***Operation Iraqi Freedom - Situation Room - Day 4 - LIVE THREAD***

Everywhere! | 23 Mar 2003 | An.American.Expatriate

[null and void]

Good Morning.

This is the Daily Thread of Operation Iraqi Freedom - LIVE THREAD.

It is designed for general conversation about the events of the day. In depth discussion of events should be left to individual threads - but links to the threads or other articles is highly encouraged. This allows us to stay abreast of the situation in general, while also providing a means of obtaining specific information.

Please have mercy on us dial up limited FReepers! Limit the big graphics, post links instead. A breif description of what the graphic is would help:

To all who helped this get started, thank you!

Special thanks to An.American.Expatriate for staring the daily threads, Mo1 for the screamer, the AdminMods for their tolerance, and, of course, Belly Girl...

[oceanview]

their tanks, we sent the apaches in at night to get them. the reporter said there was a huge amount of AAA.

[Catspaw]

The sirens have stopped in Kuwait....but no all clear.

[knak]

nobody is hearing that strange noise on msnbc?

[gop212]

Good question from Greta.....Why are you wearing that mask, and no suit?

[thedugal]

fake surrender?

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

FN: Jonathan Hunt, Kuwait City: "Not wearing full suits because we haven't gotten warning of chem. attacks." Keep them (suits) within arm's length at all times, though. No all clear yet.

[Petronski]

They are thrilled about this:

U.S. Finds Suspected Iraq Chemical Plant


By MATT KELLEY, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - U.S. troops have found a suspected chemical factory in Iraq (news - web sites) and officials were trying to determine late Sunday whether it was involved in making chemical weapons, U.S. officials said.

The plant is near the city of Najaf, which U.S. troops reached Sunday on a push to Baghdad, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

U.S. Central Command said in a statement that troops were examining "sites of interest," but did not elaborate. The statement said reports describing the discovery as a chemical weapons factory were "premature."

President Bush (news - web sites) and other U.S. officials say ridding Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s regime of chemical and biological weapons is the main objective of the war.

Saddam's government denies it has any chemical, biological or nuclear weapons or programs to produce them.

Asked at a news conference in Qatar Sunday about reports of the chemical plant, Lt. Gen. John Abizaid of U.S. Central Command declined comment. He said top Iraqi officers have been questioned about chemical weapons.

"We have an Iraqi general officer, two Iraqi general officers that we have taken prisoner, and they are providing us with information," Abizaid said.

If the plant is confirmed as a chemical weapons factory, it would be the first find by the U.S.-led invasion force validating U.S. allegations that Iraq still has weapons of mass destruction.

Iraqi officials have insisted that they destroyed all of the chemical and biological weapons they made after the 1991 Persian Gulf War (news - web sites) — a claim U.N. weapons inspectors have questioned.

U.N. weapons inspectors are not aware of any large-scale chemical sites which could be used to make chemical weapons in Najaf, said Ewen Buchanan, spokesman for the inspectors. However, there are many such dual-use sites in other parts of the country because of Iraq's petrochemical industry.

U.N. inspectors visited a cement plant in Najaf earlier this year but did not report finding anything.

The U.S. military's discovery was first reported in the Jerusalem Post, which has a reporter traveling with the unit from the Army's 3rd Infantry Division which reached the chemical plant. The newspaper reported that about 30 Iraqi troops, including a general, surrendered at the plant.

[Centurion2000]

Ahhh ... finally caught up ....

[Merdoug]

I think the cameraman is moving around close by.

[mware]

Yeah I am hearing it, sounds like a hord of crickets.

[Wormwood]

MSNBC noise: I heard it.

Who owns the source of that feed, anyway? Al-jazeera? The Iraqis?

[gop212]

ALL CLEAR IN KC

[muslims=borg]

The rats should just rename themselves "The New Bolshevik Party" since thats what they are all aspiring to.

[Consort]

It's Shock and Awe, Tom.

[commish]

Iraqi troops waved a white flag and acted like they were surrenduring.. when Marine's approached they were ambushed by other soldiers who where hidden.

[gop212]

Way to go.

[knak]

I saw that one earlier. I'm afraid what I might see if I went "there" again. Might need a new keyboard.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Aaron Brown and Wolfie Blitzer are both disgusting. Add in Judy Woodruff and that other balding election expert guy and you've got a real group of losers.