“If it bleeds it leads.”

A pattern is emerging after terrorist attacks in the United States and indeed worldwide. The media covers the attack and is enthralled with the attack itself; the number of victims, the weapons used, the life story of the murders, and the mistakes of law enforcement or government. After days of wall-to-wall coverage, the media loses interest.

After the investigations have had a chance to develop a viable timeline and a sequence of events, the involvement of others comes to light but no one in the media gives a tinker’s damn about it at that point.

An old saying I like to quote is that war is 95% logistics and 5% combat. The United States Army refers to this as the tooth-to-tail ratio. Envision a dog; the mouth and teeth are the business end of the dog, the part that does the damage, but it is the 95% behind the dog’s muzzle that makes the damage possible. That is the tooth to tail ratio.

In nearly all terrorist attacks the bombers or trigger pullers need a combat support and combat service support operation behind them; the tail is safe houses, weapons, bombs, transportation, medical care, food, fuel, funds, and intelligence to name a few.

The military’s tooth-to-tail ratio varies according to available services; an operation in the arctic where nothing could be procured locally requires a larger logistical tail. An operation in a developed country with safe food, water, electrical power, and transportation systems can have a smaller logistical tail. Terrorist only need a small amount of support, but support is vital to all terrorist operations.

Quite frankly I cannot understand why the fate of those folks who are convicted under the Patriot Act of knowingly providing support to terrorism is not front page news. If we are going to use punishment as a deterrent to terrorism, people must be aware of the punishment the support group receives. Can you remember the level of punishment any person received who helped the attackers in the 13 terrorist attacks in the United States since 911? Probably not.

All nations worldwide need to ensure that those who may be inclined to assist a terrorist attack understand it is a crime and the punishment is severe, or they will not be deterred.

Why our media establishment downplays the trials of those in the terrorists’ support systems is beyond me. Why our friends in the media do not cover the criminal trials of the terrorists’ supporters in the same way they did the O.J. Simpson trial or the trial of the bombers themselves is a mystery. Potential combat support forces for terrorists need to know a high price will be paid by those who knowingly provide aid and comfort to mass murderers.

“If it bleeds it leads” is the Holy Grail of the news scribblers; is the lack of interest in informing the general public of the price paid by those who assist terrorism tied to the absence of blood? The media will proclaim themselves the gate keepers of information and knowledge; opening the gate a few inches and covering the dozens of trials and extremely long prison terms given the terrorists’ supporters would be a public service. Our friends in the media just may prevent people from committing a felony crime and help reduce terrorism.

Convictions of Americans attempting to join or materially support ISIS/ISIL go without much comment by the media. A large number have received prison terms nearly two decades long, and if it was general knowledge, some may be deterred from committing a crime.

The establishment media has an obligation to report and inform the American people of the entire story, not just the part soaked in blood.

Have you driven the roads in Dorr lately?