***Operation Iraqi Freedom - Situation Room - Day 17 - LIVE THREAD***

EVERYWHERE!!! | 5 APR 03 | An.American.Expatriate

[nicmarlo]

I think the video's from just an hour or so ago....

[Chummy]

The gold truck with the squeal in its brakes?

[July 4th]

I never noticed it before, but that looks like one of those Saddam statues in the middle of the roundabout. I hope we crush the damn thing this afternoon!

[Shermy]

Heck, he might have video of the Euphrates!!!

Look at this map:

http://www.mideastweb.org/baghdad.htm

See the curving road by Darwah, reaching the Euphrates then veering to the airport? I think that's where they were.

AP story
U.S. Tanks Push Into South Baghdad
7 minutes ago Add Top Stories - Reuters to My Yahoo!


By Luke Baker

NEAR BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. tanks pushed into southern Baghdad on Saturday in the closest land advance to the heart of the Iraqi capital since the U.S.-led war started 17 days ago, military sources said.



At least 20 Abrams battle tanks and 10 Bradley fighting vehicles rumbled up the main southern highway into Baghdad on a reconnaissance mission through the Dawra suburb about 7 to 8 miles from the center of the sprawling capital.


They appeared to be heading to join up with units of the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division, which says it captured Baghdad airport on the southwest of the city on Friday.


The sources told this correspondent, traveling with the 3rd Infantry Division, that the tanks reached a loop in the Tigris -- across the river from Baghdad University -- where the road swings to the west.


The tanks would then apparently follow a road toward the airport, which is about 12 miles to the southwest of the city center.


There was no immediate word on any resistance or casualties from the mission. U.S. and British forces fear that they could be sucked into bloody street-by-street fighting in the city of five million people.


The tanks were a task force of two companies -- a company usually has about 14 tanks.

[Chummy]

It is a statue of the former tyrant over Iraq's people. Drudge had a photo of it yesterday.

[Texas Tea]

yep, that's what we were saying earlier. I would love to see the tanks come in and take it down.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Sorry - TV is downstairs, where it can run without interfering with the preferred "library" reading place on the couch.

PC is upstairs. Not sure what the "rocket" looks like.

[this_ol_patriot]

It wasn't too clear except that they couldn't be examined at that time. Will listen for more.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Are you sure Greg Kelly cut across Baghdad from the east? He could have come up the road that runs from the southeast to the northwest on the east side of the Tigris, and then cut across that ring road over the Tigris and to the airport. But my understanding was that they were rolling due north on the road from the south, and once that road enters the city it gradually sweeps around to the west and straight into the airport on a very broad road.

The latter is my understanding of how Greg's unit came in.

Here's a good map: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/baghdad_inset_2003.jpg

[Robert A Cook PE]

Yep -Saw that a while ago.

[fellowpatriot]

Just load him into a woodchipper - feet first and set the speed to slow.

[Texas Tea]

The jets are back!

[Chummy]

Were those JETS that just flew by?????!!!!!!

[alameda]

heh heh... pigeons maybe...

[thedugal]

It's probably some spec ops guys going in to "exploit" Peter Arnett.

[rolling_stone]

Something went by left to right behind the building fast...

[bornintexas]

"That is a hand held rocket laucher"...

That thing is too cool. Talk about your "home protection!" I am amazed at all of our military's weapons.

[Chummy]

The only truck I saw that may have looked something like that was a "cherry picker" -- a lift.