***Operation Iraqi Freedom - Situation Room - Day 14 - LIVE THREAD***

[cyncooper]

Reporter: Are you surprised not more resistance.

McChrystal says when people were talking about a pause we were in fact working on the RG and such. Getting our armed forces together and the battlefield will show how weakened they are.

Torie reminds that we are not underestimating the fight that lies ahead and risk of chemical weapons still being used.

Last question about Jessica's rescue (Torie had to point the reporter to the word). Many, many people involved and the details will come out.

One last question about Al-Samoud, two missiles found confirms Torie. Were those the two found by the division Rick Leventhal is with? I think so.

[zboa]

I don't want anyone to endanger our troops whith any kind of locations, but with the information that has been officially released, could someone give lat. & lon. so we could track them. kinda like a hurricane. It would help to direct prayer.

[Sacajaweau]

bump

[Green]

fairly good article about Jennifer rescue

http://www.msnbc.com/news/889604.asp

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

PENTAGON Briefing - Apr. 2:

 

Torie Clarke and  Maj. Gen. Stanley  McChrystal

 

"Our forces air and ground are performing superbly. Some of the toughest fighting may lay ahead."

 

PFC Jessica Lynch...is in good spirits and being treated for (her ) injuries...(Video of rescue)...we salute the army, navy , air force and marines...

 

Re. pleas from "Saddam" for Muslims to rise up against us..."We must not forget that this regime has a history of killing Muslims..." We are showing respect for the Mosque..."The regime forces are using and abusing the mosque as a military (fortress)" It's not just mosques...they stash weapons in schools...more and more people are approaching the coalition, offering us help... Torie read some of the article about the "human shielf" who was wrong, straightened out by a pro-war Iraqi. "The Iraqi people do know this regime the best."

 

Gen. McChrystal:

 

"I too would like to include my congrats. to those who rescued Jessica. "Well done.

 

"We've moved to w/in 30 miles of Baghdad. " tough fighting remains ahead...

 

Over 1000 sorties flown yesterday.

 

Video:

 

F-17(?) dropping precision-guided munition outside Baghdad -

 

Questions:

 

"When a unit can no longer act as an effective unit on the battlefield...that's what we're seeing with (members) of this resistance.." "We are seeing some surrender..not in tremendous numbers..."

 

"It's very difficult to stop small (numbers) but organized forces (would be spotted, stopped)..

 

"If they are not at that point they are very close...somewhat unclear...have been some reinforcement...but I would say that the Medina and Baghdad forces are no longer credible forces."

 

"There's clearly command & control evident...but EFFECTIVE ...manouevers...not evident." (Torie: reminds us "We really believe some of the toughest fighting's (ahead)"..

 

Torie: "We have superior forces, superior capabilties..we know how this is going to end - BUT they ARE fighting (RG are)...

 

Re. Jessica, TC: "She's on her way to Germany for medical treatment."

 

TC: "We have info. that some of the RG divisions have been reinforced w/ regular army....GM: "There's still sporadic fighting but the coalition forces are still able to maneouver...can move to front or back..."

 

TC: "There may have been confusion among some, but, as Gen. Franks said, we have the initiative."

 

GM:  (Re. chem threats) "We are expecting, or at least planning for a very difficult fight ahead. We are not expecting to just drive into Baghdad." "They've proven it historically. We believe they have the capability...we are prepared.. First, it is a war crime...would be a grave mistake...but it will not change the operation on the ground. We will still be able to maneouver..."

 

GM: "We have not found any SCUD missiles, nor have we found any SCUD launchers...however we've done targetting on every known (target) we have found...because it threatens our neighbors", and its chem./bio capability...

 

GM: "We do have a report that the air defense commander in Baghdad was replaced...supposedly for having so (much air ammo fall back on Baghdad). ..I wouldn't want to be him."  Torie: Re. the oil fields in S. and Haddifa (sp)dam..."in the category of good (news) people should be excited about."

 

GM: "The pounding that Baghdad has taken has been extraordinarinly precise...regime-oriented. We have been sending messages in a number of ways to the regime...both in info..and kinetically...Torie: "We jsut don't knwo who's in charge...It doesn't seem likely at this stage that anyone's going to come forward...I think they understand their predicament..

 

TC: "Evidence...people that are coming forward to help coalition forces...(re. RG helping, dont know).."We ahve seen what we think is a lessening of the death squads in S. Iraq. "The bad guys are still out there. They are still putting civilians at risk."

