***Operation Iraqi Freedom - Situation Room - Day 22 - LIVE THREAD***

Multiple ^ | April 10, 2003 | Various

[this_ol_patriot]

Outta here time to go home.
4ID heading to Tikrit per Sky News.

[BagCamAddict]

Is "Freedom Television" what we have called the Iraqi TV that we took over??

[Timeout]

AND I see they didn't use Ceegar Guy in our opening this morning.

I'm bummed.

[Sacajaweau]

Think the 4ID is in Kuwait now and the Baghdad airport will be their supply base. Hope some of the boys who have been so busy the last few weeks will come home as the 4ID gets there.

Big prayer that we find the POWs today. If anyone knows where they are, it should happen soon. The problem is, someone said that Saddam would keep them close by, acting as his hostages.

[this_ol_patriot]

Aye, Sky News showing Blair's message to Iraq now.

[this_ol_patriot]

Bush on Freedom TV now.

[BagCamAddict]

It'll be interesting to see if Gen. Franks sends them all the way north to deal with Tikrit, but I don't know that he'll wait that long. I feel kinda sorry for them...training for this so long and then left at the dock.

I feel sorry for them too. BUT, IMHO, Tikrit will be the toughest fighting yet. It seems imprudent to send in fresh (aka cherry) troops right to the hornet's nest. Seems like the ones who got us this far (US and Brits) should rest up and head out to Tikrit, with the 4th ID being placed in all the areas we have already covered... they can now maintain the peace in those areas. Throwing a bunch of cherry troops into Tikrit might cost more lives than necessary. Sorry guys, I know it sucks to be benched for the big game, but your families would like you to come home alive. :-)

[melodie]

rrrrrr...no sc.op. guy either?!?!? that would have woke me up quicker than my coffee..lol. i need to go check...bet "lil miss belly girl" is there..lol
Maybe we should stage a 'post" in today. lol

[Sacajaweau]

Anyone else think that the northern front was a ruse??

[johnb838]

I think the Iron Horse (4th ID) will reinforce b-daddy then move north as they get more brigades in country. We know they have one regiment there already, and they still have to make that long drive.

This could be changing though as the situation in the north is heating up. Afraid no one will be coming home too soon, until this is squared away. Still they will want the 4th ID do be in the hottest zones since they're fresh.

[BagCamAddict]

But they don't have ELECTRICITY, so they CAN'T SEE THIS !!!

[melodie]

i just looked...no belly girl...cancel the "post in"

[johnb838]

no I think the northern front has been a problem. These Kurds seem to be democratic and honorable. Hope we can build on this.

[glock rocks]

there are many many statues of saddam for the baghdadis to bring down. his face is probably printed on every sheet of toilet paper in the country. there will be lots of opportunities for the locals to celebrate... and now they can see the pictures, they will be less fearful about displaying their sentiments. there is still evil afoot, and it's still a dangerous place, however. give our troops a few days and there will be millions in the street... hanging fedayeen from the lampposts.

[melodie]

the streets are quiet this morning.

[BagCamAddict]

Yes, I've thought that for awhile. That MADE them disperse their troops in several places, so none of them were strong enough to give us much trouble.

BUT, I have also thought that the Turks telling us that we couldn't move troops through them was a ruse. Because I can't figure out why we are paying Turkey a zillion dollars. We already had overflight rights, so what was that last-minute payoff all about? That happened AFTER they announced that we couldn't send troops through them. So I half expected the 4ID to show up in the north after all... "Surprise, surprise, surprise! Golllllllllyyyyy, where did all those tanks come from??" I still think there's a chance of it happening. We had 30 ships of 4ID equip. We sent some around to Kuwait... did we send all 30 ships? Or did we just send one or two as a media show? Slight of hand? I guess we'll know before too long. :-)

[BagCamAddict]

Lara "Maybe it's not meant to go in."

Ummm.... what??

[mware]

Did I just hear correctly, Kirkuk fell????

[melodie]

chicken richard...what a pompas putz...

[melodie]

fox just said that!!