According to CNN, Iraqi and US troops are fighting at the Kuwait border. Extremely heavy artillery fire reported.
I’m somewhat ashamed to admit that I did laugh, reading this. Hope they can identify that colorful missile a little better.
Thanks for the updates, folks (esp. Lib!). Historic thread, this one.
Odd web link I can’t open on google news says one of Saddam’s sons had a brain hemmorage.
http://www.albawaba.com/news/index.php3?sid=244786&lang=e&dir=news
Thanks to everyone posting from around the world. I’ve gotten more info from you than I did all morning from Yahoo news…
Sky News is reporting that the ground offensive has begun, with a preparatory barrage by field artillery and MLRS’ of the 3rd (US) Infantry Division (Mechanised).
Sky News is now also reporting that British troops have launched a ground offensive.
Iraqi sources–reported on Sky News–are claiming to have shot down “a Sikorsky helicopter” near the Kuwaiti border, but this has not been verified. If true, that would most likely be a Black Hawk, either a standard troop carrier or a special forces helicopter.
Both Sky and Ananova are reporting air strikes in progress from various carriers. Ananova claims that they’re from the USS Theodore Roosevelt in the eastern Mediterranean; Sky News is speculating that they are Marine Corps F/A-18s from the USS Constellation in the Gulf, preparing to launch ground support missions for attacking Marine units. Bear in mind that this is purely speculation at present.
Press Association and Reuters are reporting that Royal Marines of 3 Commando Brigade have moved into southern Iraq. This suggests that the US Marine Corps’ 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) has also attacked, since the Royal Marines are attached to USMC forces.
Those who have the Real player (yucky pooey) can watch streaming web cams of the war at
http://cgi.cbs.com/video/video.pl?url=/broadcast/*/livenews.rm&plugin=1&proto=rtsp
Fox news is reporting more details on the specific threat against the Palo Verde Nuclear Plant in Phoenix, biggest nuclear power plant in the U.S. Tom Ridge says he’s being careful to release too much information but several sources are working to corroborate the threat.
Official Kuwaiti news sources report that British and US troops have seized the seaport of Umm Qasr (via Sky News).
CNN reports that Pentagon says they weren’t Scuds: “al Samouds or some other type of missile.”
FN reports that Iraqis have buried modified napalm as mines.
Bush worries that many children in the U.S. cannot read.
Iraqis confirmed to have set oil fields in sourthern Iraq ablaze.
Iraqi blog says that Irai Tv and radio are still untapped yet (contrary to FN reports, unless they meant somewhere other than the main city): but it’s just playing patriotic songs instead of delivering emergency information: bombs re clearly going off intermitently, and AA guns are going, but there is no mention of it.
Tom Brokaw on NBC is talking over a short repeating MIDI theme that sounds like the music from the old NES game “Rush-n Attack!”
Best.
Post.
Ever.
Will someone tell me what in the name of Paul the Apostle was that speech all about?
Oh heavens. At lunch, Ari Fleishcer stated the size of the “Coalition of the Willing” by adding up the populations of all the nations. Right. Because every citizen of those countries, just like every citizen of the U.S., if behind this.
I don’t use smilies, but it was all I could do not to use the rolleyes.
On a more serious note, this is a good thread.
CBS reports “considerable” belief that they may have gotten Saddam. They are checking the tape of Saddam for further evidence.
Scattered reports of Iraqi military breaking apart.
In a spate of bad timing, it is announced that the US is offering billions extra in bailout aid to Israel
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2867619.stm
“CBS reports “considerable” belief that they may have gotten Saddam”
Holy crap. Did they elaborate?
—Will someone tell me what in the name of Paul the Apostle was that speech all about?—
Congress is bustling around over the issue of how much this will all cost, so other budget priorities are on the table.
FN: Air raid sirens go off in Mosul, home of an important airstrip.
FN is reporting that one of the Kuwait missles was a Scud again. This is getting frustrating, because its never clear who knows what. Reports of the missle being a Scud are interspersed with reports of some missles not being Scuds: but are they the same missles, or not? New reporters coming in to report Scuds: but its not clear whether they really know, or are just assuming they are Scuds since they are missles, and then the main reporters are repeating what they said. They need to coordinate what information is from where. If the Iraqis do have Scuds, it’s not likely they’ll last long as threats, since they have so few, and the second they light up, we’re targeting them and taking them out.
No chemical or biological weapons reported. Any reports of Iraqi artillery batteries in the city firing though?
Iraqis have admitted on tv to firing missles at three targets.
They don’t expect many further attacks on Kuwait, given the the missle batteries are being hit, and troops have moved out.
Where is the Shock and Awe stuff though? Was that scrapped? Seems like intermitent strikes on Iraq, rather than an all at once finale rack that seemed to be described before.
White House now says that it believes that it was Saddam on Tv last night: but its still not clear if it was taped or not.
—Holy crap. Did they elaborate?—
Nope. They are just reinforcing the point that the intelligence was supposed to be on very good authority.
Two man crew on an Apache reports taking enemy fire, and then loses communication. Search and rescue is active.