***Operation Iraqi Freedom - Situation Room - Day 7 - LIVE THREAD***

Various | March 26 2003 | Multiple

[An.American.Expatriate]

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:

Special thanks to null and void for keeping these running over the weekend and Monday, to all of you for keeping these threads alive, the AdminMods for their tolerance, mhking for the video links, and, of course, Belly Girl...

[prairiebreeze]

Your post caught my eye before I leave for a little while. Good words to fight the leftist media bastards this morning.

Prairie --not apologizing one bit for calling the media bastards either.

[An.American.Expatriate]

7th Cavalry inflicts heavy casualties in running battle (Awesome Read!) ^

[Miss Marple]

I cannot agree with you enough. As the owner of a satellite dish with Direct TV and Fox (the only reason we opted for a satellite as we had cable which REFUSED to carry Fox) I must emphasize that it is important to be loyal. Fox has done an exemplary job of adding new reporters, and most importantly they are supporting the troops. Even Alan Colmes is miles ahead of the loathesome Aaron Brown.

Talk up Fox to friends who have a choice. If you do not have a choice, write your cable people.

And let's call those local outlets! We don't have to let them know that we don't normally watch their stations! Here is a sample call.

"Hello! I was just watching Fox today because they were covering the war and you are doing your regular programming. Imagine how disappointed I was to see your network reporter ask (insert stupid and disrespectful question here). I want to tell you that I will not be watching your local or netwrok news programs if this is an example of the reporting your organization condones."

Repeat calls as necessary.

Start calling local sponsors as well. Tell them how aggravated you are at the network's reporters, and tell them that you are disappointed (ha..Daschle word) that they would advertise on such an unpatriotic network.

Repeat as neessary.

[Dog]

Several tanks and Bradleys lost in Najef...fierce fighting ongoing..

[r9etb]

If Geraldo was taken as a POW, have no fear, after 20 minutes they'd give him right back.

Sorta like The Ransom of Red Chief.

Gentlemen: I received your letter to-day by post, in regard to the ransom you ask for the return of my son. I think you are a little high in your demands, and I hereby make you a counter-proposition, which I am inclined to believe you will accept. You bring Johnny home and pay me two hundred and fifty dollars in cash, and I agree to take him off your hands. You had better come at night, for the neighbours believe he is lost, and I couldn't be responsible for what they would do to anybody they saw bringing him back.

Very respectfully,
101st Airborne Division

[An.American.Expatriate]

Shocked! War's reality surprises the media. ^

[The Wizard]

thank you, so much

[ArneFufkin]

It is amazing, isn't it?

[Carolina]

Sky Live: Iraq may need the biggest humanitarian aid in history.

AAE, do you know how large the European and Japanese Reconstructions were?

I'd look it up, but I can't load too many windows or I lose my Sky link.

[Quilla]

Good one, tort. Try these war cookies: In 9x12 baking pan, melt one stick of butter, crumble 1/2 box vanilla wafers, sprinkle one can of coconut and a cup of chocolate chips. Pour a can of sweetened condensed milk over everything and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. After you cut it into squares and taste one, it will be as sweet and satisfying as slapping Hillary!

[An.American.Expatriate]

I'll have to look for that later (I've got the info, just don't know where!!).

So, off the air till about 2:00 EST - long ride home . . .

[Ecclesiasticus]

With apologies to O. Henry (The Ransom of Red Chief).

Excellent!

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Read #2011, prairiebreeze.

letters@MSNBC.com

[Fracas]

I've had the flu and a friend dropped by to check on me. He saw Patti Ann Brown and (after the comments about her looks) said 'Does she have a FLAG on her lapel? Good grief, someone with enough nerve to wear a flag on t.v.?'. LOL. He couldn't believe there was an entire network of people unashamed to wear flags!

Gave me a great opportunity to cover all the points in your post. He's on his way to get a satellite dish. My motto when dealing with the media:

Don't get mad, get even.

[null and void]

(Why are they cheering a downed drone aircraft when their troops are being blasted to bits by tons of bombs from B-52's?)

You take your little victories where you can, I guess...

[AZLadyhawke]

Ranger Cookies & Ranger Pudding aren't bad either, washed down with some fermented fruit juice......

[Timeout]

Iraq may need the biggest humanitarian aid in history.

So, I must assume that Willie, Elton, Barbra, et al, are swiftly organizing an "Iraq-Aid" event where the glitterati will raise tons of (our) money for the poor victims in Iraq.

Of course, they will also get all that publicity, but I'm sure that's not their intent.

< /sarcasm >

[Anomaly in Illinois]

Analysis: The pause before Baghdad

http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20030326-055540-9747r

[Mrs.Liberty]

Interesting analysis on this from this military analyst on KFI. He theorized that because Saddam has not appeared to be proactive in this war (to the Arab world), he must now show that he is being proactive vice reactive and go out to greet the enemy, so to speak. It does not matter to him that his entire force will be defeated in detail, it matters that he(his armies) have the appearance of being proactive.

[Norman Arbuthnot]

He accepted that many on the right were upset with him over clinton and that September 11 really changed him.

I remember the interview with O'Reilly. I agree that 9/11 did have a big impact on him.

He gave up Major bucks to become a field reporter again.

I'm not so sure about that. The rating of his CNBC show were pretty poor at the time he quit to join Fox.

His shows from Afganistan w/ the 82nd were great morale boosters for the troops.

I think some troops like him, others don't . In the new book The Hunt for Bin Laden the author maintains that some SF guys in Afghanistan thought he was a manipulative phony and at one point thought about drawing straws to determine which one of them would punch him out.