***Operation Iraqi Freedom - Situation Room - Day 20 - LIVE THREAD***

Multiple ^ | April 8, 2003 | Various

[GreyWolf]

... it's an American plane!

It would be since we're the only thing flying in Iraq.

[pitinkie]

I haven't heard of any times yet.

[Cboldt]

Event and Link Collection : April 8, 2003

• The U.S. may have gotten Saddam and his sons! (MSNBC) <-- Link
• Al Jazeera Baghdad hit <-- Link
  Al Jazeera reporter dies of injuries <-- Link
• Ministry of Information hit <-- Link
• Coalition tank fires one round at at "journalists' hotel" <-- Link
  A coalition tank fired on the 16th floor of the Palestine Hotel, apparently believing that a sniper had been firing from the top of the building. injured.

  Sky News version of Palestine Hotel hit <-- Link

• NY Time Summary of Events of April 7 & 8 <-- Link
  Reuters summary as of 9 AM (Baghdad) <-- Link
• Marine helicopters rescue 2 U.S. soldiers lost in the desert for 7 days <-- Link
• David Bloom consulted doctors 3 days before he died <-- Link
• A-10 hit by hostile missile near Baghdad, pilot ejected and okay <-- Link
• US Marines (I MEF) secure Rashid Airfield (3 miles SE of Baghdad Center) <-- Link
  Fighting related to securing Rashid Airport <-- Link
• Bush and Blair make statement after their meeting <-- Link
  Text of Bush and Blair statement <-- Link
  Bush Meets With Blair to discuss postwar Iraq <-- Link
• Small entry of coalition forces into Baghdad from the north
• AP reporter asks when we'll stop the looting. War must be over!
• British Telegraph reporter asks why the coalition doesn't research the number of civilian casulaties and spoon feed the information to the press (I ask why doesn't the press do it's own job)

Baghdad City Maps

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/baghdad_nima_2003.jpg <-- 1.6 Mb
http://www.stripes.com/02/dec02/baghdad.pdf <-- 440 Kb

Good Reads

Ralph Peters: Proof Positive
Mark Steyn : The butcher of Baghdad is out of tricks (Quagmire follow-up)
Coalition troops defy orders, give water to civilians

[Prince Charles]

My pleasure!

Cheers.

[Timeout]

Richard Engle, ABC news.

Formerly known as Pretty Boy (primps on camera) and Mr. Chicken (the night the Americans entered Baghdad, he told his producers he wouldn't go out and report on what was happening, he was too scared).

So Pretty Boy + Mr. Chicken = Pretty Chicken

[Timesink]

God, this is perfect:

pretty chicken

pretty pretty pretty pretty pretty

[socal_parrot]

The only one I've heard of was the Pentagon briefing at 1:30 EDT.

[TomGuy]

that guns don't do much damage, and that people can survive being shot.

One thing about the action movies that always bugs me is seeing the hero outrun bullits and machine gun fire. Yeh, right!

[Timesink]

Thus, he vowed to never make another movie that "lied" about the gruesome effects that a bullet has on the human body.

So did he, or not?

[dsmtoday]

One of the embeds with Fox reported that the marines were just hanging at the Palace not doing much, waiting for official word or something. Is it almost over?

[AppyPappy]

Sen Byrd: "There are white towelheads too"

[LouisianaJoanof Arc]

I don't know, I have the cubicle blues today!

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Wonderful site, Jeff. Thanks. The collage of "Saddams" and explosion pics....awesome. We could use you in the CENTCOM press corp.

[epluribus_2]

Here comes that plane again...

It's an American Plane!...

(I was paraphrasing the Smoking or Non-Smoking song lyrics... maybe too oblique for this hour and caffeine level)

[Big Bad Bob]

Hmm. That's nice!

[RippleFire]

Did Bazookas Lara and Baghdad Peter already do their broadcasts, or do we have some propaganda to look forward to?

[Timesink]

Wow, MSNBC is actually taking a couple of minutes to report non-war news.

[mhking]

"Here come the planes...
They're American planes,
Made in America.
Smoking?
Or non-smoking..."

[Big Bad Bob]

Lara Logan, who used to be on GMTV here in England, can snuggle up to me anytime she wants. Ding, Ding, Ding!

[Sacajaweau]

Looks like the best inspectors in the world didn't have a lot of trouble getting into the Palace.

Would love a picture of our guys in the Palace with the title

"US Inspectors Relax at the Palace".