***Operation Iraqi Freedom - Situation Room - Day 8 - LIVE THREAD***

Various | 3/27/2003 | Me

[Centurion2000]

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...

[mewzilla]

I think the Iranians are worrying that Iraq is a preview of coming attractions.

[Consort]

New sirens in Baghdad...

I liked the old ones.

[Lauratealeaf]

I think the Iranians are worrying that Iraq is a preview of coming attractions.

Thinking the same thing.

[RummyChick]

I scoffed at the time. I forgot all about that. Hey Shemp, (terms used endearingly) that would make some good commentary for you on the Fox News Report...with one of your under the breath comments!

[mhking]

Booms in the distance...

[Cboldt]

I believe that SnA has been misunderstood by the media.

Misrepresented by the media, misaprehended by the masses.

SnA is not a single "thing," it comes in many flavors. The textbook is available online.

As to "it" not working, I'll reserve my judgement as to the degree of success of the campaign, until after it has been concluded.

[Lauratealeaf]

Being that I just woke up, I don't know how long FNC has been playing this video from northern Iraq..BUT, did anybody see how high that smoke plume was from that bomb?

I am not sure. I have been in and out today. Missed a lot.

[An.American.Expatriate]

I know you don't want to defend the media, but you do want to defend you point and we respect that here!!!

Of course S&A is a part of the strategy - but what exactly IS S&A?

Only the planners know that and they are NOT telling us! The journalists may think they know, but they only know what the Pentagon has told them = zilch!

Rangers to the palaces may be okay, but only if we get good intel on SH. He has been very quiet lately....

Please remember one thing about the reporters "in Iraq" (not with the coalition). They have Minders and can not report anything which the minder does not approve of.

The embeddeds are under some constraints as to places and times (can't report actual combat stuff - common sense!). There may be some amount of censorship as well. The embeddeds are NOT however escorted to a scene hours after the fact to document the latest propaganda.

[MEG33]

I am impressed by the vast improvement of the Patriot missiles.

[Timeout]

Yes. Jed Babbin's columns at NRO have been packed full of good military information. He's got some killer sources at DOD. (No pun intended!).

[Carolinamom]

On early am FOX in a discussion of the importance of communication in wartime and the destruction of Hussein's ability to communicate.....Iraqi abilities so compromised that messengers had to take taxis to deliver messages.LOL

[B4Ranch]

I don't see Blair as hitting a homerun if he wants the UN to participate in the resurrection of a free Iraq! He is pulling the UN into the picture so the socialist Parliment doesn't burn him at the stake.

[Mo1]

CNN Bill Sneider (sp) praising Blair: "He didn't follow the polls. He led them. He went to the people; Bush didn't do that." He needs to get out of the studio.

That or maybe watch his own damn station .. Even CNN carried all the President's speeches

We watch the TV .. WHY CAN'T THEY?

[RummyChick]

By the way, someone is talking about the ""patriotic pornography" on FNC. I am not sure yet whether the quote can be attributed to this Ruttens.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/877200/posts?page=69,20

I find it disgusting to call the fox broadcasts pornography - even if described as patriotic - especially if it is described as patriotic.

[cyncooper]

David Bloom has done some of the finest battlefield reporting in this war that I've seen. He's put you right there, made you feel what he and the troops he's with are experiencing and he's done it in an easily accessible way.

I have to concur. I noted during the wind storm he still sounded measured and professional. No hint of "I wanna get outa here". For some reason, the video of Bloom and company always looks a bit eerie, even when the nightcam isn't on and it's daylight. I attribute that to the "you are here" presentation.

[Wphile]

I don't know who, if anyone, said it would be a six day war. However, I must admit - and perhaps this was just the way the media portrayed it - that after the "target of opportunity" on Wednesday night, Rummy was a bit a head of himself. Perhaps it was psy-ops again, but the remarks from DOD was that the regime is crumbling, etc. It did give the impression that things were going so incredibly well that we would, indeed, have a short war. Recall how reports were that we had taken Umm Qsar, the southern oil fields, etc. A person could easily get the impression that the war was going to be easy at the outset.

I think the media raised people's expectations, hence the drop in those thinking the war is going well, but I do believe the administration had a handle in this with all the glowing and positive remarks coming from CentCom and DOD.

I read Section9's analysis and he's probably right but the thought of it taking 2 weeks for our guys to get into position is a bit disconcerting. The media has decided to spin the war as protracted and drawn out now and this will certainly had fuel to that fire.

In any event, we have to handle war in a manner best suited for the military goals not the press's aims. Frankly, I'm probably going to have to tune out for a while as it's going to be so ugly in terms of press coverage.

[Consort]

Ditto.

[Carolina]

Sky Breaking Banner: Rummy says no ceasefire in Iraq War.

[GOPyouth]

"There will be no cease-fire in Iraq" - Rummy

I like that.

[Socratic]

You're sure right about that traffic>