***Operation Iraqi Freedom - Situation Room - Day 25 - LIVE THREAD***

Everywhere! | 13 APR 03 - Palm Sunday | An.American.Expatriate

[Jackie-O]

I LOVE IT!!! Slammer for all of the

Wankerwood-antis!

[The Wizard]

I wish I had seen it....

[Cboldt]

The family of Spc. Soshana Johnson, 30, of Kansas, the only woman officially listed by the
Pentagon as a prisoner of war, said the Department of Defense Pentagon told them she had
been recovered, according to CNN.

[Timeout]

The Washington Post editorial page has been ever so sensible about Iraq policy, giving full support to the U.S. war in Iraq.

But now they write an editorial encouraging Dubya to involve the U.N. in post-war Iraq. Get this last line of their editorial:

Rather than rushing to carry out a preemptive transition, U.S. commanders should focus in the coming days on restoring order to Iraqi cities and ensuring the delivery of humanitarian supplies. President Bush could meanwhile consult the United Nations and other nations about postwar arrangements and offer a role to those prepared to cooperate. Good diplomacy in the coming weeks could relieve the United States of many risks and burdens it will otherwise have to bear in Iraq. Mr. Bush should lead that effort; phone calls to Mr. Schroeder and Mr. Chirac would be a good place to start.

Dream on, libs.

[Lauratealeaf]

I have thought that France would be a good place to vacation, except they have French attitudes there. I'll go to Ireland instead.

I've been to France and Ireland and the Irish actually like Americans. Plus, it is a beautiful country. I loved their breakfasts. So glad to wake up to the news of the POWs being rescued. Wish I could have seen the video.

[wolf6656]

I love the Cardinals and Blue Jays, etc in my yard too. Especially the Cardinal's evening song from the tree top.
I really enjoy listening to the birds at morning twilight on the Bag-Cam too, and the dog barking.

[posterboy]

I sent you a freepmail on the relative merits of France vs. Ireland for vacationing if you want to read it.

[StayAt HomeMother]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/892285/posts

has pictures of the resued POWs. Excerpts: "Army Spc. Shoshana Johnson,...U.S. Army Apache helicopter pilot Chief Warrant Officer Ronald D. Young Jr.,...U.S. Army Spc. Edgar Hernandez, 21, of Mission, Texas, left, Army Spc. Joseph Hudson, 23, center, of Almagordo, N.M., and Army Pfc. Patrick Miller, 23, of Park City, Kan."

[Lauratealeaf]

I'm so glad they were found alive! Wonderful news!

[wolf6656]

Thank God these people have been returned safely.
Especially Edgar Hernandez, he was so defiant and brave in that Iraqi TV video.
And Sgt. Riley, he looked terrified more than any of the others.
But we are glad they are all safe.
I hope they make a big deal of this too. I really felt for the other wounded that came back on Jessica's plane yesterday, nobody wanted to talk about them. Talk about your unkonwn soldier.

[Cboldt]

PRISONERS OF WAR

(+ indicates recovery confirmed by family, etc.)

March 24:

Apache pilots, captured after helicopter downed during a mission:
+ Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Ronald D. Young, Jr., 26, of Lithia Springs, Ga.
+ Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 David S. Williams, 30, of Orlando, Fla.

March 23:

Members of the 507th Maintenance Company stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, captured after Iraqi forces ambushed an Army supply convoy around Nasiriyah:
- Army Spc. Edgar Hernandez, 21, of Mission, Texas,
- Army Spc. Joseph Hudson, 23, of Alamogordo, N.M.,
+ Army Spc. Shoshana Johnson, 30, of Fort Bliss, Texas,
+ Army Pfc. Patrick Miller, 23, of Park City, Kan.,
+ Army Sgt. James Riley, 31, of Pennsauken, N.J.,

DUTY STATUS WHEREABOUTS UNKNOWN

March 23:

Missing after his convoy was ambushed in Iraq.
Assigned to the 3rd Combat Support Battalion out of Fort Stewart, Ga.
- Army Sgt. Edward J. Anguiano, 24, of Brownsville, Texas.

