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First shots fired at sea as allied battle plan unfolds
The Times ^
| March 19, 2003
| David Sharrock and Michael Evans
Posted on 03/18/2003 3:05:57 PM PST by MadIvan
THE first shots of the war have been fired, killing at least one Iraqi during a suspected operation to mine the waters off Kuwait. But that opening skirmish is about to be dwarfed by the most formidable military assault in modern warfare: 250,000 British and American troops backed by more than 1,000 aircraft, 400 tanks and a 110-strong armada are poised to unleash their awesome power on Saddam Husseins Iraq the moment the order is given.
The first clash occurred in the mouth of the Khawr al-Zubayr river, a few miles south of the port of Umm Qasr, when a Kuwaiti gunboat challenged a flotilla of about 25 Iraqi dhows. The boats failed to respond and the Kuwaitis opened fire. It was unclear whether the dhows had laid any mines.
The Royal Navy has four mine counter-measure vessels in the Gulf which were searching the waterway last night.
Tensions in the waters off Iraq are running high and coalition ships are alert to the threat of mines and terrorist strikes. A British ship escorting Royal Navy and US minesweepers was threatened yesterday while at anchor in the northern Gulf. A cargo vessel, feared to be on an al-Qaeda suicide mission, came within 800 yards of RFA Sir Bedivere during a tense hour-long stand-off. Crew members trained two machineguns on the 500-tonne ship, The stand-off ended only when it was driven away by the heavily armed USS Ardent.
TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; US: District of Columbia; United Kingdom; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: blair; bush; endgameapproaches; iraq; saddam; uk; us; war; warlist
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To: MadIvan; *war_list; W.O.T.; 11th_VA; Libertarianize the GOP; Free the USA; knak; PhiKapMom; ...
21
posted on
03/18/2003 3:20:40 PM PST
by
Ernest_at_the_Beach
(Nuke Saddam ( Bush is thinking about it ) and then what about Germany and France?)
To: Paul Ross
500 tons is a tiny ship. A medium sized trawler maybe.
To: lavrenti
Nah, the Kuwaitis deserve to draw first blood in this fight. We did ours in Afghanistan. Naw, seeing how we already saved their entire country, we should have at least flipped for it....
To: MadIvan
Way to go, Tony!! Thanks, MadIvan. Can't find a thread on this - nothing on CNN yet. Surprise, surprise.
24
posted on
03/18/2003 3:23:45 PM PST
by
Let's Roll
(Whether we bring our enemies to justice, or bring justice to our enemies, justice will be done.)
To: MadIvan
Ivan, I want tell you how proud we all of you, your Prime Minister & House of Commons tonight. I can't tell you, in words, how that vote made me feel. I was whistleing "Rule Brittania" all day long. Except for that little trift we had back in 1776 through 1812 you are the finest friends we've ever had. Although I could never bow to your Queen, I'd love to shake the lady's hand.
When our boys march into Bagdad shoulder to shoulder that should shut the French up.
By the way, after this whole thing is over you have our permission to kick France's a$$ one more time, if you want.
Timy
25
posted on
03/18/2003 3:23:53 PM PST
by
timydnuc
(FR)
To: AlextheWise1
26
posted on
03/18/2003 3:27:52 PM PST
by
Enemy Of The State
(Beware the lollipop of mediocrity... lick it once and you suck forever)
To: AlextheWise1
Remember it only took a small fiberglass boat to practically sink the USS Cole! Anyways, if we had a crew of Al-Quaeda, they should be either in the brig... or in Davy Jones Locker...
27
posted on
03/18/2003 3:30:15 PM PST
by
Paul Ross
(From the State Looking Forward to Global Warming! Let's Drown France!)
To: AlextheWise1
500 tons is a tiny ship.I've never understood how boats are rated. What does the '500 tons' refer to?
28
posted on
03/18/2003 3:42:59 PM PST
by
templar
To: templar
I think tonnage refers to load/cargo capacity...
29
posted on
03/18/2003 3:50:05 PM PST
by
deport
(Fermez la bouche, Monsieur Daschle)
To: templar
I've never understood how boats are rated. What does the '500 tons' refer to?This is easy. The displacement of a ship is measured in deadweight tons. The portion of the ship below the waterline displaces a volume of water equal to the total weight of the ship and its cargo. In this case 500 tons.
Hope this helps.
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
30
posted on
03/18/2003 3:53:20 PM PST
by
LonePalm
(Commander and Chef)
To: templar
There is net tonnage, which is what it will carry.
Gross tonnage = whatever it is actually displacing.
Hauling out a 69 net ton fishing boat, some years ago
(in Ventura, CA), it was calculated that the full "lift"
was more like 130-140 tons, which would be "gross tons".
500 tons is a pretty big "boat", basically a "small" ship.
The 69 tonner I've mentioned, was 66' documented length
(measuring from rudder post to bow shear at water-line), and 75' over-all (panama measurement).
31
posted on
03/18/2003 4:05:27 PM PST
by
BlueDragon
(just thought I'd throw that panama into the ring to further vex and confuse folks...hehehe...)
To: MadIvan
Yo, Ivan. Say thanks to your MP for us.
BTW, is the expression "Here, Here!", or is it "Hear, Hear!"?
32
posted on
03/18/2003 4:09:55 PM PST
by
OKSooner
To: MadIvan
With respect to the most formidable assault in modern times
D Day 6 June 1944
12,000 planes
5,000 ships
130.000 troops the first wave
That was some show IMHO
To: MadIvan
Bump To The Top
34
posted on
03/18/2003 4:20:54 PM PST
by
genew
To: MadIvan
And so it begins...
35
posted on
03/18/2003 5:37:55 PM PST
by
mhking
(Oh, and the ball blows off the tee - the referee signals a re-kick...)
To: MadIvan
Thanks guys, se you in Baghdad.
36
posted on
03/18/2003 5:38:11 PM PST
by
JEC
(Pray for ALL our troops)
To: MadIvan
How soon til we start blowin' up stuff? I salute Tony Blair & the UK! The UK KNOWS what it means to be an ally!
37
posted on
03/18/2003 5:38:38 PM PST
by
teletech
(Can we bomb Saddam, NOW!?)
To: MadIvan
Labour birthed an orphan? All that screaming and nothing to take home.
What else to do with a boat load of seamen? Pick a fight.
To: templar
how much water they displace when they are floated.... usually... a boat will float the amount of tonnage equal to the weight of the vessel.
when it has displaced its own weight in tonnes of water, it floats at that level in the water...
that is what I was told
To: MadIvan
Man what I wouldn't give to be able to safely sit above Iraq in a blimp and see the light show when General Franks flips the switch.
40
posted on
03/18/2003 5:48:52 PM PST
by
geedee
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