5th Marines enter Baghdad suburbs (More on liberation of imprisoned Iraqi children)

United Press International ^ | April 8, 2003 | Richard Tomkins

[HAL9000]

WITH THE FIFTH MARINES, Iraq, April 8 (UPI) -- U.S. Marines rolled into northeastern suburbs of Baghdad Tuesday where thousands of cheering Iraqis yelled, "America, America, America," and "Bush, Bush, Bush."

The Marines, led by Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, entered the area after fording a tributary of the Tigris River.

Iraqis held up children, waved white flags and showed no hostile intent. The sincerity of their emotions was unquestionable.

The crescendo of welcome increased as an Iraqi woman led the Marines to a children's prison where than more than 160 youngsters were freed.

"It was really something, the children just streamed out of the gates and their parents just started to embrace us," said Lt. Col. Fred Padilla, commander of the 1st Battalion.

Further into the suburb, at a large Baath Party headquarters, the Marines had to push people back who wanted to welcome them. The crowd had been busy looting the headquarters of everything that wasn't nailed down.

At a nearby agricultural research factory and facility, scenes of people tearing away things was repeated. Again, there were cheers for the Marines.

"I feel really good today," said 1st Sgt. Bill Leuthe of Bravo Company. "I think we all do."

The suburb is definitely a poor section of the city with open sewers and garbage strewn everywhere.

Later a patrol of Marines went deeper into the suburb without incident. More such patrols were planned.

There was an incident that marred the entrance. At a village on the approach to the suburb, a man in civilian clothes jumped a wall and a ran toward the lead vehicle, nicknamed the "Pork Chop Express." Three Marines in another vehicle gunned him down when he put a rocket-propelled grenade launcher to his shoulder, preparing to fire.

The arrival in the suburb culminates a long journey for the 1st Battalion from the Kuwaiti border that began March 20 and further tightens the noose around Saddam Hussein and his Baath Party lieutenants.

Copyright © 2001-2003 United Press International

[TLBSHOW]

and Scott Ritter should be held on charges of crimes againsts humanity...

Question:
You've spoke about having seen the children's prisons in Iraq. Can you describe what you saw there?

Scott Ritter:
The prison in question is at the General Security Services headquarters, which was inspected by my team in Jan. 1998. It appeared to be a prison for children — toddlers up to pre-adolescents — whose only crime was to be the offspring of those who have spoken out politically against the regime of Saddam Hussein. It was a horrific scene. Actually I'm not going to describe what I saw there because what I saw was so horrible that it can be used by those who would want to promote war with Iraq, and right now I'm waging peace.

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,351165,00.html

[kellynla]

Fifth Marines "humpin' is our business and business is very good" Semper Fi

[talleyman]

And the response from all those who "care about the children" so much?
(Must have killed UPI to report this!)

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[CFW]

Iraqis held up children, waved white flags and showed no hostile intent. The sincerity of their emotions was unquestionable.

The crescendo of welcome increased as an Iraqi woman led the Marines to a children's prison where than more than 160 youngsters were freed.

"It was really something, the children just streamed out of the gates and their parents just started to embrace us," said Lt. Col. Fred Padilla, commander of the 1st Battalion.

Bump and a prayer for Lt. Col. Fred Padilla

[Freedom'sWorthIt]

I will ping you for a "good news" report also. (And can't leave Howlin out!)

[John H K]

Troops in the field aren't getting the news and seeing video like we are...

I'm sure the Marines will be amused seeing that the Army was taking Saddam's palaces and sitting on his couches while they were slogging through the sewage-strewn slums of Baghdad :-)

[BossLady]

These children prison stories are hard to read on one hand however......a chill goes up my spine when I read about them being freed by the soldiers....

[zeaal]

I suspect there will many things revealed in Iraqi that most of us would rather have not considered.

[OpusatFR]

You mean to say that the UN and all those miserable people sitting in all those councils and children's aide projects knew about this?

That Jack Chirac and Jack Cretin, Shroder and Annan knew about this outrage and would have sat back and done nothing!! All because they wanted the oil money and the contracts Saddam gave them for France and Germany??

My God. I'm ready to throw all these bums out of the US. Why don't they go to North Korea or China. I'm sure they would appreciate the blind eyes.

My grammar fails in the face of outrage, Sorry...

[vbmoneyspender]

ping

[theDentist]

"America, America, America," and "Bush, Bush, Bush."

Obviously they were too frightened of weapons and too hungry to have actually meant it. {/sarcasm}

[Noumenon]

Scott Ritter - another target of opportunity.

[Steven W.]

Thank you for recalling that!

[Celtjew Libertarian]

You have to realize that Ritter probably found those prisons to be easier pickings that Burger Kings.

[Bahbah]

"There was an incident that marred the entrance"
Given the result, I don't think it marred it very much.

[Iris7]

Please accept my United States Marine Corps, Fifth Regiment, HAND, SALUTE.

[DannyTN]

"I'm not going to describe what I saw there because what I saw was so horrible that it can be used by those who would want to promote war with Iraq, and right now I'm waging peace. -Scott Ritter"

It seems the Iraqi people have had your "peace" waged upon them quite enough.

[ken5050]

"That" comes in about two weeks...LOL

[browardchad]

Given the result, I don't think it marred it very much.

By "The Pork Chop Express." You gotta love it!

[Tijeras_Slim]

"Pork Chop Express."

How un-PC! :)

[MattinNJ]

U.S. Marines rolled into northeastern suburbs of Baghdad Tuesday where thousands of cheering Iraqis yelled, "America, America, America," and "Bush, Bush, Bush."

