***Operation Iraqi Freedom - Situation Room - Day 6 - LIVE THREAD***

Multiple ^ | 25 March 2003 | Various

[An.American.Expatriate]

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:

Special thanks to null and void for keeping these running over the weekend and Monday, to all of you for keeping these threads alive, the AdminMods for their tolerance, mhking for the video links, and, of course, Belly Girl...

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

SOD Rumsfeld:

 

"With each passing day the Iraqi regime is losing more control of the country."

 

"Their defeat is certain."

 

"This war is an act of self-defense, to be sure, but it is also an act of humanity."

 

To the family of those (captured), our thoughts and prayers are with them and we will do all we can to bring them home.

 

Bad guys using Red Cross vehicles to courier military instructions. These are serious violations...

 

"To the Iraqi people let me say this, by now you have seen and know that (our battle) is not aimed at you."

 

"A regime that starved its own people so its dictator can built more and more palaces.."

 

"Do not lead your men into battle to die for a condemned regime. Lay down your arms and you will be spared."

 

Gen. Myers:

 

"On the ground our forces are nearing Baghdad...200+ miles in less than 5 days...our plan is on track. " Flew nearly 1000 sorties over Iraq yesterday...have secured the port of Umm (whatever)

 

Videos:

 

GPS weapon used to destroy the last GPS jammer they can find.

 

Destroyed a patrol boat in S. Iraq

 

500 lb bomb destroyed RG So. of Baghdad.

 

SOD Rumsfeld:

 

"I don't know how anyone outside of the government think they know what my views are..."

 

"The plan is a plan that has been approved by..(Myers, etc.)

 

"Forces increase in the country every minute of every hour, every day...and that will continue to be the case."

 

"Equipment loaded...personnel trained, equip. moved in place...regular basis.

 

Gen. Myers: "We're on track. It's a plan everybody agrees to...Put together by Gen. Franks and his commanders. It's a brilliant plan. We've been at it for about a week...Very well thought out. Will play out as we expect."

 

Rummy: 

 

Re. Basrah popular uprising: "I have not seen these reports....What's going on is that coalition forces came in from the south, essentially bypassed Basrah...the British forces essentially have the task of" (handling Basrah). Saddam "terrorists" Fedayeen (sp) do not represent a threat to this operation. Iraqi people have been repressed by the regime of Saddam Hussein. These are Saddam Hussein's people shooting them if they try to escape. Anyone involved in an escape have a whale of a lot of courage and I hope they (succeed)."

 

"There is no way people can effect what people say. We have a free country..."

 

"It seems to me that anyone with any sense recognizes the complexity of this task."

 

"This is a sizeable military that the coalition is up against."

 

"This is a tough business. Wars are unpredictable."

 

Gen. Myers: "If you look at the big scope of things, we're on the right track...forces are still flowing to the region."

 

SOD Rumsfeld:

 

"In WWII people didn't have TV.....

 

"It leaves people with the impression that it's been going on for days and weeks...it's been since Friday that the air war has begun."

 

"RG groups are military and that's where the difficult task begins. It is starting w/ the Medina division S. of Kabala."

 

"There's no love lost between Iran and Iraq...on the other hand, both are states that have sponsored terrorism. Thus far, Iran has done...(nothing to make it more difficult) in Iraq."

 

Re. raising expectations that the war would end soon. "Not by me and not by Gen. Myers." "Is it possible that someone might have said something that lead people to (believe this? Yes..why would we say that knowing the hundreds of thousands of people and complexity of this task?)..

 

Re. our captives, killed: "Clearly what we expect from the Iraqi regime is to treat any POWs (according to Geneva Convention). Red Cross should have access. "Of course we're concerned about our POWs and MIAs."

 

Gen. Myers: "There are plans that Gen. Franks has put together to address that situation." (re. if Saddam's regime uses WMDs)

 

"Given the fact that we're 200+ miles inside Iraq, nearing Baghdad...we haven't yet engaged the RG...

 

"Analysts say what they say. They seem to me to be all over the lot.  "It's NOT knowable."

 

"If people have a tendency to gravitate toward some analyst that may be unreasonable, I would not  follow that analyst and (would isntead) listen to what we say..."

 

Gen. Myers: "I think we think the 51st HAS surrendered...some of their equipment may be used by Feayeen...have seen no evidence...reliable that the 51st had reconstituted."

 

"There are no negotiations with military leaders in Iraq."

 

"We're a day or two away from Gen. Franks declaring the waterway clear. (for humanitarian aid getting in).

