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War: Latest News
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DcupSheepNipples
Guest
Saddam deputy Aziz says president in 'full control'
Deputy PM Aziz
REUTERS
March 24, 2003
Associated Press
Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz said Monday the Iraqi leadership was "in good shape" and President Saddam Hussein was "in full control of the army and the country."
BAGHDAD – Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz said Monday the Iraqi leadership was "in good shape" and President Saddam Hussein was "in full control of the army and the country."
His comments, made at a news conference in the capital, were aimed at ending intense speculation about the Iraqi leader's health and whereabouts since U.S. and British warplanes and missiles began bombarding Baghdad last week.
"All members of the Iraqi leadership, with the exception of one martyr who died in a battle at Najaf, are alive and in good shape, and each and every one is working efficiently," he said.
The Iraqi authorities said Sunday the local Najaf leader of the ruling Baath party had been killed in fighting near the town.
Iraqi state television twice aired footage of Saddam on Monday – making a televised speech to the nation and meeting officials with his younger son Qusay. In both clips, Saddam looked relaxed.
Since the aerial assault on the capital began, there have been some reports Saddam may have been killed. Others said he was so badly wounded he had to receive a blood transfusion.
Asked about U.S. and British officials' comments saying their forces would be advancing soon on Baghdad, Aziz said they would receive the same kind of defense and defiance they had met in southern Iraq.
"They will be welcomed (in Baghdad) in the same way they were welcomed in Umm Qasr, Faw and Nassiriya and by the Iraqi peasants who brought down the Apache (helicopter)," he said, referring to battles in southern Iraq where local troops have put up tougher resistance than many had expected.
"We will receive them with the best music they have ever heard and with the finest flowers they have ever known," Aziz added, pointedly referring to U.S. comments that Iraqis would welcome U.S.-led troops "with music and flowers."
"We do not have candies to offer. We are just offering them bullets," he said.
Aziz also dismissed reports U.S.-led forces advancing into Iraq had found a potential chemical weapons plant near Najaf.
"This factory was visited by (U.N. weapons) inspectors. It's just a small and isolated factory used for civilian purposes," Aziz said.
Deputy PM Aziz
REUTERS
March 24, 2003
Associated Press
Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz said Monday the Iraqi leadership was "in good shape" and President Saddam Hussein was "in full control of the army and the country."
BAGHDAD – Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz said Monday the Iraqi leadership was "in good shape" and President Saddam Hussein was "in full control of the army and the country."
His comments, made at a news conference in the capital, were aimed at ending intense speculation about the Iraqi leader's health and whereabouts since U.S. and British warplanes and missiles began bombarding Baghdad last week.
"All members of the Iraqi leadership, with the exception of one martyr who died in a battle at Najaf, are alive and in good shape, and each and every one is working efficiently," he said.
The Iraqi authorities said Sunday the local Najaf leader of the ruling Baath party had been killed in fighting near the town.
Iraqi state television twice aired footage of Saddam on Monday – making a televised speech to the nation and meeting officials with his younger son Qusay. In both clips, Saddam looked relaxed.
Since the aerial assault on the capital began, there have been some reports Saddam may have been killed. Others said he was so badly wounded he had to receive a blood transfusion.
Asked about U.S. and British officials' comments saying their forces would be advancing soon on Baghdad, Aziz said they would receive the same kind of defense and defiance they had met in southern Iraq.
"They will be welcomed (in Baghdad) in the same way they were welcomed in Umm Qasr, Faw and Nassiriya and by the Iraqi peasants who brought down the Apache (helicopter)," he said, referring to battles in southern Iraq where local troops have put up tougher resistance than many had expected.
"We will receive them with the best music they have ever heard and with the finest flowers they have ever known," Aziz added, pointedly referring to U.S. comments that Iraqis would welcome U.S.-led troops "with music and flowers."
"We do not have candies to offer. We are just offering them bullets," he said.
Aziz also dismissed reports U.S.-led forces advancing into Iraq had found a potential chemical weapons plant near Najaf.
"This factory was visited by (U.N. weapons) inspectors. It's just a small and isolated factory used for civilian purposes," Aziz said.
gymrat
New member
Just heard a very interesting stat on CNN.
IF anyone else heard this too, correct me if I'm wrong.
During WW1, WW2 and viatnam, the US lost somewhere between 1-13, and 1-15 troops. During the First Gulf war, the US lost only 1,700 out of over a million. So far, CNN is reporting that there are less than 40 confirmed deaths in Iraq of colilation troops.
IF anyone else heard this too, correct me if I'm wrong.
