Posted on 03/27/2003 8:56:19 PM PST by 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 on the weekend, to all of you for keeping these threads alive, the AdminMods for their tolerance, mhking for the video links, and, of course, Belly Girl...
I actually think it would be quite hysterical if the General sent out his secretary or receptionist to speak with these idiots (no disrespect meant to support staff, whatsoever); quite the opposite: the General's support staff would run circles around the idiot reporters, who would look all the more idiotic.
From the BBC...
Iraqis 'fire on Basra civilians'
British military officials say paramilitary forces loyal to Saddam Hussein have opened fire on civilians attempting to leave Iraq's second city, Basra.
UK troops say they fired on the paramilitaries in response and tried to position themselves between the gunmen and the civilians.
It is unclear how many people tried to leave the predominantly Shia southern city, with some reports speaking of up to 2,000 while others say hundreds.
While there are no reports of deaths and an unconfirmed number of casualties, military officials said they were trying to get ambulances into the city, which has been encircled by UK troops for the past five days.
Severe shortages
It has been suggested that the civilians may have been trying to get to food and water aid at points outside Basra - as they had done on previous days.
With water supplies cut by half and food in short supply, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has warned that the city faces catastrophe if aid does not arrive soon.
The coalition is keen to be seen distributing aid, and hopes a massive shipment of emergency food, blankets, clothing and fresh water arriving in the southern port of Umm Qasr on Friday will signal that it is serious about humanitarian efforts.
Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Saeed Sahaf has meanwhile said in Baghdad that 116 people had been killed and 659 injured in Basra since the war began last week.
British forces have engaged military units leaving Basra at least three times this week, including a major tank battle on Thursday.
'Uprising'
There have been several confused reports from the Basra region over the past few days.
On Tuesday UK sources said there was an uprising going on in the city, but coalition forces later conceded the situation on its streets were uncertain, while other reports suggested the city was quiet.
An Iraqi woman seeking aid in the south told the BBC's Kylie Morris that the people do not support Saddam Hussein, but neither do they welcome a takeover by US and UK forces.
Washington and London have openly been hoping for civilian uprisings against the Iraqi leadership.
Such an event in Basra - a city of 1.3 million people - would be a significant development.
But correspondents in the region say people are wary of rebelling after an uprising following the 1991 Gulf War was suppressed brutally by Saddam Hussein.
Many Iraqis felt they had been betrayed by the West after having been encouraged to revolt, they say.
Pentagon advisers like Richard Perle and Kenneth Adelman have been promising a cakewalk to Baghdad for 18 months; in the late 1990's, Paul Wolfowitz, now the deputy defense secretary, argued that a small American force fighting in conjunction with the Iraqi opposition could quickly overthrow Saddam Hussein.
I sure would like to know what the Media's definition of "cake walk" means?
No war is easy .. but I think in one week, our miltiary has done a damn good job
Ditto.
Morning Carolina!
Some kind Freeper posted this yesterday:
Great summary in this Weekly Standard article about all the handwringing going over how long the war is taking.
Consider the greatest military collapse of modern times, the infamous French fold at the start of World War II. Germany invaded France on May 10, 1940, didn't get to Paris until June 14, and didn't get a French surrender until June 22.A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE, PLEASE!Even the French--the French!--were able to hold out for 44 days. If Saddam prolongs the fighting for another 5 weeks, all he will be doing is rising to the level of military competence set by France.
Today is Day 8 of the war. Let's try to keep some perspective
No questions about Al Qaeda this morn, or the status of our POWs - whether the Red Cross has been allowed access.
This one really upsets me! This dimwit spends less than one year "over here" and wants to presume to speak for us Ex-Pats!
The only thing this witch sees in Europe which you don't see in the US is her socialist utopia which brainwashes the masses on a constant basis. The US media is almost neutral compared to the crap the Europeams produce......
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