Second Front- Chapter one

In second Front by Macarthur chapter one-Cutting the Deal talks about how Prince Bandar is hoping for representation of the Saudi government. They were able to cover the war from Saudi Arabia. By keeping Iraq away from Kuwait we were doing the Saudi's a favor. Fred Dunton who is a lobbyist was hired by the Saudi Arabian government. Him and Bandar have control over media access of the war. To cover the war they can't write to critically because otherwise they will loose viewers. They are competing for access of information, and if they mess up they will loose all access. The government did not want Saudi Arabia to give complete access to the media. They Pentagon and the Whitehouse are the places that hold the information, if they upset them then they will loose access to all the information.

The pool system was a way to limit coverage on the war. It kept people away from the way unless they were part of a pool. Reporters were nearby so that they can file reports of planes taking off an things of that sort. The pool system was a very smart system, there was only a limited number of spots. If you weren't part of the pool you were supposed to get your information from people inside the pool. If you were a member of the pool you had to be careful because the Pentagon could remove you if act up and complain. You could write one great story, but once you mess up they don't care they will kick you out. The Pentagon doesn't control what the media says it forces them to be on their best behavior. The pool system works good for a small war and that's why it only worked good for the first Gulf war. If you are apart of the pool system, the Pentagon pays for everything and makes sure that you are secure. The pool is an economic plus.