***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...

[Cboldt]

Shemp says wind should be dying down....reports gusts to 100 mph

I had two reactions to that -- LOL "Shemp" (know it was a typo, I'm just punchy): and those wind-speeds are like being on top of Mt. Washington! Holy cow!

[oceanview]

special forces fighting inside baghdad as a "standalone" force? it would be a suicide mission. surround the city, fly waves of drones night and day taking out targets.

[cactusSharp]

this is it...it's daylight there and this time we need daylight not nite vision...this is the take down of Bagdad....that part BIG TIME has started......also just occured to me mid-type....they want us to believe the north is vast yet and unsecure.....so guess where the
Bagdad held Iraqi's are gonna run.......may be the
new Highway to Hell...we shall see

[Mo1]

Hmmmm ... Isn't that where that convoy is?

[Naspino]

It says 2 things (1) the government isn't taking any chances of getting on our boycott list and (2) they have enough liberals among them that they have to worry about it in the first place.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Thanks. We had a feeling he was there. The postcard was a surprise. He loves what he does!

[WI Conservative 4 Bush]

Good points. When listening and discussing the Iraq issue before the war, I keyed in on one other thing. Quite a few people, when it got right down to the nitty-gritty, opposed this war for the simple fact that they resent President Bush. Many people have closed their minds to such an extent with regard to this administration, that nothing they do will ever be regarded in a positive light by them.

You know, I pretty much despised Clinton, but I still hoped our country was successful in it's endeavors.

These people -really- hate our President. It's sad, but I've long considered these types irrelevant to the debate. Because they refuse to debate. Phhhhhfffft!

[null and void]

"They would rather have a mine take out a ship and 1000 sailors?" ~ Carney Asada

I'm going with yes as my final answer ~ SoldiersGirl

Only if it's one of our ships, and 1000 of our sailors...

[RummyChick]

shep said he would take questions for rick if you hurry up and email him

[null and void]

I need to know if you have beat up any protestors lately?

No. But I have a plan...

[Robert A Cook PE]

Funny ....

First thing I recognized in the picture was that HUGE crane sticking up out of the back of that Russian cargo plane's tail.

Now, why did Soldiergirl's Bagdad traffic scene hangup come to mind?

[spectr17]

I've always enjoyed watcting them cannon cockers do their thing.

[Chemist_Geek]

Members of the Desert Rats - Zulu Company, British Royal Fusiliers, drive their Warrior tank into a portrait of Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) as they enter Basra in Southern Iraq (news - web sites)(AFP-Pool/Mark Richards)

Ah, that gallant British elan... Heeheehee!

[SoldiersGirl]

Ever get the itch to put your thoughts on paper? Good, now just send them to the Washington Dispatch.

Consider us an open door for publication. It doesn't matter whether your write regularly or on a whim, you have a better shot of getting your work placed on our site than with most other Internet publishers. Why you ask? Because we want to hear from you.



http://www.washingtondispatch.com/article_3538.shtml

[AFPhys]

MSNBC just had an Iraqi defector on who said taking the television out now was brilliant. It's the signal that we are about to come to Baghdad and take control. Taking it out earlier, it seems, would have left a void while we approached. He also said the next big thing is keeping the RG from retreating back to the city. If they do, there will be huge civilian casualties because the RG will use them as shields. I had to repost your whole comment it is so good.

Some time ago (but I'm not sure if it was on a "live" thread, I tried to assure someone who was really upset about the strategy being used that our military had a specific reason they were rushing toward Baghdad and leaving some relatively unsecure areas behind them. This IS it. Baghdad IS the objective, and doing whatever we can to pin down their tanks and forces outside the city as much as possible has been the game plan from day one, IMHO. The "risk" was necessary for the plan to be executed. This is the "hammer and anvil" approach, as someone else stated, with the AF behind and ground troops ahead. Just wait until the RG tries to run back now! They are already being threatened by our ground forces, and may even be lured into an attack now. After only a few days, their interior forces are engaged! This is HUGE.

I've also been of the opinion that we were getting intel from THEIR TV and communications and didn't want to take it out too soon, as well as luring them into relying as much as possible on their TV for news/communications. Now, that is going to be denied them, and they now will have to learn to use their other comm methods, which they will not be as practiced in it as they would have been if we had forced that earlier. Meanwhile, the crux of the battle is upon them, and that is NOT the best time to be learning something new.

I am truly awed at the depth of this campaign strategy, and frankly, have not posted some things I've discussed with some of my friends here because I was concerned about the "loose lips" thing ... there's still one piece left, but (I think) only one...

This is FUN!!!

[Mo1]

LOL .. I did like that picture

[Poser]

I know what 100mph sand feels like. I get it in the face once in a while when trucks pass my motorcycle going the other way. I'll bet the paint on some Hummers doesn't look too good right now.