***Operation Iraqi Freedom - Situation Room - Day 5 - LIVE THREAD***

Everywhere! | 23 Mar 2003 | An.American.Expatriate

[null and void]

Good Morning.

This is the Daily Thread of Operation Iraqi Freedom - LIVE THREAD.

It is designed for general conversation about the events of the day. In depth discussion of events should be left to individual threads - but links to the threads or other articles is highly encouraged. This allows us to stay abreast of the situation in general, while also providing a means of obtaining specific information.

Please have mercy on us dial up limited FReepers! Limit the big graphics, post links instead. A breif description of what the graphic is would help:

To all who helped this get started, thank you!

Special thanks to An.American.Expatriate for staring the daily threads, Mo1 for the screamer, the AdminMods for their tolerance, mhking for the video links, and, of course, Belly Girl...

[null and void]

I have some friends who do forensics, but none personally.

Please ask them their professional opinions, and get back to us...

[Dog]

Anyone just hear Bloom.....he said the road they are on near the Karbala Gap(my guess) has been widened for American tanks........like the battlefield was prepped..

[Miss Marple]

Well, if the Russians want to stay on our good side, they will slow walk any assistance they might give to Saddam.

I would bet that the only treatment that would save his life is in the good old USA, with the best medical system in the world.

Besides, Russian doctors wear those chef hats. I rest my case.

[nwpatriot]

Whoa! Is that an American soldier doing that????

[spectr17]

Keep him alive. Put him in a cage on display for all tyrants to see what happens to them eventually.

[killjoy]

Whoa! Is that an American soldier doing that????

Uniform doesn't look American. No idea, but pretty funny.

[retrokitten]

John Gibson asks about attack on terrorist HQ in northern Iraq. Chris Klein reports that the battle is ongoing. Special Forces and Kurd fighters pouring in. Air strikes and missile strikes have been called in. Klein says that these are most fanatical group, they will fight to the death, they are in rugged terrain like Afghanistan, and Special Forces have their work cut out for them.

There was a documentary on our local PBS station last night about these people. (I don't normally watch PBS, but this was very interesting and I am sorry that I missed the start of it) The Kurds hate this fanatical group, whose name I can't remember. They crossed the border from Iran and set up shop in Northern Iraq. This group is linked directly the OBL and have assisted SH of releasing nerve gas on the Kurds. For the past several years the Kurds have been organizing thier militia into a real military.

The most disturbing part of the doc was when they were showing the effects of the nerve gas on the people. There was one man who was in his late 20's and couldn't take more then a few steps without his legs collapsing out from under him. A girl who was perfectly healthy until she was 3, then she got gassed. She is now (or when this was filmed 2-3 years ago) 16 years old and couldn't walk on her own anymore (had to be carried by her father) and because of the different diseases in her body, she looked like she was 60. So many people had very strange skin conditions which were all due to VX gas. They said that women are more likely to miscarry then to have a full term pregnancy.

There was a book written in 1988 by one of SH's henchmen all about the effects of different chemical weapons on bodies. Things like VX, mustard gas, etc...Guess who wrote the introduction to the book praising it's contents and calling it a triumph? You're a big winner if you guessed Saddam Hussain.

It was very disturbing and really just drove home that we are doing the right thing. These people need help.

[Wild Irish Rogue]

Just had a morale call from someone in theater,about to leave on a mission-being vague for obvious reasons. After the personal chit chat, some observations. The guys/gals are beyond outrage over the executions-in fact,the tv in the mess was turned off, as the crowds in front were getting too thick and causing logistical problems.I forgot to ask which channels they receive-hope to God,it's only Fox. Another question- " Is Daschle still undermining us"? Us being the soldiers. The anti war protests didn't seem to be a big bother,but,the fact that Democrats were actively working against the military, was disconcerting. The POW executions have hardened everyone even further.The minute that Daschle and the Democrats pop their heads back out from their hidey holes and start trashing the military again-we need to Dixie Chick them.

[prairiebreeze]

Latest word on the propane explosion at Bahrain is that it could have been set by a demonstrator. Still no terror links thought.

Prairie

[Dog]

No....like we had the route picked out and had earthmovers grading the road.....before we showed up..

[Diva Betsy Ross]

Question: What happended to all of the talk of surender by the big guys. Was it just a trick?

[Quilla]

I'll have to vote let him die. I want the moral of his troops to be crushed, his weapons of mass destrution (and their sources) exposed, the war to come to a swift end, and our boys home.

[prairiebreeze]

drove home that we are doing the right thing. These people need help.

They need help and we need to protect ourselves.

Prairie

[xp38]

I'm surprised that assumption was made if that was the case given the long history of Islam, 9/11, the Daniel Pearl incident, the palestinian intifada and especially the nature of Saddam's regime. Let's hope no more prisoners are taken and if they are they don't assume any humanitarian treatment from the Iraqis.

[hawkaw]

Anyone just hear Bloom.....he said the road they are on near the Karbala Gap(my guess) has been widened for American tanks........like the battlefield was prepped.

No I did not hear that but that is excellent news!!!!

[spectr17]

Those Kurds have many years of payback to deliver to those terrorists. I would not want to be on their hit parade.