 

"One of the things keeping humanitarian aid from the people in the south is the Iraqi regime itself."

 

"The military coalition forces have brought in massive humanitarian aid. They are bringing in food and medicine and water ...and the embedded reporters should know that."

 

"The last count of refugees was several hundred...not tens of thousands....why is that? That is because there is not a humanitarian disaster going on in those places (where we are)"

 

"The American people have a very good idea of what's going on there. Some analysts might not...but I don't think that it's effecting the judgement of the American people who are (seeing for themselves)."

 

SOD R: "It's not air superiority, it's air dominance. They have yet to put an airplane up."

 

Re. British help in Basrah: "I guess those of us my age remember uprisings in E. Europe in the 50s when they rose up and then were slaughtered...I am very hesitant to encourage people to rise up...until you're arranged so you can go to those cities...unless you are ready to deal with that...people WILL rise up...but I hope and pray that they'll wait until there are sufficient forces to protect them."

 

Gen. Myers: "I've never talked about a timeline, I don't think...because it is unknowable."

 

Re.  Saddam's regime in Baghdad: "If I looked south and saw a US army division on the horizon I would be concerned." (closely paraphrased)

 

[Miss Marple]

Torie Clark should get a raise for that idea.

If we didn't have the embedded reporters, we would have to depend on press conferences from CENTCOM and the Pentagon. We would all be in a really bad mood, I am certain!

[Homer_J_Simpson]

You mean DEPLETED URANIUM tipped shells??? Well of course we use those to bust up tanks but...it's not radioactive waste. Sounds like that might be what the idiots on the left are freaking about...

Depleted uranium is a major topic on the Radio Taliban affiliate I monitor (KPFA-Berkeley). According to them it is the second coming of agent orange. A major cause of cancer in Iraqi children who play with spent shells, etc. I wouldn't mind reading something on the subject from a rational source, if anyone knows of such.

[Mo1]

DNC poll?

[Carolina]

Sky showing plane carrying wounded troops arriving at Ramstein, Germany.

[Solson]

I dunno...what's worse...playing with sand and chemical weapons or depleted uranium bits? :)

lessee if I can find something..

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

About all those humanitarian "concerns", Rummy to reporters: "The military coalition forces have brought in massive humanitarian aid. They are bringing in food and medicine and water ...and the embedded reporters should know that." Yes!

[duckbutt]

You know, Doggie, I think that David Gregory is an a$$ much of the time he is reporting, but now he's an embedded reporter - - that has to take guts, as he and he wife just had a baby a few months ago.

It will be interesting to see of any of these embedded reporters come back with an "attitude change"....I pray that is the case......

[Quilla]

Un-freepin-believable. Thank you so much!

[Carolina]

DNC poll?

Must be. She certainly has all the doom and gloom talking points.

This afternoon crew on Sky is a little more annoying.

[Carolina]

We would all be in a really bad mood, I am certain!

The mediot whining would be at fever pitch.

[Mo1]

You know, Doggie, I think that David Gregory is an a$$ much of the time he is reporting, but now he's an embedded reporter - - that has to take guts, as he and he wife just had a baby a few months ago.

David Gregory???

I didn't know he was there .. I thought they sent David Bloom

[johnb838]

It ought to tell people something about a country where the children would rather have a bottle of water than candy.

[MEG33]

Popular uprising report from Basra (Not clear extent of it) may not pan out.Rummy said uprising not encouraged..because of danger, Amanpour stating it's what we want. She's pushing uprising desire hard.

[AppyPappy]

Think about it. We manufacture it and load it onto airplanes. How bad could it be?

[Mo1]

I see that Sky found a home that was hit .. talking about the children that were killed

[johnb838]

I think we are not using cluster bombs at this time. Certainly not in populated areas. I have heard this in briefings, probably Franks or Brooks.

[prairiebreeze]

Has anybody heard a report about Iraqi refugees in Jordan turning around and heading back into fight for the reime? My husband says he's heard that reported, as many as 5000 in past 5 days gone back. I can't find anything on FR or MSNBC web site. (He heard it on MSNBC). Sounds incredible to me especially since I can't find anything about it. Thought I'd ask here.

thanks

Prairie

[aBootes]

It will be interesting to see of any of these embedded reporters come back with an "attitude change...

It will be interesting to see if any of them want "out" before the action lets up. Does anybody know if any of them have asked to leave yet?

[AppyPappy]

It's a rumor.