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

JINGOISTIC..another of my sp errors

321 posted on 04/14/2003 2:12:16 AM PDT by MEG33

I think it was Peter Arnett who did this report on the NTV BagCam... I didn't get it word for word, but the gist was:

"It's loud behind me as you can see, another demonstration going on."

"The story really is there are thousands of cars on the streets, people are starting to look around to see what happened to their city; there are more Marines on the streets. But there is also alot of anger, anger at the destruction of the gov't buildings, libraries, hospitals, the national museum..."

"The demonstraters shouting/chanting is: Heads up Iraqis, you are Iraqis, heads up heads up."

"People are moving around at will, but there are also US military checkpoints. But there is also fear, and people have gone to the military to ask for protection."

"People going around trying to assess their future, anger from businessmen for the looting of their businesses, anger for the civilian casualties, many lost friends and relatives... but also a sense of a new beginning."

"Regarding the POWs, the first Guld War the American POWs were mistreated, but these looked to be in good condition. They were injured in their initial capture, but (lost my feed!)"

Then he speculated about where Saddam might be. Said there are 2 million Baathist loyalists, so some may remain loyal to Saddam or his family. etc.

"I think what is imperative for the Bush administration is that they find out if there are any WMD, they need to track it down and find the real truth. The war crimes area is a whole different area of concern that will take an enormous amount of work. Today the focus is on WMD, the regime, and then later, the war crimes."

"It is most unfortunate. You can compare it to Kabul. Alot of material left the Kabul museum in the last decade. It was bombed several times in the last decade. The Iraqi museum: the important secret vaults had been looted. Iraqis really angry about the looting of the museum (building was not burned). Also the very important Religious Library was looted and burned, which contained ancient copies of the Koran. The Iraqis say they felt those cultural treasures did not belong to the regime, but they belonged to the Iraqi people and to the world, and so they should have been protected."

"There are very few police cars on the street, and they are mostly Americans. People coming to the Americans for help clearing out hospitals of bodies, etc. Even coming to the Americans more so than to the Iraqis. However, at a traffic jam people were shouting "Tell Bush you promised us freedom and you've brought us anarchy."

Arnett believes the order will be brought back this week. That we will see lots of political demonstrations springing up, which is part of democracy.

"A Kurdish gov't is unacceptable to everyone. The main political fight right now is in the south where the Shi'ites are, with the Islamic fundamentalists, the influence of Iran, Saudia Arabia, etc."

"Syria and Saddam are basically political allys. However, the Bush admin has told Syria they better not harbor... and I think they mean it. I might point out the Iraqis and Syrians don't need visas to travel between countries."

322 posted on 04/14/2003 2:19:55 AM PDT by BagCamAddict

To: BagCamAddict

Petah was mildly less on the Chaos theme this time.

323 posted on 04/14/2003 2:20:17 AM PDT by MEG33

Dang! There was an American Soldier or Marine speaking in the background of the BagCam just now!! It sounded like he was doing a telephone interview with someone... he talked about the steps they are taking to restore order and get the city operating again. But it was so faint and he spoke sooooo fast (and soooo professionally) that I couldn't type it out. Too bad, it was good. :-)

324 posted on 04/14/2003 2:31:20 AM PDT by BagCamAddict

To: BagCamAddict

Excellent report, thanks. I'm going back to sleep.

325 posted on 04/14/2003 2:51:14 AM PDT by amom

To: BagCamAddict

Listening to POWs.. they were not picked up on a road..but in a house.I'm catching up on the story.Thank God they got good medical attention from Iraqi .

326 posted on 04/14/2003 3:06:57 AM PDT by MEG33

Morning all. Just bumping the thread for now. It's good to have those POWs back. Now we just have a few more to find and bring home.

327 posted on 04/14/2003 3:09:02 AM PDT by Unknown Freeper (Remember: when the chips are down, the buffalo is empty.)

To: Unknown Freeper

My prayers for the missing. Good morning!

328 posted on 04/14/2003 3:11:16 AM PDT by MEG33

(((yawn)) (( stretch)))...to eat or back to sleep, that is the question...

CBS cam has a new view, I wonder where or what direction this is, don't recognize any landmarks

329 posted on 04/14/2003 3:25:40 AM PDT by wolficatZ

ahh they just moved it back..oh well ;-0

330 posted on 04/14/2003 3:26:43 AM PDT by wolficatZ

I'm going to read the papers..since the POWs were freed and Tikrit news is good (and here comes a report on Tikrit.)Seems those in Tikrit lived well(Saddam's family)The RGs are walking to Syria, the locals say.Lorries are being used for looting.Baghdad.... Seen vigilante action,need police force.Power vacuum.Ollie coming up.

331 posted on 04/14/2003 3:35:43 AM PDT by MEG33

Don't go to sleep yet, CentCom is up in 20 minutes. :-)

I just watched Rumsfeld on Meet the Press. Now Syria's version of Baghdad Bob is up. I guess I'll call him Syria Sam.

332 posted on 04/14/2003 3:40:51 AM PDT by BagCamAddict

333 posted on 04/14/2003 3:44:24 AM PDT by sheikdetailfeather

To: sheikdetailfeather

lorries-British term for TRUCKS

334 posted on 04/14/2003 3:45:45 AM PDT by wolficatZ

To: BagCamAddict

Look at that Cobra...pilots had only minor injuries...unbelievable!

335 posted on 04/14/2003 3:46:56 AM PDT by mystery-ak (Saddam...your time is almost up..my hubby and son are on their way to kick your a$$ out of Baghdad!)

Dr. Bob Arnot reporting live on CBS cam right not... too bad he talks too fast for me to transcribe. :-(

336 posted on 04/14/2003 3:48:03 AM PDT by BagCamAddict

Dr. Arnot just reported that the UNDERGROUND PRISON story WAS TRUE... the Marines went out today and freed at least 20 people from the underground prison... from where the people were yelling down into a pipe that had water in it.

337 posted on 04/14/2003 3:49:18 AM PDT by BagCamAddict

To: BagCamAddict

Dang! I didn't hear that.

You mean in that place where we saw the Baghdaddys yelling down a well, convinced their loved ones were down there? The secret police HQ, wasn't it?

338 posted on 04/14/2003 3:53:05 AM PDT by Timeout (I see happy!)

CentCom coming up.

Finishing up watching Meet the Press -- Syria's deputy ambassador to the US... even HE was focusing on the looting in Baghdad. And immediately after he said that no Iraqi regime personnel had gone to Syria, Russert says that combover went to Syria. Oops.

339 posted on 04/14/2003 3:54:17 AM PDT by BagCamAddict

To: BagCamAddict

CNN showing reporters sharing their sat phones with soldiers and BagCitizens alike. Touching!

340 posted on 04/14/2003 3:54:31 AM PDT by Timeout (I see happy!)

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Operation Iraqi Freedom

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