***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...

[SoldiersGirl]

"As far as I'm concerned, the security of on U.S. soldier is worth more then every single civilian in Iraq."


Amen Amen Amen

[merrin]

Stalingrad all over again.

Oh, please.

[DonnerT]

Im not kidding. That is next to worst case scenario. And we are headed that way.

[texxie]

ok just heard about them

my sky news timed out just reconnected

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

I heard the description of the Red Line very quickly - I think it was MSNBC. Karbala was most definitely one end of it - I'm pretty sure the other end was Al Kut but I can't be 100% sure.

There were reports that maps with a Red Line drawn around Baghdad has been finding their way in very high circles in Washington DC this evening. Makes me think this perceived threat of CWs is being taken very seriously.

[chnsmok]

sing it

MIDNIGHT AT THE OASIS...SEND YOUR CAMEL TO BED

sorry, always sing loud

[Anomaly in Illinois]

I still can't get news24.com to resolve, is it working for you?

[overtaxed_canadian]

Why couldn't Bush tell him this on the phone?

[TexKat]

CNN embeded reporter just reporting that they were approach with men with black robes on, no guns visible, carrying black bags that had their military uniforms in them with chemical masks.

[Sir_Ed]

Yhere's Ghurkas with the Brits? Where'd ya' hear that?

ed

[Robert A Cook PE]

Stalingrad again?

Nah. Be patient.

In four days, the troops have conquered a little over 3/4 of Iraq: only the 50 mile "radius" around the city is left. (A few other pockets - but they're isolated.

Net casualties? A few dozen - Nothing to trivialize, but only a few dozen, and most have been accidents, friendly fire, and prisoners.

Iraq is roughly the size of Poland, almost the size of France. (Smaller still is the area of France actually captured by Germany in '41. Vichy France gave up without being overrun.)

Poland took Germany over 4 weeks to capture, and 30,000 in German losses. (And Germany certainly wasn't trying to minimize Polish civilian and troop injuries!)

France took only slightly longer to control: and it too required tens of thousannds of German losses.

THIS IS THE FASTEST, MOST SUCCESSFUL ASSAULT EVER!

Four days and the country is isolated, decapitated, and the army separated into small fragments. Now only the pockets need be cleaned up.

[Pro-Bush]

We have been trying to fight "nice" and we need to go on the real attack and go for the jugular.

True and I don't think Bush is afraid to make that call either


This needs to be read again....!

[Ophiucus]

Sky News reported a release from Blair that coalition forces are within 60 miles of Baghdad. The talking heads are muttering about the magic "red line."

[spectr17]

Not saying we are Germans but we are following the same mistakes made then

And you know that how? Pssssst. Let me know how you got your clearance into the planning and ops room so I can join you there.

[texxie]

ours or theirs?

[knak]

what? how strange!

[SoldiersGirl]

For those of us that are stunted in political history...

What's Stalingrad (and don't kick me off of here for not knowing, I will admit to being a head in the sand *gasp* liberal at one point, and am trying to recover.)I really am not very well versed on history.

[USMA83]

20 KT. I fully understand the spasmisms such a response would send the world into. From a tactical point of view, "we win" (to quote Gen. T. Franks when asked what would happen if Iraq deployed WMDs). Geopolitically, it would certainly accelerate the simmering anti-America/UK coalition seemingly lining up. On the up side, the other Axis of Evil countries and their associates/sponsors would surely get the message. I really do not know if we would take that step. However, it is our doctrinal template.

[DonnerT]

Then wipe away my pessimism. Give me the sunny side, see if it fits.