War Updates

[Liberal]

Fox News reports that Navy SEALS have stormed Iraq’s two main oil terminals, where they found booby-traps and land-mines that they have disabled. Liberated ports are being prepared to received “massive humanitarian assistance”, beginning with tons of food and medicine that coalition forces will help distribute to the people of Iraq. Saddam’s palaces are still burning. Live video from liberated Saswan shows delighted Iraqi people on their knees blowing kisses to smiling coalition troops and dancing in the streets. Children are playing and laughing as troops distribute chocolates. The DOW is up 235 points in reaction to coalition successes.

[Crusoe]

Sky News:

CIA sources have revealed that several Iraqis are being hunted in Mexico. The six suspects are thought to have chemical and biological weapons with them.

According to reports, the men have tried to persuade smugglers, who profit from helping people cross the Mexican border into the US, to get them into America.

The CIA are also reported to believe that Hussein was injured in the initial bombing raids.

[World_Eater]

Sounds like fantasy world. I hope the other shoe doesn’t fall off.

[World_Eater]

*Originally posted by World Eater *
**Sounds like fantasy world. I hope the other shoe doesn’t fall off. **

That was in response to Lib’s last post which sounded very encouraging.

[vibrotronica]

The Turkish Foreign Minister has announced that Turkish troops will be sent into northern Iraq, presumably as part of a deal to let us use their airspace.

What does this mean?

[carnivorousplant]

The Turks don’t want the Kurds to set up an independent country in N. Iraq which might influence their own Kurds in Turkey.

[Punoqllads]

BBC:

Iraqi Defence Minister Sultan Hashim Ahmed told a news conference that “no force in the world” would conquer Iraq, the AFP news agency reports.

Unfortunately (for him), the US has had space-alien technology for decades.

[Sofa_King]

From reading a viriety of news sources and CNN, it looks like the British will soon announce the encirclement of the Iraqi III Corps in the Faw Peninsula, while at the same time the American Marines are hitting the Iraqi IV Corps hard enough to hopefully prevent them from coming to III Corps’ aid.

[teela_brown]

From Washington Times, accounts of a few people crossing the border over into Jordan, including one (former) “human shield”, whose story is included in this quote:

A group of American anti-war demonstrators who came to Iraq with Japanese human shield volunteers made it across the border today with 14 hours of uncensored video, all shot without Iraqi government minders present. Kenneth Joseph, a young American pastor with the Assyrian Church of the East, told UPI the trip “had shocked me back to reality.” Some of the Iraqis he interviewed on camera “told me they would commit suicide if American bombing didn’t start. They were willing to see their homes demolished to gain their freedom from Saddam’s bloody tyranny. They convinced me that Saddam was a monster the likes of which the world had not seen since Stalin and Hitler. He and his sons are sick sadists. Their tales of slow torture and killing made me ill, such as people put in a huge shredder for plastic products, feet first so they could hear their screams as bodies got chewed up from foot to head.”

[Ashkicker]

I too would like to thank everyone who is helping keep this up to date. I don’t have much time either. I just pulled another double today. I like being able to come here and in just a few notes find out what has been happening. Thank You!

[Rilchiam]

Have Iraqi civilians been killed? Earlier, I saw someone from Hussein’s crew addressing the cameras on his behalf, but with the split-screen and the headline ticker, I didn’t quite catch what he said about “350 civilians”. Were they killed or were they injured?

[Arden_Ranger]

One report says 207, one says 250 over on the ABC website. They are also saying that reports of Allied successes are exagerated. With all the reporters embedded in the field, I don’t quite see how that last thing is possible.

Also from ABC:

CAMP AS SAYLIYAH, Qatar - Two British Royal Navy helicopters collided Saturday over the Persian Gulf, killing all seven on board including a U.S. Navy officer, military officials said.

Pentagon spokesman Maj. Ben Owens said the U.S. Navy officer was among the seven on board who died. The rest were British.

The two Sea King helicopters were not struck by enemy fire, said Group Capt. Al Lockwood, a spokesman for British forces in the Gulf.

“All those on the helicopters have perished,” Lockwood said. “It’s a great tragedy.”

[Arden_Ranger]

I should add that the reports of civilian casualites (207 number) are coming from Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al Sahaf

[Rilchiam]

*Originally posted by Arden Ranger *
**I should add that the reports of civilian casualites (207 number) are coming from Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al Sahaf **

So I shouldn’t take them seriously, is what you’re saying?

[Liberal]

The 207 number at ABC is injuries — not deaths — claimed by Saddam’s spokesman:

But Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al Sahaf claimed this morning that the bombs also hit civilian households, and that 207 wounded were being treated at five area hospitals. He denounced U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld as “a war criminal.”

The same spokesman also says that Umm Qsar and Safwan have not been liberated, and that coalition forces are retreating as the Iraqi army chases them across the desert.

[Arden_Ranger]

Well, let’s see. ArabNews
Gives us yet another number:

Thursday night’s raid sent missiles slamming into key sites of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein’s regime in downtown Baghdad, and the government said 37 civilians had been left wounded.

[Rilchiam]

Okay then! Thank you.

*Originally posted by Libertarian *
**The same spokesman also says that Umm Qsar and Safwan have not been liberated, and that coalition forces are retreating as the Iraqi army chases them across the desert. **

Yes, I did hear that part.

[Rilchiam]

Dagnabbit…Those smilies are blowing raspberries, not smirking.

[Liberal]

For those interested in an update from Saddam’s press:

The war is being conducted by the Jewish oil mafia. Only 19 cruise missiles landed in Baghdad yesterday — the rest were shot down by Iraqi artillery. No Iraqi airfields have been captured, and no Iraqi oilfields have been set on fire. Videos broadcast by the American media of Iraqi soldiers surrendering were faked by kidnapping Iraqi civilians and dressing them in military uniforms. Saddam is offering a bounty for Americans captured or killed. Captured Americans will be treated in accordance with the Geneva Convention.

[Arden_Ranger]

I guess all that footage of Bagdad burning and the hundreds of BOOMS were all filmed on a Hollywood soundstage, huh?