I remember watching the O'Reilly Factor when he was interviewing Garafolo. She said that if the people came out to greet our troops and WMD's were found, she would personally deliver roses to the White House. I bet GW is holding his breath.

...a man in civilian clothes jumped a wall and a ran toward the lead vehicle, nicknamed the "Pork Chop Express." Three Marines in another vehicle gunned him down when he put a rocket-propelled grenade launcher to his shoulder, preparing to fire.

What the heck was that guy smoking?

[dc27]

Did they find the Scott Ridder sex tape in Saddam's VCR?

[rrrod]

its important for us to all remember the ones that tried to keep saddam in power..UN, france, germany, russia and the democRATS...never forget!

[Aquinasfan]

Actually I'm not going to describe what I saw there because what I saw was so horrible that it can be used by those who would want to promote war with Iraq, and right now I'm waging peace.

Speechless bump

[SwinneySwitch]

Semper Fi

[Blood of Tyrants]

a man in civilian clothes jumped a wall and a ran toward the lead vehicle, nicknamed the "Pork Chop Express." Three Marines in another vehicle gunned him down when he put a rocket-propelled grenade launcher to his shoulder, preparing to fire.

There's always some a$$hole who simply cannot stand to see people given freedom. And he would have made such a loyal Democrat. Oh, well, they can still sign him up to vote in Chicago.

[TLBSHOW]

Scott Ritter today will go down in history as the worst of mankind, as the children are liberated from the prison that he refused to do anything about back in 1998 and some of the children just today that were released had been there since then.

Scott Ritter your story is one of human trash! Along with your buddy William pitt may both of you rot in hell.

[Terriergal]

already posted here

[Terriergal]

Oh wait a minute never mind. my mistake... duh.

[Terriergal]

well... wait a minute... the story *is* similar. Oh well. I'll shut up now!

[kellynla]

Your HAND SALUTE recognized and RETURNED! Now drop down and give me twenty! LOL Semper Fi

[kitkat]

***I'm sure the Marines will be amused seeing that the Army was taking Saddam's palaces and sitting on his couches while they were slogging through the sewage-strewn slums of Baghdad :-)***

and your point is?

[John H K]

Just goes back to the long term rivalry (usually friendly, but at times not) between the Army and Marines.

Actually, it's often been the Army complaining that the Marines get an undue amount of media attention, such as in World War II in the Pacific, but in this case, in Iraq, because the Army is nearer the Baghdad media concentrations, it's reversed.

It's simply a result of the plan (and certainly not by design) that the Army went into the wealthy, high class, high profile area of West Baghdad and the Marines ended up going into the poverty-stricken Shiite s***hole East side of Baghdad.

[UCFRoadWarrior]

You have to realize that Ritter probably found those prisons to be easier pickings that Burger Kings

---

LMAO....OK maybe LMAO by me is not in good taste regarding the story...but the Ritter pedophile reference made me laugh....

God Bless Those Marines

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

I don't think they will be ammused that their army brethen have been dying in western Bahgdad.

Your remark was uncalled for.

[RoseofTexas]

Were the cameras rolling?? I pray this was taped on video and send out to all the liberal media anti-american clymers around the world!

[cyncooper]

Here is a version of the "children freed from prison" story from UPI.

If you think others are interested could you ping them?

[cyncooper]

U.S. Marines rolled into northeastern suburbs of Baghdad Tuesday where thousands of cheering Iraqis yelled, "America, America, America," and "Bush, Bush, Bush."

The Marines, led by Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, entered the area after fording a tributary of the Tigris River.

Iraqis held up children, waved white flags and showed no hostile intent. The sincerity of their emotions was unquestionable.

The crescendo of welcome increased as an Iraqi woman led the Marines to a children's prison where than more than 160 youngsters were freed.

"It was really something, the children just streamed out of the gates and their parents just started to embrace us," said Lt. Col. Fred Padilla, commander of the 1st Battalion

PING

[EllaMinnow]

Thanks. I love these stories of the liberation.

But I am more appalled than ever by the deliberate blind eye of the UN and the Clinton administration.

[MattinNJ]

its important for us to all remember the ones that tried to keep saddam in power..UN, france, germany, russia and the democRATS...never forget!

That bears repeating.

[ibtheman]

Same brother, I served in the Corp. 83-87 1st. Batt.3rd marines. What I really like in this article, is 3 against 1. And here is my question, how many bullets were put into the rag head's body? Answer= nine rounds I bet, selector lever set to three round burdt! Ohrah! Reach out and touch someone!

[Dog]

I sure will cyn..

I'm stunned that they had toddlers in prison and lord knows what evil they did to them....this one really bothers me.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

The horrors are just starting to be revealed to the world!

OFFICIAL BUMP(TOPIC)LIST

[cyncooper]

this one really bothers me.

I know just what you mean.

Thanks for sending out the word.

[TheDon]

It's too bad that we, as a world community, only help people out like this when it coincides with our national interests. Though we have our own, very good, reasons for overthrowing Saddam and his regime, we will perhaps be better remembered for freeing the Iraqis from that regime.

[Carry_Okie]

Though we have our own, very good, reasons for overthrowing Saddam and his regime, we will perhaps be better remembered for freeing the Iraqis from that regime.

Perhaps not for long. The ease with which we did this will probably induce some pretty unrealistic expectations. Consider the French, and we saved their bacon twice.

[jtill]

Thanks for the ping. What a despicable hunk of inhumanity SH was (and I use the past tense because I'm actually praying that they got him last night).

[not-an-ostrich]

The soldiers are responsible for their freedom by their presence and laying their lives on the line, but didn't physically open the gates. We'll be lucky to here anymore than these few articles about the incident.