IT IS JUST MY OPINION

Today - September 24th - is the third and final day of the Buddhist Pchhum Ben Festival.  As it started on a Monday this year it meant that the people had the benefit of the weekend as well.  During this holiday time amost everyone - including my goodly partner - headed off to their hometowns in the Provinces.  The result is that the city of Phnom Penh has been almost deserted for five days and I am what would be described as "home alone".

I enjoy the peace and quiet and especially the fact that during this time there is very little traffic around and it is actually possible to walk  across any street without thinking that one might well come face-to-face with the Good Lord before you get to the other side.  Restaurants and businesses are closed and even the often aggressive tuk-tuk drivers have vanished from the scene all much to the puzzlement of any visitors who happen to be here during this time.

As for me - being home alone gives me time to do things that I have left undone for a while.  However it also allows me far too much time to sit in front of the television and watch programmes I would never otherwise watch, including the non-stop depressing world news that is brought to us these days.  This includes what I consider as the somewhat aggressive reporting by many CNN reporters (with  the exception of Mrs. Christiane Amanpour) who seem to think they know everything on every subject and the endless parade of "specialists" and "analysts" who say they do know everything.

This week we have been treated to nonstop coverage of the air attacks in Syria and Iraq.  I have no problem with that.  However there are a few things that bother me and I say again this is just my humble opinion with which many may disagree and that is fine.

If one is about to conduct an offensive against an enemy, I don't understand why one would publicly announce and even discuss the where, when and how of the event.  Nor can I see why it is necessary to announce with very detailed explanations what particular weapons will be used - even giving precise details of the aircraft to be used and their capabilities.  To me this seems a strange tactic not to mention dangerous as well. Yet not just Mr. Obama, his Secretary of State as well as his Secretary of Defence, but it seems almost every Army, Navy and Air Force general both retired or otherwise are having a ball giving out all possible details on national television several times a day.  Should not these detailed matters not be kept secret apart from saying "we are taking action"?   Why has everyone got to know everything?

Is it any wonder it has now been reported that many ISIS fighters had evacuated some of the targeted places ahead of the attacks?  I don't recall either Sir Winston Churchill or General Dwight Eisenhower announcing to the world - and they did have radio then if not television - exactly where, when and how the D-Day landings would take place.  Had they done so I imagine there might have been a very different ending to World War II.  Something to think about! 

To me another worrying factor is why the networks spend so much time interviewing so-called analysts and specialists who seem to enjoy telling the world that "we are in imminent danger of an attack" and that American civil aircraft are being targeted by the new Korosan group that was never mentioned before.  Is there really a need to scare people like this when so many people are today scared of almost everything anyway?  Scaring people like this is just what these terrorists want to happen, so I would appeal to the media - who probably won't listen - to stop these scary interviews and discussions.

I won't stop flying and I am not scared.  I have been in four air disasters in my life - one with my unflappable mother who calmly told me to "finish your dinner - as we are landing in the water it may be a long time before we eat again".  Those things didn't stop either me or my mother from flying again.  I have been in enough war zones and seen enough killings first hand but it hasn't stopped me travelling.  However not everyone is like me - which probably is a good thing.

As I said, these are just my opinions as I watch things unfurling.  Maybe those in high places have their reasons for disclosing everything before the event but my humble mind can't see the reason or understand why they do it.  Nevertheless, I do wish all this public discussion on the how, where and when plus the never ending speeches of the scare mongering analysts and specialists will stop.