***Operation Iraqi Freedom - Situation Room - Day 26 - LIVE THREAD***

Everywhere! | 14 APR 03 | An.American.Expatriate

[piasa]

You don't have to go digging, I know he's full of horseapples. I'm just amazed when talking heads eat that junk up like it's true.

[piasa]

They were also demonstrating to make the Iraqi government a muslim theocracy (like Iran), and were being yelled at by others passing by who wanted no part of a fundamentalist wacko state, but the press isn't mentioning that part much.

[BagCamAddict]

I guess they thought liberation meant we do everything for them!!

I saw an interesting piece on TV the other night. Talking about how countries that haven't had to work for their wealth have a hard time managing it. Like the spoiled rich kid who's Daddy made all the money... they don't know how to manage money because they didn't have to work to get it. So the countries that have oil (aka money) pumping out of the ground have much less entrepreneural spirit than countries that don't have oil (money) flowing out of the ground.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

I was just trying to post the name of the "expert". It wasn't anyone i've seen before on any news report. I always try to get any post as accurate as I can. Watching MSNBC, the report hasn't came up again or is there any info about this on their website.

[BagCamAddict]

"All this chaos" isn't all that much chaos, for people who can put news in context.

George Will had a commentary this morning on "all this looting." He noted that there was an electrical blackout (maybe due to a winter storm?) in New York City not too long ago. The power was out for about 25-35 hours, and the police arrested 3500 people for looting and such. The only reason they STOPPED at 3500 was because the jails were all full. Thus, as you said, this isn't bad at all. Especially considering what those people have suffered under for decades.

I do find it a tragedy that the Museum was trashed. Those were WORLD treasures, not just Iraqi treasures. That's about the only thing I've found myself second-guessing about "the war plan." I wish we had protected that. Saddam's palaces can be rebuilt, because they were new. But 7000-year old relics cannot be rebuilt. Sad. :-(

[blondee123]

The exception being that these people in Iraq have not been the "spoiled child", their famous leader & his cronies were the spoiled children. These people have seen nothing from the wealth of their oil rich county, not yet anyway. I'm sure they will HATE us just like everyone else in that we've helped or liberated! At times I wonder when we'll learn our lesson!

[blondee123]

Going to head off to slumber land, since nothing BIG is happening, been up too late so many nites in the past few weeks. Have a good one, everyone! Nite.

[BagCamAddict]

I also seem to get a gut reaction to be mad when I see the few saying they want us out. OTOH, there are plenty saying "what took you so long to get here?" Not to mention the journalists will show us the 1 complainer for every 1000 people who are happy we are there. So I have to take a deep breath and remember it's a media slant, not an accurate representation.

[BagCamAddict]

Now a reporter from what sounds like India (or Pakistan?):

"Yesterday we went just outside of Baghdad, we were stopped, our convoy was stopped by armed men, looters. Everyone is stepping into the power vacuum, doing their best to whip up anti-American sentiments. So to that extent, it might very well happen."

"The question on everyone's mind, everybody who we speak with..." (lost my feed)

"While the shooting is over in nearly all of Iraq, except for Tikrit, the situation in Baghdad looks anything but peaceful."

Then the NTV feed cut to some random Reuters street shots, including a banner in Arabic...

(If it's not peaceful, then why are all those birds chirping loudly in the background??)

[BagCamAddict]

Again with the Indian/Pakistani reporter: Wow, he spoke way to fast for me to get this very accurate, but this might be the gist of it:

"While the shooting may be very much over,
The situation in Baghdad is still very very far from normal. Smoke still comes from buildings, buildings burning, burned out cars are everywhere, bomb damage, etc. The power vacuum is being filled by armed thugs who are stopping people on the street and looting and taking all their possessions."

"The Beriut analogy is very inviting here in Baghdad. There are a large number of American troops here, and we have spoken with a great number of them, and they really really do want to help out the people, and they are really trying hard and doing a good job, and they are starting to win the confidence of the people. But there are also large groups trying to incite anti-American sentiment, and it would not take much to turn this ugly, to turn this into suicide bombings targeting Americans if the Americans don't get more troops here soon."

[BagCamAddict]

True, about Saddam taking all the country's wealth. It might take a few months/years to undo the 30 years of brainwashing. Will be fascinating to see how they are doing in a year or two after they have had free TV, and access to news that isn't put out by Baghdad Bob.

[Big Bad Bob]

Good morning from England, my back is playing havoc on me, but never mind as I, as is most of the world are rejocing that those seven brave troopers are free from the bastards who captured them. I am wallowing in the paradisical pleasure and happiness of their families and friends.

Another thing to be celebrating today. On Friday Night the Stop the War coalition was saying that some 250,000 zealots were coverging on London to demonstrate against the liberation of Iraq. The Police were expecting half that. Both were way off the mark.

ONLY 20,000 TURNED UP!

I think people have accepted the fact that we was right, and they were wrong...HA HA HA!!!

[MEG33]

I think we need to send troops to every hospital that's been shown to have been looted and subject to gunfire..(doctors having to arm and fight).Clean out the criminals and refilm the improvement.PR

[Big Bad Bob]

They, (that being the Journos, wackos, psychos et al) are in this together. They hate America and Britain and they can't accept that they were wrong, these lefties. But, then these are the same people who symphathised with Pol Pot and the Tiananman murderers. And these people say that we need to be careful.

[BagCamAddict]

ONLY 20,000 TURNED UP!

WOOO HOOO !!! That is great!! Less than 10% of what they predicted. i.e., only 10% that are too hard-headed to see they were wrong.

[Big Bad Bob]

Very much agree with that. Like to have your thoughts on reports from here that bobbies from Britain are going to be flown out to Iraq, to help assist the Iraqis.

[Big Bad Bob]

May I take this oppotunity to past on my deepest congratulations to the organisers of the Rallies in the U.S, over the weekend. I saw the pictures from here and heard some of your speakers on the Beeb. G. Gordon Giddy, I think it was.

[BagCamAddict]

eeeeeewwwwww.... is that Peter Arnett that I hear on the NTV BagCam????

[MEG33]

While I have a great respect for bobbies..right now they will need armed escorts.Training Iraqis in proper police procedures is vital. I think there's a criminal element (I'm not speaking of people looting for chairs,etc) that is taking advantage of the situation and travel along a highway and opening a jewelry store will require armed guards!

[MEG33]

Loved you report on your rally and we've been waving the flag over here ,"jigoistic" fellows that we are!He He I have been so grateful for the Brits.