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.
He said no M1 tanks destroyed. hit ,but not destroyed.
Power grid question.
To the reporter: Maybe Saddam forgot to pay his electric bill this month. (We'll probably never know whether the power-off what US or THEM.)
If I used sponge bricks, the dog would attack them & I'd be picking up little pieces of sponge for weeks afterwards. It's harder for him to kill stuffed toys and in rare instances, he actually brings them back to me for reuse.
CENTCOM - Fri. Apr. 4:
Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks:
"15 days into ..Iraq."
"We remain on our plan and we recognize that our achievemnets today have come with a cost of lives."
"The coal. attacked C&C targets, S-S missiles and any identified regime targets -
Pics:.
Regime C&C target in Tikrit hit - target hit was under ground, minor damage post-strike-
C&C target in Baghdad, Apr. 1 -
Coalition Spec. Ops in N. Iraq cont, air attack, maintaining control of roads inot and out of Iraq and into Tikrit...
Video - C&C in W. Iraq, military complex, series of bldgs. engaged-
Integration is a key compontent of Gen. Franks plan. It's working."Land component, sea and air....
In So. UK forces continue to expand area of influence. ..still working in Basrah.....seizure of cachs of S-S ballistic missiles and launchers...significant removal of a threat to our forces in the south...
Seizing caches...pic agric bldg in Najaf - weapons store -
Between Al Kut and Baghdad, a ttack continues..
5th corp seized forces on so. side of Baghdad...the airport now has a new name: Baghdad Int'l Airport..."
Expect to see more bad behavior - pic - ambulance near Kirkut...after firefight can see the back of the ambulance opens, paramilitaries...military truck w/ AAA on back...(these guys were trying to flee)
N. bank of (Kar bella(?)..found small boat, lead to weapons cache...anti-tank guidance systems, grenades, tunnels...
37 million leaflets dropped...continue working w/ Iraqi population..
Continue to find evidence of regime placing Iraqi (resources) in danger)...archeological remnant of Syrian empire..remnant of wall, ancient tomb being used to house Iraqi military...
Humanitarian aid...most important need ...water...pics of water distribution...provided by military water trailers providing immed. need to population...11 water points at the end of Kuwaiti pipeline nr. Umm Qasr...
Questions:
"We do have report of car bomb eplosion at milit. checkpoint SE of Hadifah dam...initial reports...vehicle approached checkpoint, pregnent women got out, screamed for assistants...our guys approached...car exploded -we do have some losses...
Re. chem finds, not very forthcoming yet: "What we think is a training school...bottles...one was marked (tevin?) a chem. agent from the (70s?)...investigations cont....
"We have been in contact most of the raid was outside of Baghdad..we've attacked a number of divisions...mostly Baghdad, Medina...and today, we had contact w/ Al nita division between those two...difficult to seperate one from another...RG forces are operating in and around Baghdad) soundly defeated in each case...not well integrated...but there is a presence of force.."We have seized a very important piece of terrain..." "We're not finished w/ this operation at this point."
"We have encountered surrenders along the way..parts of units, not whole....
Re. Baghdad airport: "There were some defenses ...we saw air defenses there...we rendered the runway unusable for air operations."..hits on C&C operations involved w/ airport...also knew where regime was ringing the airport and hit them...."we arrived w/ a tempo that put us in place before they could react to the impending threat that's now history."
Airport: "Prevents the departure of regime leaders. Can be used for operation...curent or future after conflict is complete. Most important - we preserved it for the future of Iraq."
Re. Iraqi leaders interacting w/ coalition: very courageous...Yesterday - "religious leader being provided w/ loudspeakers to do the call to prayer in his area for the first time in 15 years."
Re. MOAB: "Our approach to targetting...very precise. There are a wide variety of munitions available to the coalition....if we wanted to prevent the movement of a RG force, we might use that....Re. color of food packets, used to be yellow colored, now we've changed color (they were same color as something bad?)
"We remain very proud of the coalition we have here...49 countries...we're very proud to be partners w/ the UK forces."
"Approaches of UK in Basrah..we're watching, learning...using in other areas...we learn from those tactics...yes, we are learning from our Brit counterpart
Re. our approach to Baghdad: "We'll be deliberate, we'll be thoughtful."
Re. power cut in BD. "We didn't do it."
Helen Thomas light is polite this morn: 'We have penetrated the defensive ring set by RG...we may have encountered some special RG, can't be sure...it did come w/ a fight...air attacks, S-S, land actions...itnegrated...destroyed a number of units..integrated....it should happen that way...we don't ever seek a fight on their terms..."we'll develop intelligence, we'll develop a target set...there will be absolutely no randomness..." (going into Baghdad)..
"We still have work to do w/ regards to Baghdad. (We know) there are still forces...it's a big city...I wouldn't want to put a timeline on it...we believe this regime does possess WMDs...we remain convinced of that...we believe some of them..even delivery systems may have been pulled into Baghdad...our first (priority) is to remove the regime...then WMDs...
