***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...

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

FN: Rick Leventhal w/ 1st Marines, 3rd LAR: "We've been making a slow push north. First convoy passed us yesterday...heavy artillery, Marines....we're leapfrogging other units to get back to the front of the convoy...one of the things they are doing as they travel north...they're seeing people off in the distance, hiding, sand berms, mud huts...popping down behind the berms and running north...concerned about RPG, grenade launchers....just saw one on the road...continuing our push...a very large contingent of Marines heading north...The guys who are doing the fighting...they have the protective suits on, masks, they're ready to go...think it's (rumors of chem weapons) overblown...(resistence) it's been spotty...last night, maybe 5 minutes...other forces, yesterday early evening (meeting some resistence, not much)...constantly scanning, looking for possible threats, they will not hesitate to do that (open up w/machine guns) is they sense the person is going to harm them...we've seen a lot of helicopter support....constant...hum of jet engines overhead...we're told the air support is there when we need it...(job of one Marine is to call for air support - it will be there)...because of operational security I can't say ...we have seen a tremendous amount of heavy artillery and tanks (ours, I think)...(Capt. talking....light arms fire..10 clicks ahead)...because of resistence they met the other night they wanted the tanks up front...." COMMERCIAL BREAK?

[oceanview]

yes, you are correct about the wind.

man, it almost sounds like they have decided to secure our guys in the chem proof tanks and the bradleys, and just drive them right in there head on and take them out.

[spectr17]

klick = .6 miles

[terilyn]

No, but these are good! Thank you so much ;)

[ONA-ASIS]

1 click = 1 kilometre (km)

1 mile = 1.6 km

[don-o]

what's B&A?

Couple of gay guys on the radio.

No, seriesly, go to wabcradio.com and go from there. They have a nightly radio show, It's taken me a long time to calibrate my gaydar to tolerate the timbre of their voices, but they do good journalism.

On the air now, except Alexander is off sick and has a sub.

[oceanview]

they are not gay, they are just new yorkers.

[BulletBobCo]

FYI Just checked and it appears that "Belly Girl" has not been picked as a name by any FReepers.

[hobson]

You've go mail.

[juzcuz]

HaHAAAAAA..

Just saw FNC-- Poor Rick Leventhal. I wonder if he'll make it through to Bagdad with the 1st Marines. Well it's too late for him to go back. It seems the only way out is to go in.

[cactusSharp]

worst three words in golf apply here "you're still away"

hehe

[Jackie-O]

LOL! YOU BAD!

[don-o]

dunno ocean. Time will tell, I reckon.

Interviewing a Russian now, who is doubting that they will unleash chems.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Thanks.

Rick's description of seeing lots of people spotted moving in and out among berms makes it sound like its becoming a lethal game of whack a mole.

[Poser]

"I read somewhere that we could see a dime on a sidewalk with something, planes, satellites?"

Probably a U2. There's just too much atmosphere to get that precise from space. I'm not buying the license plate thing. In any case, that kind of telescope isn't any good at all through smoke and haze like they now have in Iraq.

They have to be using radar imaging of some sort.

[Ramius]

FYI Just checked and it appears that "Belly Girl" has not been picked as a name by any FReepers.

That name should be reserved for her. She'll be here soon enough, if not already. :-)

[don-o]

Whatever, I've been told different.

[Redcloak]

It looks like it's really bowing in Baghdad. The SaddamCam is bobbing and weaving and there's a bunch of wind noise on it.

[Fledermaus]

I don't think Rick will be taking many camping trips after he gets home

Understatement of the day!