***Operation Iraqi Freedom - Situation Room - Day 12 - LIVE THREAD***

Multiple ^ | March 31st, 2003 | Various

[An.American.Expatriate]

Good Morning.

Welcome to the Situation Room 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.

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Links to the older threads:
Operation Iraqi Freedom - Day 1 - LIVE THREAD ... 4557 posts
***Operation Iraqi Freedom - Situation Room - Day 2-LIVE THREAD*** ... 5704 posts
***Operation Iraqi Freedom - Situation Room - Day 3-LIVE THREAD*** ... 4751 posts
***Operation Iraqi Freedom - Situation Room - Day 4 - LIVE THREAD*** ... 6045 posts
***Operation Iraqi Freedom - Situation Room - Day 5 - LIVE THREAD*** ... 4869 posts
***Operation Iraqi Freedom - Situation Room - Day 6 - LIVE THREAD*** ... 5126 posts
***Operation Iraqi Freedom - Situation Room - Day 7 - LIVE THREAD*** ... 4110 posts
***Operation Iraqi Freedom - Situation Room - Day 8 - LIVE THREAD*** ... 3863 posts
***Operation Iraqi Freedom - Situation Room - Day 9 - LIVE THREAD*** ... 3532 posts
***Operation Iraqi Freedom - Situation Room - Day 10 - LIVE THREAD*** ... 2545 posts
***Operation Iraqi Freedom - Situation Room - Day 11 - LIVE THREAD*** ...

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Mhking's links:

Updated links (Null and Void alphabetized them and found a few other interesting ones):

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Live Video/Audio Feeds:
(If you can't reach a feed by clicking on it, make sure to try copying the address, and pasting it in the appropriate browser -- WMV=Windows Media Player; Real=Real Player/RealOne; MP3=WinAmp/Audion/other streaming MP3 player; QT=QuickTime)

FR: Final Update: Streaming Video/Audio Links (Includes info & HTML/Javascript code on how to create your own multi-feeds page)

Abu Dhabi TV (Real - Arabic)
BBC/Baghdad Cam(Real)
BBC News 24 (Real - 56)
BBC News 24 (Real - BB)
CablePulse 24 - Toronto (WMV)
CBS/Baghdad Cam (Real)
CBC RadioOne - Toronto (QT)
CN8 Philadelphia (Real)
CNN+ (Spain) (WMV)
CNN Baghdad Cam (WMV)
CNN Radio (WMV)
CNN via KGW/Portland (Real - down)
DW-TV Berlin (Real - In German Where Available/Some programming in English)
ITN News Channel - London (Real - Audio Only)
MSNBC/NBC (WMV/Feeds page)
MSNBC (WMV - Audio Only - Headlines & Breaking News)
N-TV Berlin (Real - In German Where Available)
NWCN, Seattle/Portland (Real - down)
Sky News (56K - WMV/Copy/Paste)
Sky News (BB - WMV/Copy-Paste)
SNN6 Sarasota, FL (Real)
WSVN-TV/DT Miami (WMV - Fox Affiliate)

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

To all who helped this get started, thank you!

Special thanks to null and void for keeping these threads running on the weekends, Mo1 for the screamer, the AdminMods for their tolerance, mhking for the video links, and, of course,...

[AppyPappy]

CBS webcam is up. Good volume

[mwl1]

Bill said that most people out there realize the coverage is terrible are are not as fooled as us conservatives fear.

That's not the point, and I argued with my wife about it this weekend. It doesn't matter whether the biased reporting affects public opinion. What matters is that it aids and abets the enemy and, worse, is crippling and painful to the families of armed forces personnel.

[sissyjane]

Someone enlighten me please--Who is BAGHDAD BOB?

[nwpatriot]

I just didi a little excursion over to "the other site". (Don't worry, I wore my anti-filth shield.) They are going absolutely ape over Arnett's firing. Most of them attribute it to "the Administration" and saying the President ordered him fired. One actually suggested that Al Jazeera pick him up as an English-language reporter (it seems like he already WAS working for AJ, based on his reports...). Another suggested that 22,000 DUmmies rise up and "make their presence felt". *snicker* And 44,000 FReepers will do the same!

