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

[Ophiucus]

When I think of an ally, I think more of a relationship like we have with Great Britain. Turkey was in Korea as a UN member, and I don't remember much of a significant involvement in Vietnam. As for the nukes, they were paid handsomely for that deployment and when the pressure becoame too great, they demanded more money or remove the nukes. Same too for GWI - they were paid for their support. Likewise, they demanded a huge aid increase for this war and then backed out.

That behavior isn't seen in nations like Britain or Australia thus, I hesitate to use the word ally when referring to Turkey.

[hmmmmm]

I was typing what the Iraqi Min of Info was saying. NOT what I was thinking.

[The Wizard]

monica man is counting on world wide protests

He's chit out of luck

[Timeout]

Has this been posted?

Marines yesterday created an airstrip from a modern highway outside Baghdad. They "shaved" a 3,500-ft strip of highway of all signs, concrete barriers and other obstacles. Then a fuel-laden C-130 cargo plane landed, providing a huge forward fuel base for U.S. troops.

"Creating" the "airbase" took less than 24 hours. Amazing!

[Air Force Born]

My dad told me that in Korea the Turks were the troops the communists feared the most. Seems they prefer to fight with knives, in the dark. And they don't always leave their enemy completely dead.

[TomGuy]

oooohhhh, Daisycutters! FOX is saying that there is reports of two "huge explosions" possibly the daisycutter or BLU-82(?)

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?.....

[mhking]

FOX is saying that there is reports of two "huge explosions" possibly the daisycutter or BLU-82(?)

....and this is my BOOMStick....

[Ophiucus]

Japanese kamikaze bombers "martyrs," to my knowledge, and they were the same as these guys (only better armed).

Huge difference - the kamikazes attacked military targets, the homicide/suicide bombers target civilians. A military pilot deliberately crashing into the warship of his enemy in a declared war can't be compared to a man with a bomb walking into a shopping mall.

[AFPhys]

I have maintained to everyone who would listen at my rantings and ravings that THE objective of this plan was to trap the RG outside of Baghdad insofar as possible. THAT one thing determined our blitzkrieg north to draw within engagement range of them. Yes, we can and have engaged them from air, but our forces staring them right in the puss really has pinned them down in a way air power alone is incapable of doing.

The other forces now moving around Baghdad will serve as the force to dispatch them, but the initial contact by the 3rdID was key to the whole operation.

[Daniel Ramsey]

It probably was posted but some of us have day jobs and even get some sleep (LOL) so we miss it, I heard Rick say something about that I think, why not? just like landing on an interstate highway and incidentally that is a requirement that DOT states in order for an American highway to qualify for "Interstate" status it must have at least a 3 mile straight stretch every 50 miles I believe, it was for possible wartime emergency landings of our aircraft, started originally during the cold war.

[Green]

I didn't know that. That is very interesting.

[Green]

Powell speaking from Turkey right now...press briefing with the Turkish foreign minister

[Daniel Ramsey]

Ever consider what those "3 mile speedometer check zones" were there for?....now you know!

[Green]

Never wondered about that but I did always wonder what the difference was between a State Highway designation when many of them clearly go into different states vs. a IH designation.

[Green]

LOL My ex's father and brother are both civil engineers and one works for the state highway department...guess I could have asked him.

[Ophiucus]

I believe, it was for possible wartime emergency landings of our aircraft, started originally during the cold war.

That's correct - the Eisenhower Expressway/Highway system was built so that our interstate system could become a web of scattered runways in preparation of WWIII. No matter how many airbases were struck, we could land and launch aircraft anywhere.

[An.American.Expatriate]

Somebody was asking earlier about the amount of traffic in Baghdad.

I found this tid-bit at the International Red Cross: "Large sections of the telephone network are no longer functioning, meaning that ICRC delegates have to personally visit contacts in government and local businesses. Movement in the city actually appears to have increased, as people have to visit family and friends to check on their condition rather than being able to call them."

[Daniel Ramsey]

I recall I may have seen somewhere that fact and also I think it may still be used on aeronautical charts where the 3-mile zones are shown on the interstates for emergency landings, they must be straight, level, no immediate obstructions near the medians so large aircraft can land without the wings hitting stuff like power lines, streetlights etc.

[The Wizard]

I know exactly what you mean.....I good friend of mine was raped, and I walked the streets of NYC looking for him

[Straight Vermonter]

ITN reporting that a train loaded with Iraqi APCs has been destroyed south of Baghdad. Looks like all APCs are wrecked.