"We do have report that....Syria...contirbuting in a way that is not in our interest...
Re. training site...only sample found, that's why we believe it was training...chem. training program..not a WMD site per se..."As the regime is gone.. there's greater cooperation by the population (they'll rat out the bad guys)..
Re. Umm Qasr and airport: "Umm Qasr is a very important port...humanitiarian helpful, but could be militarily helpful). Military logistics must be (priority), but it's important not to put that port at risk. We would seek other options..Mood of our guys re. the airport: "Always focused on the mission...cautious optimism...things are going well...there's still work to be done...we never underestimate our enemy."
"What you're seeing in this situation is only applicable to this situation...humanitarian assist. being delivered..from the first. What yous see here is a coalition dedicated...(to keep Iraq for the Iraqi people)...(this is a singularly awesome war)..
"We have uncovered the realities of this regime...that there are close links w/ terrorist organizations..and closer links w/ terrorist behavior...worse case (these nutcases using WMDs).."this contributes to the war on terrorism...yes, this makes us safer...there are all kinds of threats still out there'...
Re. car bomb: "Was part of an interdiction effort that continues..seen evidence that this regime will use children, women...whether this (pregnant woman- car bomb was voluntary, we don't know). These are not military actions. These are terrorist actions."
"Tikrit is an area that is very importan to the regime...we have interest regarding the regime...we certainly know there's a link between BD and Tikrit..we'll leave that there."
Re. the Hornet and BH?: "On the FA-18 Hornet, we don't have any final answers at this point...BH...think it was a mechanical problem...not hostile fire...(invest. continues)..
Re. road to Tikrit "We have the ability to influence movement at this point. I'd like to leave it like that."
Re. hot chem. suits: "The chem suits are used as part of protective posture. Commanders can make a decision...are the ones that regulate the decisions of their units...will make that adjustment...we're able to adjust (to conditions). "We're trained that way...we don't have any concerns about our ability to fight..even (after ) a chem weapon is used..."
Re. the Hadifah (sp) dam and civilian attacks?: "The Hadifah dam was seized by coalition spec. ops. I'll leave it at that....The numbers that are out there (claims by beret boy) re civilian casualties are lies - they attack there own, there will be civilian casualties...(see every previous day's briefing, ack!)....)
Re. Offering Saddam anything: "We never made any offers...we remain focused on our objectives. That includes (not allowing any escapes from this regime)..
"Some of the things we're already seeing throughout much of the country (show we're establishing safer conditions ...removing military threats)....some of those efforts will take time...where we remove most of regime..there's still presence...(How will you know when regime's over?) "We have a combination of things...intelligence, how much fighting we're experiencing...(what people are telling them on the ground)..
"We have not had any M-1 tanks destroyed by hostile fire.
"As to UN violations, we've seen a number of things that (prove) what was a campaign of denial and (obstruction)....long(er) range missiles, atropine injectors...heavy euip. moved ..."there was in fact a campaign ongoing to prevent global knowledge of what was (going on) here."..(more will be found)...
"We certainly have concluded over the last several days that several of the RG have been destroyed...this is an ongoing process...
Re. Najaf checkpoint, car bomb triggered by remote control: "The tactic you've described is one we've certainly seen terrorists use in other parts of the world...it would not be surprising, but we don't have anything to report currently."
"We've rendered the airport unusable for regular operations...we've found that there are underground facilities...we don't know what we'll find there. Until we know (there are no threats we'll continue ...searching for regime bad guys and weapons etc,)..
"Electrical power in Baghdad also relates to water....hospital...I wouldn't characterize (the lights going out) as fortuitous..."
"We don't want to create a WMD hazard...will not create one by (our design)...only the regime knows where they are for sure...it's possible we could be hitting something out there...we've been very careful..."
I agree with you. It's over for Kerry. It was not only the wrong words, I'm wondering if it is a crime??
Brooks said we didn't do it and we didn't order it to be done so I guess that rules out that it was some group working in covert concert with the coalition.
The northern marines had a tough 5 hour fight with caualties but no numbers. It's been rough from listening to the reporters voice. He sounded pretty shook and tired.
Col. Hunt was just talking to E.D. and Brian Kilmeade. Talking about the 3rd ID, Hunt said to Brian: "The unit you were with in Kuwait".
Did Brian serve in GWI? Or was he with them as a reporter?
Good Morning.
No just tagged him. His real name is Richard Engel and he does work for ABC. Sheesh, there are so many of them. He's reading the local paper on TV. The govt says they are winning and their god is behind them blah blah blah. Victory is at had. This is at odds with the visuals.
If we took out the power grid, we took it out for a good reason. If the Iraqis took it out, it was to cause us and their own people a problem.