 

Re. evidence of Saddam, any? TC: "I haven't seen anything." GM: "Nor have I."

 

TC: "RG based around Tikrit seems to have moved south."

 

Re. urban warfare GM: (something about synergism of forces, lol, ?)

 

Re. Jessica TC:"There is great deference given to the family...it's a great story. We're glad it happened..(info will come forward)...

 

TC: "Two Al Samoud missiles found...they WERE in violation..."

 

 

[prairiebreeze]

Nice story.

Prairie

[Dog]

Whoa those missiles found near Karbala by US TROOPS and Fox enbedded Reporter Rick L...documented on tape .....ARE IN VIOLATION...

[bvw]

It also says "Death to Yankees" -- I guess they are Red Sox fans.

[A Citizen Reporter]

"Last question about Jessica's rescue (Torie had to point the reporter to the word). "

I saw that! The reporter phrased the question as "Now that Jessica has been captured back....." Tori, incredulously supplied her with the word "rescued".

[Timeout]

He rolled his eyes and leveled her

As I recall, when she asked about air conditioning, Rummy said something like:

"My goodness. These people lived in the desert, for crying out loud!".

[An.American.Expatriate]

The battle must be waged on many fronts

I do agree with that sentiment. I have a hard time though putting Belly Girl "next" to PFC Lynch - different classes. I will bow though to the will of the thread!!

[Green]

I don't think anyone should be surprised that those were a violation. That is why they were destroying them before we attacked. The UN report from Blix said that had at least 120 of them (disclosed, that is - who knows how many they really had). I think the last count before the war started as that they had destroyed about half of them. We should be surprised at all if they use some of them or that we find them. We knew they had them.

[mitchbert]

You can try this but whether it will work will likely depend on your combination Windows/Real software.

In the window on the CBS cam (over the image) right click and select "Play in RealOne Player." It works on my system, just takes a few seconds to load and start...thanks for a reason to learn that!

[Wild Irish Rogue]

" And is it me, or did Jim Mik sound really disappointed at the strategy "chosen" by the RG."

I really used to like his reporting,but since the war began,he's been using nothing but the most negative wording in his pieces . Miscalculated and underestimated are used a lot,always attributed to " senior military officials" and " military experts". I used to watch the NBC Nightly News for his Pentagon reports,but his sourcing is so suspect now,I no longer bother.

[babaloo]

Thanks for refreshing my recollection. It was a laugh out loud moment for me. He does not suffer fools gladly.

[Timeout]

My 2 cents:

Jessica and BG are NOT just two different kinds of "eye candy". Jessica is a true American hero who suffered and almost died for our freedom.

I don't care which one we use. Just please don't put up both.

[Otta B Sleepin]

PFC Lynch gets "top billing" and is treated with Honor. Belly Girl remains our Pin-up

Jessica Lynch is most definitely a "soldier and a hero" as you say, and should be treated accordingly. After all she's been through, I doubt if she would appreciate being regarded as a "pin-up girl." Let's respect her dignity.

You fellows are on your own with BG (and Laurie Dhue), although I might just add that it's been a little frustrating at times trying to weed through so many off-topic posts to find the real news about the war.

[ican'tbelieveit]

and "Dig up your rubbish, it is contaminating our soil".

Couple of thoughts. One, the comment should be from our side: "we are going to dig up our heros, your soil is contaminating them."

But when I see them react with this much hatred, it may be a good thing to leave them there, as this will be a lifelong reminder that they failed, and we had to come to their rescue.

[Lauratealeaf]

Thanks. Pentagon briefing coming up, will be on the lookout for more info and will be interested in press behavior today.

My husband said a co-worker was listening to NPR and in the wake of Jessica's rescue last night they were still harping on the mythical supply problem. My husband corrected him but the guy was unwilling to believe NPR would lie.

Arrgghh! That has to be very frustrating! One reason why I am so pro-Fox News is that when we were stationed in Germany for three years we were force-fed CNN, MSNBC, NBC, ABC, CBS, The View, Tom Joyner, only one hour of Rush and constant NPR.

That is why I learned how to use a computer and got on the internet and discovered Free Republic. Fox News is such a breath of fresh air compared to what we had to deal with. I hear that the folks in Germany are still in the same predicament.

[retrokitten]

Okay, thanks! I'll give it a try!