Progress!

2 of Saddam Hussein's presidential palaces were seized just a short time ago along with the Iraqi monument dedicated to their unknown soldier and the parade grounds where Saddam used to watch his forces march in tribute to him. A statue of Saddam on a horse (at the parade grounds) was blown to smithereens on the air. Not sure if it was intended to be aired, it took the guy behind the desk at FOX by complete surprise. [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

The area that the American armed forces penetrated holds the largest portion of Iraq's military/government buildings, however across the Tigris, life goes on as usual with Saddam still (somehow) "in control".

American forces reported no American fatalities and live video feeds from al-ariyba (sp) TV showed 2 large oil-pit fires being ignited and/or already burning and Iraqi "troops" on foot eluding American soldiers who were on the road above the banks of the Tigris River as they made their way down the bank of the river to safety after firing on the American tanks.

Meantime, "Baghdad Bob", the nickame given to Iraq's Information Minister was holding a press conference on a nearby roof, telling reporters that the Americans are not in Baghdad, "they are commiting suicide at the walls of Baghdad and we are encouraging them to continue commiting suicide".
Then he laid into Al-Jazeera TV for feeding American propaganda regarding reports that the Americans had arrived in force.
You should have seen the crowd of reporters scatter when, during the presss conference, American tanks fired at Iraqi troops still on the outer edge of the parade grounds!

Americans have the Information Ministry surrounded as well as the hotel which houses the reporters so often seen in the company of Iraq's Information Minister...how these people "don't see the American presence" is beyond me unless they are all physically blind...that they can hear is apparent at least. (In all reality though, his press conference was being held on the other side of the Tigris in downtown Baghdad)

Greg Kelly, interviewing a commander on the ground told him of the Information Minister's press conference and he offered to go over and tell him hello in person heh heh heh.

A big day for coalition forces as the British also have gained (at this moment, "almost" full) control of Basra.

[img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img]

Let's all hope and pray for a swift end, everyone...good mojo is being put out in droves...let's not let up because it is still far from being over.

Oh yeah..a very touching (in my eyes) moment in a temporary lull of reporting came in the form of a close-up of the face of a (very) young tank driver's face...when he realized he was being filmed, his face lit up and he waved, mouthing something unintelligible due to the camera resolution and the shot froze, his ear to ear grin intact...for a mom, it was a sweet moment...just glad that's not my son or I'd be in tears.
[img]graemlins/ladyhearts.gif[/img]

UPDATE:
Iraqi forces are blowing key bridges over the Tigris River in order to stall the progress of the American forces into the northern side of Baghdad.

[ 04-07-2003, 04:16 AM: Message edited by: Lil Lil ]

[Donut]

I hope Baghdad Bob makes it through okay. He's given me every kind of emotion since it started. Going from anger at first, humour, disbelief and now pity. I want to see him on Letterman explaining his claims. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Hayashi]

Yes, pity is what I feel for him right now, having to wage a one-man propaganda campaign that seems so pathetically futile in the face of overwhelming evidence.
Hard to carry the flag when the house is burning down around you...
I won't be surprised if he claims that the footage of US troops in Baghdad were actually shot in Hollywood just to say that US tanks & troops are nowhere near there. He's got his work cut out for him, that's for sure.

Originally posted by Hayashi: I won't be surprised if he claims that the footage of US troops in Baghdad were actually shot in Hollywood just to say that US tanks & troops are nowhere near there. He's got his work cut out for him, that's for sure.

He has already done as much in the past week, saying that the American troops are playing "Wag The Dog" in their own propaganda campaign.

I feel sorry for him too...you have to wonder if he too is being forced to stand up for a regime that from all looks of it, has taken their own spoils and left Baghdad behind. Even Brig Gen Brooks looked like he showed some pity for the man in his morning briefing, not just in his words ("it's not about individuals, it's about the regime") but also in his eyes.

In a way he was correct about the "Wag The Dog" scenario...not that it is literally being produced in a Hollywood studio, maybe, but that the forces which had the Information Ministry and the Al-Rashid hotel surrounded this morning pulled out in spite of no apparent opposition. They were there "as a show of force" but by not staying, by not defending the positions they had "overtaken", it looks to me more like showing off but I suppose the higher ups have their reasons ("at a time and place of our choosing" being enforced by show).

Latest reports say that one of the "presidential" palaces taken earlier (the one seen being bombed the first night of the war) has been getting shelled and FOX says no contact can be/has been made with Greg Kelly to find out what is going on.

The Iraqi's aren't giving up without a fight, even with the "show of force" the Americans have been displaying as Marines crossing into Baghdad from the east are under heavy artillary fire with 4 fatalities being reported, 2 of those, as of yet unidentified, reporters. (some reports of it being caused by friendly fire at that)

...keep the good mojo flowing. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[ 04-07-2003, 08:54 AM: Message edited by: Lil Lil ]

[Sir Taliesin]

CNN is reporting that Coalition Forces are there to stay in Baghdad. It's on their cover page.

CNN unfortunately hasn't got a clue sometimes though...like after that Baghdad Drive Through, they were airing footage of the disabled tank that the 2nd Brigade of the 3rd ID set with explosives and left behind saying they didn't know if it was intentionally blown or had perhaps come under enemy fire...hours after FOX had re-rolled the first-hand footage for the umteenth time and they kept going back to it for lack of things to talk about.

We were watching CNN's "unconfirmed" via Arab TV video coverage when I changed over to FOX early this morning just in time to hear about the intended showers in Saddam's private bathrooms, via the embedded reporter and camera man on the scene and we were able to watch the statue get blown up (still laughing about the guy behind the desk's surprise) as it happened and also, we were able to get first hand information from the commanders on the scene through Greg Kelly....will they remain at the presidential palace? They never said yes, they never said no...how and where they move will be decided as need calls for it, from their own mouths.

I have no doubt that since the taking of the airport, the troops are there to stay...in and around Baghdad, not necessarily in the same place for too long until it can be declared that the regime has truly fallen. After all, they landed a C-130 at "Baghdad International Airport" this morning and they have much more that they need to prove before it can be called a done deal.

Actually, I haven't had much of a doubt since the forces started rolling into Iraq from Kuwait that they were all there to finish what they were starting...there is a lot at stake in what gets done in Iraq through this conflict, not just on a financial level but also on a humanitarian level and on a level that the coalition forces MUST SHOW extended good intention to the world, not just to the Iraqis or themselves.

[ 04-07-2003, 09:25 AM: Message edited by: Lil Lil ]

[Sir Taliesin]

I have to admit that FOX has had excellent coverage and scooped everyone else many times. I find myself moving from channel to channel when I'm watching war coverage. Cut back this weekend to watch the Women's final four coverage though. Most of it's repeated on the hour though.

I don't think I would have given FOX much airtime had you not posted that we were rolling into Baghdad...I consider both channels to be somewhat slanted in their views and relied on them only for the Cent Comm briefings and occasional updates...since watching first hand coverage of the 3rd ID with Greg kelly though, I must admit it makes for much more informative coverage.

Now, if I can come to grips and get back to a normal sleep schedule and accept not seeing it "live"