***Operation Iraqi Freedom - Situation Room - Day 21 - LIVE THREAD***

Multiple ^ | April 9, 2003 | Various

[GOPrincess]

Thank you, will do! :)

[Fracas]

I worked in the media a long time. Journalists are taught that their right to report is sacrosanct...and that sometimes interferes with their common sense.

A distinction should be made between those journalists who chose to 'embed' with the military under Pentagon authority, and those who are 'wild cards' hanging out at the hotel. While I don't think they should be targets, Vince Brooks and Torie Clarke made an excellent point: they were TOLD that Baghdad was not safe.

[rolling_stone]

Marshall McLuhan....

[Fledermaus]

I'm addicted. Cable modem has been down for the last 26 hours although they came out to "fix it" yesterday morning.

I had to call again because the guy upstairs says his is working.

I'm so bored I put in a free 45 hours of AOHell. I'll never make fun of dial up again. And I'll never post large pics again! lol

And my system is generally moving slow anyway for some reason.

What have I missed? Just kidding.

[umbagi]

For crying out loud were you watching Shep? I don't think you were. He responed to an email and spent all of about 30 seconds on the subject!

But the fact that he made that statement was proving my point, that they consider it a bigger story than the rest of the war. I tried to be clear -- it's sad that it happened, but it's not the "only," or even the most important news of the day. I got the impression that he's not hearing that message, just the "screw the journalists" stuff.

They need to move on.

[spectr17]

That's what CNN just reported. They have John Broder, NY Times on now from Qatar.

[Prince Charles]

Let me restate my argument:

If the press was saying there were no shots from the hotel, yet the tankers say they were taking significant fire, then someone is either incorrect or is shading the truth.

[dogbyte12]

Finally some booms in the distance. Sounds like artillery.

[Consort]

"Thunder" in the Gulf
FrontPageMagazine.com , by Stephen Brown

They are Poland’s thunderbolt. GROM, Poland’s elite special forces unit, is garnering praises from all quarters for its performance in the current Gulf war, further enhancing that central European country’s reputation in the United States and adding to the relationship between America and ‘New Europe’.

[The Hon. Galahad Threepwood]

Where'd they go? I thought our guys had blocked the roads.

[MEG33]

Greg says the word is they were under attack..mortar and rpgs..saw people up on roof with binoculars and what looked like a launcher..might have been a camera. The tank guy didn't know it was a hotel I think the people killed were on the balcony filming the tanks. It could be a tragic mistake but one allowed when under fire.Tragic..but understandable and legal.

[Mo1]

"Chicken" Rick Engle today used up his entire broadcast pretty much on the reporter story and calling the military liars.

This from the same guy who is to chicken sh** to actually go out and get the news .. he has to ask the head office what the latest up date is??

YES RICK ... WE ALL HEARD YOU!

[dogbyte12]

Could be both. The tank is under fire from near the hotel..., the driver swivels, sees a long range telescopic lens pointing directly at him, and he fires.

[Centurion2000]

bump

[Slip18]

My nephew in Post No. 146 is married to a wonderful girl.

My nephew in Post No. 233 is single. Please come and get him! He's 26.

[FirstFlaBn]

Nice read. Thanx. Earlier today I saw a clip of the Marines fighting snipers in a village. The camera was right next to our M60 blazing away from a window. If the bad guys had hit the cameraman I would feel sad for the camerman and his family - and gratitude that by taking the risk he had enhanced my understanding of the war, but I wouldn't claim the Iraqis had done anything wrong. It's war.

What happens if the Iraqis grab the Palestine Hotel journalists as hostages in a dying gasp? That, too, would be sad, but who could claim they didn't ask for it?

[LikeLight]

Like, where would they go?