CENTCOM - Thurs. Apr. 17:
Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks:
"Operation Iraqi Freedom is now in it's 28th day."
"Tomorrow shows great promise."
"Coalition spec. ops remain effective....gaining surrenders in several area (lists at least 6 cities)...these efforts continue wherever pockets are found...
"Direct action against regime leaders continue....Barzan(sp)...half-brother to Saddam Hussein captured....
"Efforts related to other regime leaders are ongoing..
"Arrival of 4th ID land component including firefight in vicinity of Haji (sp) airport...captured over 100 enemy fighters, armored pers. carriers, SAM warehouse, etc...site has been secured for further examin....coalition forces secured area...continued moving north..
"Coalition forces are still finding remnants of regime in Basrah but generally secure....shallow graves found and under uinvestigation (Basrah or Mosul? please check transcript)
"Coalition is focusing efforts - in close cooperation w/ Iraqis ..to restore power...recently restored in Kirkuk...impacts areas beyond Kirkuk..will restore natural gas complex there....which will be pumped to Mosul...then able to provide stable power to run Mosul hyd.-elect power at "Mosul Dam"...formerly known as "Saddam Dam"...(which) provides enough energy to reach another power station...then straight into Baghdad...
"Baghdad south power plant ready to run on temp. supply of oil....we see increasing contributions of packaged water...moved w. help of coalition...video of convoy from Kuwait to 13 large truckloads of water and supplies..Kuwaiti government donated for Iraqi people....requests by free Iraqis along the road north were not denied...
"Civilian med. treatment is successfully occurring throughout Iraq...pic of military handing over found med. supplies
"Baghdad..different....areas that are inherently dangerous first must be secured....3rd ID involved: pic...securing, assessing hospital...find poor care being provided....pic of man on gurney...gunshot and broken bones untreated...every day coalition forces are finding health care facilities that are underequipped, (under)staffed...not a priority of the regime...we are improving the conditions...med. supplies, doctors continue to flow in....
"Free Iraqi forces remain integral to our efforts....key to reaching locals...
Questions:
Re. Saddam's half-brother - "Operation occured during night..coalition spec. forces...get the job done...supported by Marines..that were operating south of Baghdad. This was a Baghdad op...(info also provided by locals)...
"We remain concerned about any assets, resources, or capabilites (of regime)...(those bad guys who are) looting things of value to the Iraqi people, engaged in violence...we know they are out there...we know (things exist) for dispersing (chem weapons)..we remain focused....our approach to WMDs...to finding and removing..
Re. Syria -"This coalition is forcused on Iraq. We focus on specific instructions....for us right now, this is Operation IRAQI Freedom"..
"There are initial reports that there are shallow graves...after seeing first one they were guided to 4 more...initial investigation...we don't know who ...Mosul...stability described as "uncertain"...some shootings occured yesterday...violent actions at a bank involved police and coalition forces....Marines were involved in returning fire...some (non-coalition) were killed..others wounded...there are pockets that seek to (incite) instability...our efforts (are to locate...remove...)..those efforts are ongoing...(locals are involved working with us)..
Re. 80 missings suicide vests "(What we saw was a ) place that had room for about 80 more vests...we can't know ..how many have already been used...where they have gone is unknown...we suspect that there is the potential for at least 80 to be used....there still is the potential...for terrorists to seek to maintain instability...to provent the bright future we think is in store for Iraq....(there are areas we haven't reached.)..those areas will be dealt with in due time in a very deliberate way...to rid that location of any remaining regime..suicide bombers, death squad members...etc..
Re. 2 dozen political prisoners found in dungeon in Bagdhad- "I don't have any repots of political prisoners being found in Baghdad"...we know there are many, many ...( killed, imprisoned over years by regime...dont' know how many have been killed and wounded...held, locals are helping...)
"Our approach is deliberate, an effort to maintain law and order ...our coalition forces have the inherent right of self-defense, but at the same time we want to (respond to specific situation..)...
"We saw the role of Barzan (sp?? Hussein's half-brother) as advisor to Saddam...an insider...about #30 on our list of hostile individ. who (could) have info on ..regime...we'll have to wait and see..
"The WMD sites...function of getting accurate info and going into sites....not a function of number of people searching...(our organized efforts...daily work) will determine how long it will take...as each days goes by...(with new) local, regime leader info...we may find it rapidly unfolding...(now we're going from site to site, being very deliberate)...
Re. potential bad guys still thriving in some area - "There are a number of areas we have passed through that we may have to look at again."
"There are a number of emerging leaders throughout Iraq...we are working with....(relations w/ outside nations) will develop over time...very aware of a pilgrimage coming up...we will (provide) security...(also expect Iraqi people, knowing how important pilgramage is, to behave..)...
BCA - thanks for article.. morning !
Umbagi & KL.. I enjoyed catching up on thread(easy now that it is short) & finding your "conversation". Although I do not share your literary knowledge, I marvel how you found each other & although different - normal - surely share enough to forge ahead & broaden your friendship.
Kip have you written anything on your Cambodian experiences?
If the links or infor was in there, I missed it. I never did any followup reading on Vienam, Cambodia..etc. I found the bit I did VERY distressing & although I cared, I then had so much on my plate I realized I need to temper what went into my mind and life.