Squelch Procedures

In [SQUELCH PROCEDURES], MLA Chernoff contemplates the ways that trauma, poverty, and strict gender norms rupture the concept of childhood. The tension of multiple meanings in the word "squelch" acts as a guide to Chernoff's unique voice, which uses language to swaddle intrusive thoughts and mimic defense mechanisms such as avoidance, depersonalization, and derealization. [SQUELCH PROCEDURES] is an ambitious attempt to show how healing and regression are often indistinguishable, while the past is always predisposed to happen more than once: first as tragedy, then as farce.

The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait on August the 2nd, 1990, and the resultant decision by the President to deploy land, air, and naval forces to protect Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates led, since August the 8th, 1990, to a steady, measured commitment of soldiers, sailors, airmen and supporting equipment to Southwest Asia. That commitment, which began approaching its apparent apex by early November, suddenly broadened on the 8th of that month when the President expanded the original defensive objective to entail the liberation of Kuwait. His policy addendum called for doubling the 200,000 men in Southwest Asia to about 400,000, and he gave Iraq a January the 15th, 1991 deadline to quit Kuwait or face massive military force. Overall American policy in this matter could, therefore, be considered roughly three-phased: one, the original defensive deployment of 200,000 strong, August 8-November 8, 1990; two, the reinforcement to attack strength of about 400,000, November 8, 1990, to January 15, 1991; and three, January 16, 1991, to February 27, 1991- war.