Marines missing after being engaged in operations in the outskirts of Nasiriyah in Iraq:
Assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
- Marine Sgt. Brendon Reiss, 23, of Casper, Wyo.
- Marine Pfc. Tamario D. Burkett, 21, of Buffalo, N.Y.
- Marine Cpl. Kemaphoom A. Chanawongse, 22, of Waterford, Conn.
- Marine Lance Cpl. Donald J. Cline, Jr., 21, of Washoe, Nev.
- Marine Pvt. Jonathan L. Gifford, 30, of Decatur, Ill.
- Marine Pvt. Nolen R. Hutchings, 19, of Boiling Springs, S.C.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Thank you for the link! Look at the face of freedom:

Sun Apr 13,10:41 AM ET

U.S. Army Apache helicopter pilot Chief Warrant Officer Ronald D. Young Jr., 26, right, of Lithia Springs, Ga, who had been held as a POW by Iraqi forces when his helicopter was forced down March 23 during heavy fighting is greeting by an unidentified U.S. serviceman as he is escorted on to a waiting C-130 transport plane, Sunday, April 13, 2003, 60 miles south of Baghdad. (AP Photo/Wally Santana)

[nicmarlo]

I'm so glad they were found alive! Wonderful news!

It surely is wonderful news! What a great thing to wake up to this a.m., for all, especially their families!!!

[mystery-ak]

Sad to report that our local MIA Marine, Pvt Jonathan Lee Gifford, Decatur, Il was confirmed dead at 11pm Fri...He was last seen near An Nasiriyah March 23rd when his unit was ambushed securing bridges...other members are still missing.

[ztiworoh]

'Mornin, great to hear about the POWs and the easy access to Tikrit... it is a good day already

[Lauratealeaf]

It really is great news!

[Timeout]

Someone earlier discounted the war recap article in the Washinton Post this morning. Actually, it's chock full of news we hadn't heard before (at least I hadn't).

For instance, did we know a Marine colonel had been relieved of his command in the aftermath of the al Kut battle?

On the morning of Tuesday, April 1, the Army and Marines moved out.

Maj. Gen. James N. Mattis, commander of the 1st Marine Division, pulled an April Fool's trick on the Iraqis around Kut, the strategic city guarding the eastern approach to Baghdad. The 1st Marine Regiment moved north along Highway 7 to the southern edge of Kut in a feint to make the Baghdad Division of the Republican Guard think that was where the attack would originate. But at the same time, the 5th and 7th Marine regiments that had appeared to be heading for Baghdad instead circled back and slammed into the Iraqi rear from the west, shredding what few units were left after days of airstrikes.

After the battle, Mattis, who has a reputation of being extremely aggressive, abruptly fired the commander of the 1st Marine Regiment, Col. Joe W. Dowdy. As part of the feint, it was Dowdy's job to nudge his troops forward just enough to draw Iraqi artillery fire so that U.S. warplanes could locate and destroy the batteries. Those who were in the combat operations center that night kept waiting for the regiment to draw the Iraqi fire, but it never did, Marine officers recalled.

Another Marine officer said the problems at Kut were "the final straw" in a series of incidents over three days that had caused Mattis to decide that Dowdy should no longer command the regiment. Mattis never publicly explained Dowdy's dismissal, and the colonel has not commented. "He's a great Marine, just not the right man for the time," Conway said later. "The MEF [Marine Expeditionary Force] is better with Joe doing something else."

I've been going back and forth all morning, trying to finish this article. I think it's well worth a read:

HOW THE WAR WAS WON---WASHINGTON POST

[Cate]

Wahoo..... again, panic prayers en masse do work!! Keep them flowing freepers. What a special day for the families and friends of these seven soldiers.

[Lauratealeaf]

That is so sad. So he was one of the missing in action? I wonder if they have found the other missing.

[ztiworoh]

From a Time Magazine articel about Uday's house, I thought this was interresting There was also a stack of printed e-mails in English and Arabic addressed to udaysaddamhussein@yahoo. com from Iraqis living abroad, promising to return to fight—as one correspondent wrote on March 5—"the force that seeks to destroy our country." So we now know Uday's email, not very hidden or covert.... Whole article is here - http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101030421-443114,00.html