U.S. attack aimed at elements of Iraqi leadership [Details]

Reuters | Wednesday, March 19, 2003

[JohnHuang2]

U.S. attack aimed at elements of Iraqi leadership

WASHINGTON, March 20 (Reuters) - The U.S. attack on Iraq early on Thursday local time was aimed at the most senior elements of the Iraqi leadership, pinpointed by U.S. intelligence agencies, a U.S. government source said.

The results of the strike were not immediately clear, however, the source told Reuters.

"U.S. intelligence had information pointing to targets of opportunity... that might involve elements of the Iraqi leadership," the source said.

The source declined to identify the targets by name, describing them only as "very senior leadership."

President George W. Bush had given Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and his two sons, Uday and Qusay, a deadline of 8 p.m. (0100 GMT Thursday) to leave Iraq. But the deadline passed with the Iraqi leader remaining in Iraq.

[stevem]

Did they find and attack the bunker where Daschle was hiding?

[Spruce]

Hey Saddam, what's that red dot on your back?

[denydenydeny]

So now we wait to see if Saddam is alive.

[MHGinTN]

Or, leadership of the RP ... confusion helps when entering Baghdad to search and destroy. Saddam will also have to make contacts for reassignments.

[Robert_Paulson2]

wouldn't it be miraculous if we got off a preemptive decapitation?

---

perhaps a staffer sold his location out... bueno, mi gusta....
It would be a very short war, if this was indeed all there was to it...

IF we did NOT hit sadaami... you would think their people would have gone out of their way to reassure his commanders that sadaam was still alive and in charge...

the fact that they are NOT making denials, tells me, we may have actually hurt him, or wiped him out... we can only wonder....

If we don't hear some defiance in the next eight to ten hours.... I would guess we have successfully pulled off a major coupe...

[From The Deer Stand]

To Saddam, Uday and Qusay: Can you spell V-A-P-O-R-I-Z-E-?

[JohnHuang2]

wouldn't it be miraculous if we got off a preemptive decapitation?

Amen, amigo

[Robert_Paulson2]

the longer we don't hear, the higher the probability we have decapitated the hydra in one fell swoop...

[AppyPappy]

MSNBC saying Saddam was the target

[observer5]

Its hard to make denials without TV or Radio!!

[hotpotato]

I posted this in other thread because these war threads keep disappearing, but...

Tariq Aziz

Ok, I'm not into conspiracy theories but with all the false rumors made this a.m. about Tariq running for the border, caught, shot, and so on.... requiring that he finally come forward to show the world he was still alive... could that have been a case of disinformation to the media by our special forces to smoke him out and follow him? Afterall, I special forces is there looking for such targest and trying to set them up.

[Howlin]

Bush made the decision to attack tonight at 7:40 P.M. after discussions with his intelligence people. They wanted the opportunity to get him while they had him in their sites.

After the meeting broke up, Bush gave them the go ahead; they put their plan into action. The Brits were surprised; Condi Rice has gone home for the night and Bush has gone back to the residence, so I guess that's it for the night, except for maybe a confirmation of a hit??? (I hope!)

[JohnHuang2]

And the press is huffing and puffing that Bush didn't give 'em a heads-up! LOL!

[poindexter]

I'll bet that's why we took out radio but not tv...Saddam, if alive, will have to show up on TV. If the radio were still operating, they could have played a canned speech.

[Robert_Paulson2]

I think we may very well have dealt him the ace of spades on the first deal.
the longer we wait... the more likely I think it is we have removed the bastard.

[CatOwner]

I can't imagine all 3 being in the same place at the same time.

[flaglady47]

This was the first thing I thought when the bombs dropped and then nothing more. Earlier, the CIA (George Tenant) told Bush at the moment of the deadline that Saddam had not left Baghdad. How did he know that, unless they had a bead on him, and knew where he was. Then the quick bombing, and then nothing more. I called my sister in Florida (MinuteGal) and told her I think they've bagged Saddam, or his sons, and/or other senior leadership. We have decapitated the head of the snake, IMHO. I hope I'm dead right, and that Saddam is just dead.

[alancarp]

Shortest war in the history of the earth: 5 seconds.

We can hope, can't we. Shep reporting that Sadaamm may have been in the targeted bunker!!

[Let's Roll]

"Can you spell V-A-P-O-R-I-Z-E?"

We are now in the DNA gathering phase.