Baghdadis Flee Airport Area After 'Night of Hell'

Reuters | April 3, 2003

[HAL9000]

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Residents were fleeing suburbs near Baghdad airport into the city center on Friday, running from what one called a "night of hell" as U.S. forces moved in.

"Some people I stopped said that all day since dawn people had been streaming out of the airport area," said Reuters correspondent Samia Nakhoul in the city center, where residents were staying indoors.

"There was banging all night. It was a night of hell. We saw that they have entered Baghdad, there were planes all night dropping bombs and there was shelling all night," said one woman, trembling after her drive into the center.

Droves of cars headed into Baghdad along the airport road.

"There is a feeling that the war has arrived in Baghdad, everything is deserted," Nakhoul said.

[InShanghai]

"There is a feeling that the war has arrived in Baghdad, everything is deserted,"

What the heck did they expect was going to happen? Bombing in Baghdad has been going on for two weeks and they're just now realizing it? Hopefully, the Iraqis will learn to cherish their freedom also.

[EternalVigilance]

There was banging all night

That's the sound chickens make when they come home to roost...

[John Valentine]

Residents were fleeing suburbs near Baghdad airport into the city center on Friday, running from what one called a "night of hell" as U.S. forces moved in.

I guess this is the definitive answer to the Iraqi authorities' call to the people to "go to the airport"....

[dfwgator]

Well, Beret Boy was telling the Iraqis that the US wasn't even close to Baghdad.

[Prince Charles]

Residents were fleeing suburbs near Baghdad airport into the city center on Friday.

Like they said in Planes, Trains & Automobiles, "You're going the wrong way!"

[Skywalk]

Oh, he's drunk! How does he know where we're goin'?!!

[noutopia]

Arab see as Arab do.

[Prince Charles]

:::: playing piano across the top of the keyboard :::::

[InShanghai]

The Monica Hat Guy... Well, if it were me and I saw bombs landing all around for two weeks, I think I would question his sanity.

[zarf]

Sounds like my old dorm.

[JoJo Gunn]

Is that the one O'Reilley called "Elmo"?

[Diddle E. Squat]

Pretty interesting on CNN right now. CNN cameraman was treating a wounded Iraqi at the Baghdad airport fight. The army medics were pinned back from the site, so the CNN cameraman started medical treatment on the wounded Iraqi. Iraqi was the only survivor from his tank, laid by the road for 5 hours until he was noticed. Medics just now arriving. Says that the fighting has been heavy all morning.

[Orlando]

If the majority of the people, and Saddam gangsters are crossing the river and heading into the center part of the city, which is surrounded mostly by both rivers. I would take out 70% of the river bridges. I would not destroy the bridges completely, just enough to disable them, so that it's easlier to control traffic entering your AO. Set-up check points on those bridges leading in & out of the center
part of city. Control the western sector, and southeastern sectors enterances...and get the northern front moving.

[tdscpa]

"There was banging all night"

"Sounds like my old dorm."


Damn. I went to college too long ago.

[Skywalk]

PTA is one of the great comedies of all time. It remains a Thanksgiving tradition for my mother and I(I'm an only child and my mom's a widow)

So many classic moments, like when they go between the two semis and John Candy turns into a laughing Satan. Steve Martin coming into the Rental Agency after finding no car in the lot. The music that plays when they look at the single bed in the hotel room. The horror music as Neil realizes he wiped his face with Del's huge underwear. And of course, "those aren't pillows!" LOL

[Prince Charles]

Absolutely. John Hughes is brilliant; it's one of the top 10 comedies of all time, IMHO. I liked Martin's rave-out at the ticket agent also. :-)

Regards.

[anguish]

I wonder if the Iraqi minister of disinformation will tell the people fleeing the same thing he's telling the media - "the invading infidels are nowhere near Bagdhad". It might be a little harder to stand at the podium and lie now when US arty can strike any part of Baghdad.

[battlegearboat]

Baghdad Bob sez:

"We have them surrounded. They are like a snake in the desert."

"They control nothing. We have them right where we want them."

"They are everywhere in our country."

Uh, Bob...don't look now, but...

[Nick Danger]

Residents were fleeing suburbs near Baghdad airport into the city center on Friday

Mohammad! Good to see you! What brings you to town?

The infidels are at the airport!

How can that be? The Americans are a hundred miles from Baghdad, defeated and destroyed. They said so on TV.

The TV lies. There are hundreds of tanks, thousands of Americans, right outside the city! They were coming down my street!

Oh.