***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...

[retrokitten]

Just as a side note....remember 2-3 weeks ago that the Iraqi regime stated that they had distributed 4 months worth of food to the entire population? These scum are supposed to be believed by anyone, about anything they say?

That's more then a side note, I think. It's a great point. Someone posted a pic of one of the EPW's the other day and the man looked like he hadn't eaten in months. He was skeletal. He's not the only one we have seen like that either. The highers up's all seem to have spare tires around thier middles, but it seems like the average foot soldier hasn't eaten in a very, very long time.

[Lauratealeaf]

Even if it was Richard Perle, he does not speak for the administration (which I know you know!). The media really likes to try and put spin stuff their way.

Last night while there was a commercial on Fox News Channel I switched over to MSNBC and saw the stuttering Dan Abrams speaking to a former African American member of the Reagan administration (can't remember his name) and he vociferiously slammed down the allegation that Richard Perle said it would be a cake walk. He said it did not happen. Dan Abrams stuttered on and I switched it back to Fox News.

[r9etb]

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

Apparently Iran's got some mounting internal unrest. The fall of Iran, if and when it occurs, will be a lot different from the fall of Saddam.

[ken5050]

FYI, France , via PNN-Paribas bank in Pairs, is the currentr custodian of the $40 billion of Iraqi money earmarked for the oil for food program...

[mewzilla]

It's not about watching. It's about CNN wanting to do your thinking for you. And their audience would let them do it.

[mewzilla]

Hope someone has the brains to push for a decent audit.

[MEG33]

I liked Rummy's desription of the embeds."Tiny slices of a cake" We see a fire fight and think the entire army is being attacked.(I hate the press at press conferences)

[epluribus_2]

The Village (tm)

[ken5050]

Much truth to that...look, when it comes out that Saddam has shipped WMD suipplies,scientists, ands technology to Iran and Syria before the war started, we're gonna want it back, and we're gonna need to verify...and we've got 250,000+ "verifiers" right next door....

[Consort]

The embeds are spending quality time with real Americans on the battlefield. When they get back to their liberal enclaves, some will realize how shallow the liberal elite are.

[Maringa]

I don't understand. Why a declaration that there is no ceasefire? I didn't think we were wanting one by the rate the bombs are falling and 'technicals' getting blown to pieces. Is the cease fire request from Iraq or UN?

[prairiebreeze]

Don't stay over at CNN too long. You can get warts.

Prairie

[AFPhys]

I don´t get the impression from our reporters in Iraq that many people surrender and stop fighting...

According to what I've been able to glean looking through MY particular soda straws, about half of the Iraqi troops have deserted. That makes it seem we've found a pretty effective way to fight a battle.

[Dog]

Timeout posted this earlier ....but this needs to be posted again..a must read....

Jed Babbin

[ken5050]

Me too..Bloom's been excellent...I noticed ewarly on his constant use of the word "we".....BTWE..did you see the article about Fox beating CNN in the ratings, despite CNN's claim that they would "own the war coverage"..actually, I think that MSNBC has taken the viewers that would have gone to CNN..

[Lauratealeaf]

What we shouldn't do, according to them, is watch the patriotic pornography of Fox News, unless you like that "sort of thing," to use Rutten's phrase.

Well, I do like that "sort of thing." It's called reporting the facts!

[r9etb]

Is the cease fire request from Iraq or UN?

There was some talk of a 3rd party (Middle East someplace) trying to mediate a cease fire. There was even (allegedly) an American contingent sent to negotiate same.

Rummy needed to respond, I guess.

[Peach]

Good - I figured Perle was too smart to say that.

[retrokitten]

From the referenced article:
What we shouldn't do, according to them, is watch the patriotic pornography of Fox News, unless you like that "sort of thing," to use Rutten's phrase. "In the U.S., Fox News simply has wrapped itself in the flag and makes no effort to distinguish between its journalism and the U.S. war effort," says Rutten. "Fox executives can be pleased that their approach has allowed the network to hold the lead in cable news ratings; the rest of us can be relieved that viewers who want that sort of thing will be too busy having their prejudices confirmed to bother the rest of us."

Awww...someone has a case of the green eyed monsters!

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

S&A was about telling Saddam's regime we were serious, but it was mostly about taking out central command and control targets...the ones we knew could be used to launch missiles and possible chem/bio weapons towards Iraqi neighbors and Iraqi civilians. The Stealth B-2 bombers hit 96 precision targets that night on 6 separate passes. When the war ends and the history's written, S & A will awe, imho.