14 Shock and Awe
When the U.S. entered the Iraq War in 2003, it came at a time when live TV and the Internet had evolved to the point where any fighting could be instantly streamed around the globe for everyone to see. So when America launched its first attack, called Operation: Shock and Awe, video was carried live on every major news network on the planet.
For an entire generation of people too young to remember the live coverage of the Gulf War, this was their first look at war in real time, and it was a jarring experience. Bombs were going off at a rapid pace, and the type of explosions we’re used to seeing in the movies had moved to the small screen with real lives at stake. It was the opening salvo for what was to become one of the most controversial wars in American history, and it was all up there for the world to see live.