[An.American.Expatriate]

Check this out: "Die Zeit" (German Paper)Op-Ed: German Guilt in the War; Weapon's Inspector; Schröder was "crazy". ^

[Centurion2000]

That's the one Clint Eastwood stole for us!

That was the FireFox ;)

[null and void]

Furthermore, it's stupid to hire Arnett, considering his history. What were they thinking?

That he would provide right leaning balance?

[An.American.Expatriate]

UK soldiers sent home from Iraq 'for refusing to fight' ^

[mitchbert]

My concern, although not huge, is after 30 plus years of dictatorial brutal rule, the Iraqi people, much like the Soviet women waiting in line for their government issued bread after the wall fell, will not understand what freedom, what democracy, and what opportunity is all about.

This is a very important point. At the risk of bluntness, remember that the Iraqi people have effectively had the s*it kicked out of them constantly for the last 30-odd years. There is a substantial percentage of the population that has known nothing else, and for the rest of the population the oppression has been so total that their whole world view is bent out of shape. If we're expecting to see scenes resembling the joyous welcome of Allied troops into The Netherlands in WWII we're going to be disappointed. Once, and only once, the Iraqis are able to grasp that Saddam and his minions are gone for good and can't pop up again and reinstitute the regime they will finally begin to wake from the nightmare of Saddam. It may occur somewhat quickly in areas outside BAG, especially where people remember the massacres of the early 1990's but there will be wariness at first. Have they really come to liberate us? Will they finish the job this time? Will we really have new leaders or just opportunists that will oppress us in a different way? This will no doubt be the indset of many at first.

As a comparison, recall the speed at which the Czechs were able to grasp the mantle of democracy fairly quickly after the fall of the Soviet Bloc. They had a significant population who had memories of freedom, while Russia had, and still is having, a much harder time and suffered through the kleptocracy of the Yeltsin years. Russia, evn before Lenin, had no real experience with democracy of any sort.

I'm confident that the Iraqi people will ultimately see the coalition forces as liberators, it will just take time. Imagine finding a poor child whose cruel parents locked him in a closet and treated him like a dog for his entire existence. It takes him time to learn to trust and laugh. It will very likley be the same with Iraq.

[An.American.Expatriate]

Baghdad hit; Powell warns Syria ^

[Sacajaweau]

When I was a very liitle girl, my father told me not to believe everything I read. I've extended it to "question everything you read and hear". That's the way it is!!

[An.American.Expatriate]

U.S. Sets Stage for March to Baghdad [Updated] ^

[prairiebreeze]

I think you bring up some very valid points in your posts. Afghanistan rebuilding is extrememly under-reported to the extent that my high school aged kid thinks we've pulled out of there.

How do we pressure the media into covering it more?

Prairie

[Straight Vermonter]

Keep your eyes to the west. The Iraqis are not the only one who can use maskirovka.

[An.American.Expatriate]

Syria accuses US of serving Israeli interests ^

[retrokitten]

Another suggested that 22,000 DUmmies rise up and "make their presence felt".

I think that them rising up would be alot like visiting my friend who has two month old twins. Lots of screaming, crying and pooping (by the twins, not my friend).

[An.American.Expatriate]

BARF ALERT US Marines turn fire on civilians at the bridge of death (Should we believe this story?) ^

[Solson]

Great comments and right on the money! Bush, IMO, may suffer from this victory in the short term. But, he's the type of guy that KNOWS implicitly the success of this victory may not be necessarily felt tomorrow but in the upcoming years.

I continue to be amazed at those who underestimate the intelligence of this man. It reminds me of those, including members of his own cabinet, who derided Reagan when he told folks he was going to make history in Rejkavik(sp?) by not backing down to the Russians.

It seems, the greatest men in history...were always underestimated.

[Straight Vermonter]

Go to www.usaid.org for lots of good info on Afghanistan rebuilding.

[AppyPappy]

22,000.....and 20,000 are probably visiting freepers.