CNN World & FOX News-Rumours of 30 day 'Stand Down' Orders going through Front Line Ranks..

Fox News Imed and CNN World Rpeorter ^ | March 30, 2003 | CNN World Broadcast staff

[ewing]

Nothing up on any wires or webistes I could see, but it was reported by tow different network imbedded reporters so there may be something to it.

Its been reported that 4th infantry will be in place by April 1, so I don't know what the stop would be for other than more resupplies.

[aristeides]

Gen. Myers said today a long pause was "way off base."

[Happy2BMe]

We won - we won!

Wait - who won? Who, huh, wha...

[wretchard]

This "stand down" has been reported by several sources now. So there is every possibility that it is real -- for the units concerned. It can hardly true for the 4 ID, given that it must advance, nor can it credibly apply to the Marines near Al Kut. They can't stand down. They're in Injun country. It doesn't plausibly apply to the Brits, who must proceed to reduce Basra.

Who then, does it apply to? The 3rd ID and the 101st? Maybe, we'll have to watch developments. Having embeds creates real opportunities for disinformation. The embeds are likely to report orders given to their local unit.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

There appears to be total confusion on this issue. Are we standing down or not? Militarily standing down would appear to make no difference.(Iraq is not making effective resistance) Psychologically it would be viewed as a defeat. "Standing down" will give the Anti-US factions(media creatures, etc.) time to further organize and renew the attack.

[American Soldier]

Well, during three days we could get 1 or 2 more heavy divisions ready to go, wipe out most of the remaining dirtbags in the rear, take tons of pictures of happy Iraqi Shiites drinking our free water and eating our free food.

Saddam will not get any resupply whatsoever and will continue to have his Republican Guard units bombed, and the few remaining air defenses in the Baghdad area will be eliminated, ushering in low-level air attacks on the units in or near the city.

The only danger is that whatever remaining bio/chem labs he has will be able to continue to function, at least to the degree that they still have electrical power and sufficient supplies.

Overall, I don't see a 30 day pause as being much of a problem if this does happen. It will get hotter, but the troops already there will get accustomed to it (plus all the pictures of the elite Iraqi soldiers show them to be overweight [they get to eat, unlike Shiites apparently], so the heat will hit them hard too).

I was mostly eager just to see this thing get underway before people got distracted from the issue. If it takes an extra month I could care less. The Ba'ath Party is doomed.

[AnAmericanMother]

Agreed.

This is just sharp-end scuttlebutt - which you get in every war. The rumors that run up and down have always been wild - my dad used to tell me about some of the outrageous stories that circulated among the troops in WWII.

The difference is, now we have real-time reporters that are immediately retailing any scuttlebutt they here. Used to be that Ernie Pyle & Co. had to file their stories the old fashioned way - by typewriter, carrier pigeon, etc. Gave time for the outrageous rumors to be laid to rest.

[Daniel Ramsey]

LMAO, I'm tking a break watching King of the Hill here in Alaska, now I read about a 30 day standown? yeah right...I believe it, bet it originally came from Peter Arnett, right?

[ChadsDad]

[CyberAnt]

Somebody was talking about this on FOX. They said that maybe some of the units are in place already - and do not need to move until the 4ID is closer, or until the other units reach their place. So, if just one or two units are told to hold their place - that doesn't mean the war has stopped or the action has stopped, it only means that one unit is in the place where they should be and THEY have to wait for the others to get in their place.

[RLJVet]

What brand was it? I had heard a piece on the gourmet show on NPR (one of the two shows there I can tolerate) and the cheese guy said Vermont cheddar is the best. There was a brand he recommended --starts with a G, I think.

[tiki]

This came out earlier in a Scottish newspaper.

[dalereed]

The orders were received a little late, the stand down was from 3/1/2003-3/30/2003!

[Gamecock]

No I haven't. BTW, do you have a receipe for boiled p-nuts?

[ladyjane]

Moose lips bit sis

[cookcounty]

"Who then, does it apply to? The 3rd ID and the 101st? "

If anyone is pausing, it's 3rd ID. Their corridor was lightly defended and they were first off the mark, so it's logical they'll wait for the other 2 prongs to "catch up-----so what?

[tiki]

Come to think of it, this might just be disinformation and Peter Arnett just played into our hands and led the Iraqi regime into them to. Or it could actually be true and we are going to take our time grinding the Republican Guards into nothingness and walk into Baghdad. Or we feel the need to find and destroy some chemical weapons before they are visited upon our troops.

Whatever, true or false, I'm sure the US is going to do what's best for our troops and the outcome of this war.

[Gumption]

To be fair, Vermont thought they were voting Republican right? Or was he reelected as a turncoat? It makes a difference to me.

Mmmmmmm sweeeet Vermont goat cheddar ....

[CheneyChick]

[zarf]

Sanford's. Never heard of this stuff before. Definitely a small boutique brand....bought it at a store owned by some granola types.....organic stuff...etc..

[CommandoFrank]

The stand down could probably be for the ground troops while the aircraft will relentlessly pound the crap out of the RG on the outskirts of Baghdad. One possible reason for the ground delay could be to give the Special Forces, SAS, and CIA free access to Baghdad to hunt down new targets, including the Great Evil One. Just my thoughts...