparment in response to media (and other) complaints during and after the last gulf war. In 1991, the media were kept out of the loop and their questions went unanswered. Like what happened to the one hundred thousand Iraqi soldiers who apparently disappeared. With no media around, the U.S. forces were free to bury Iraqi soldiers alive in their trenches using armored bull dozers. Have you seen or heard of any Iraqi soldiers in trenches this time?

This time, the media are going along with selected military units. Their reporting is seen in Iraq as well as everywhere else so it can be used as phychological warfare against the Iraqi soldiers and leadership. In addition, since only selected units have embedded media, the other units are free to operate without their actions being reported.

For example, Ted Koppel has been embedded with the third brigade of the third mechanized infantry division reporting everything they do. It seems he's on TV 24 hours a day and no one in that brigade can pass gas without it being reported world wide. But, the other two brigades which make up the third mechanized infantry division have no embedded media so no one even knows where they are let alone what they're up to.

Pretty clever, no?

Bev and Jerry