5th Marines enter Baghdad suburbs (More on liberation of imprisoned Iraqi children)

United Press International ^ | April 8, 2003 | Richard Tomkins

[HAL9000]

WITH THE FIFTH MARINES, Iraq, April 8 (UPI) -- U.S. Marines rolled into northeastern suburbs of Baghdad Tuesday where thousands of cheering Iraqis yelled, "America, America, America," and "Bush, Bush, Bush."

The Marines, led by Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, entered the area after fording a tributary of the Tigris River.

Iraqis held up children, waved white flags and showed no hostile intent. The sincerity of their emotions was unquestionable.

The crescendo of welcome increased as an Iraqi woman led the Marines to a children's prison where than more than 160 youngsters were freed.

"It was really something, the children just streamed out of the gates and their parents just started to embrace us," said Lt. Col. Fred Padilla, commander of the 1st Battalion.

Further into the suburb, at a large Baath Party headquarters, the Marines had to push people back who wanted to welcome them. The crowd had been busy looting the headquarters of everything that wasn't nailed down.

At a nearby agricultural research factory and facility, scenes of people tearing away things was repeated. Again, there were cheers for the Marines.

"I feel really good today," said 1st Sgt. Bill Leuthe of Bravo Company. "I think we all do."

The suburb is definitely a poor section of the city with open sewers and garbage strewn everywhere.

Later a patrol of Marines went deeper into the suburb without incident. More such patrols were planned.

There was an incident that marred the entrance. At a village on the approach to the suburb, a man in civilian clothes jumped a wall and a ran toward the lead vehicle, nicknamed the "Pork Chop Express." Three Marines in another vehicle gunned him down when he put a rocket-propelled grenade launcher to his shoulder, preparing to fire.

The arrival in the suburb culminates a long journey for the 1st Battalion from the Kuwaiti border that began March 20 and further tightens the noose around Saddam Hussein and his Baath Party lieutenants.

Copyright © 2001-2003 United Press International

[TLBSHOW]

and Scott Ritter should be held on charges of crimes againsts humanity...

Question:
You've spoke about having seen the children's prisons in Iraq. Can you describe what you saw there?

Scott Ritter:
The prison in question is at the General Security Services headquarters, which was inspected by my team in Jan. 1998. It appeared to be a prison for children — toddlers up to pre-adolescents — whose only crime was to be the offspring of those who have spoken out politically against the regime of Saddam Hussein. It was a horrific scene. Actually I'm not going to describe what I saw there because what I saw was so horrible that it can be used by those who would want to promote war with Iraq, and right now I'm waging peace.

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,351165,00.html

[kellynla]

Fifth Marines "humpin' is our business and business is very good" Semper Fi

[talleyman]

And the response from all those who "care about the children" so much?
(Must have killed UPI to report this!)

[Support Free Republic]

SHOW YOUR PRIDE! SUPPORT FREE REPUBLIC!
	Donate Here By Secure Server Or mail checks to FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794 or you can use PayPal at Jimrob@psnw.com
STOP BY AND BUMP THE FUNDRAISER THREAD

[CFW]

Iraqis held up children, waved white flags and showed no hostile intent. The sincerity of their emotions was unquestionable.

The crescendo of welcome increased as an Iraqi woman led the Marines to a children's prison where than more than 160 youngsters were freed.

"It was really something, the children just streamed out of the gates and their parents just started to embrace us," said Lt. Col. Fred Padilla, commander of the 1st Battalion.

Bump and a prayer for Lt. Col. Fred Padilla

[Freedom'sWorthIt]

I will ping you for a "good news" report also. (And can't leave Howlin out!)

[John H K]

Troops in the field aren't getting the news and seeing video like we are...

I'm sure the Marines will be amused seeing that the Army was taking Saddam's palaces and sitting on his couches while they were slogging through the sewage-strewn slums of Baghdad :-)

[BossLady]

These children prison stories are hard to read on one hand however......a chill goes up my spine when I read about them being freed by the soldiers....

[zeaal]

I suspect there will many things revealed in Iraqi that most of us would rather have not considered.

[OpusatFR]

You mean to say that the UN and all those miserable people sitting in all those councils and children's aide projects knew about this?

That Jack Chirac and Jack Cretin, Shroder and Annan knew about this outrage and would have sat back and done nothing!! All because they wanted the oil money and the contracts Saddam gave them for France and Germany??

My God. I'm ready to throw all these bums out of the US. Why don't they go to North Korea or China. I'm sure they would appreciate the blind eyes.

My grammar fails in the face of outrage, Sorry...

[vbmoneyspender]

ping

[theDentist]

"America, America, America," and "Bush, Bush, Bush."

Obviously they were too frightened of weapons and too hungry to have actually meant it. {/sarcasm}

[Noumenon]

Scott Ritter - another target of opportunity.

[Steven W.]

Thank you for recalling that!

[Celtjew Libertarian]

You have to realize that Ritter probably found those prisons to be easier pickings that Burger Kings.

[Bahbah]

"There was an incident that marred the entrance"
Given the result, I don't think it marred it very much.

[Iris7]

Please accept my United States Marine Corps, Fifth Regiment, HAND, SALUTE.

[DannyTN]

"I'm not going to describe what I saw there because what I saw was so horrible that it can be used by those who would want to promote war with Iraq, and right now I'm waging peace. -Scott Ritter"

It seems the Iraqi people have had your "peace" waged upon them quite enough.

[ken5050]

"That" comes in about two weeks...LOL