During WW1, WW2 and viatnam, the US lost somewhere between 1-13, and 1-15 troops. During the First Gulf war, the US lost only 1,700 out of over a million. So far, CNN is reporting that there are less than 40 confirmed deaths in Iraq of colilation troops.
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D
DcupSheepNipples
Guest
US Troop Deaths!
Revolutionary War - 4,435 deaths
Civil War (both sides) - 498,332 deaths
World War I - 116,708 deaths
World War II - 407,316 deaths
Korea - 36,616 deaths
Vietnam - 58,202 deaths
Gulf War 148 battle deaths, 145 nonbattle deaths
TV: Iraq May Use Chemical Weapons on US in Baghdad - Reuters
TV: Iraq May Use Chemical Weapons on US in Baghdad
Mon March 24, 2003 07:47 PM ET
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=2440520
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. officials say the Iraqi leadership has drawn "a red line" around the map of Baghdad and once American troops cross it Iraqi Republican Guards have been authorized to use chemical weapons, U.S. television networks reported on Monday.
The reports, by CNN, NBC and CBS's National Security correspondent David Martin, did not name the U.S. officials or give any further details.
NBC said its information was coming from intelligence officials who based it on intercepts of Iraqi communications.
"It's believed once U.S. ground troops cross the line drawn roughly between Karbala and Al Kut, the Republican Guards are under orders to attack with chemical weapons," NBC said.
CNN said the fact that the use of the weapons had apparently been authorized did not mean they would ultimately be used.
A senior Pentagon source told Reuters he could not confirm the reports.
The United States and Britain invaded Iraq last week to overthrow President Saddam Hussein and get rid of any weapons of mass destruction Iraq might have.
U.S. war commander General Tommy Franks said at a news conference in central command in Qatar earlier that his forces had not found weapons of mass destruction, but that it was "a bit early" to expect them to.
American and British forces hit Iraqi Republican Guards defending the approaches to Baghdad on the fifth day of the war.
The Pentagon said U.S. forces had advanced more than 200 miles into Iraqi territory and were beginning to confront an elite division of the Republican Guards deployed to defend the capital.
***************************************
I guess we'll see in the next few days how this all plays out.
TV: Iraq May Use Chemical Weapons on US in Baghdad
Mon March 24, 2003 07:47 PM ET
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=2440520
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. officials say the Iraqi leadership has drawn "a red line" around the map of Baghdad and once American troops cross it Iraqi Republican Guards have been authorized to use chemical weapons, U.S. television networks reported on Monday.
The reports, by CNN, NBC and CBS's National Security correspondent David Martin, did not name the U.S. officials or give any further details.
NBC said its information was coming from intelligence officials who based it on intercepts of Iraqi communications.
"It's believed once U.S. ground troops cross the line drawn roughly between Karbala and Al Kut, the Republican Guards are under orders to attack with chemical weapons," NBC said.
CNN said the fact that the use of the weapons had apparently been authorized did not mean they would ultimately be used.
A senior Pentagon source told Reuters he could not confirm the reports.
The United States and Britain invaded Iraq last week to overthrow President Saddam Hussein and get rid of any weapons of mass destruction Iraq might have.
U.S. war commander General Tommy Franks said at a news conference in central command in Qatar earlier that his forces had not found weapons of mass destruction, but that it was "a bit early" to expect them to.
American and British forces hit Iraqi Republican Guards defending the approaches to Baghdad on the fifth day of the war.
The Pentagon said U.S. forces had advanced more than 200 miles into Iraqi territory and were beginning to confront an elite division of the Republican Guards deployed to defend the capital.
***************************************
I guess we'll see in the next few days how this all plays out.
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J
JohnyJuice
Guest
Oh. So they are gonna use the chemical weapons they dont have? Injteresting. If the chem atttack us, i say we MOAB all of Bagdad.
D
DcupSheepNipples
Guest
Breaking News
Posted on Tue, Mar. 25, 2003
Explosions Shake Buildings in Baghdad
HAMZA HENDAWI
Associated Press
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Huge explosions shook buildings in the heart of the capital Tuesday, apparently from U.S. forces bombing Iraqi positions on the city outskirts. With coalition troops closing in, the streets were nearly empty as people hunkered down in anticipation of the battle for Baghdad.
Thousands of Marines poured toward the city in convoys, taking dirt roads to avoid cities and towns and creating traffic jams in the push north.
A cold, howling wind blew gray smoke over Baghdad from fuel fires that Iraqi authorities started to conceal targets. Blasts could be heard in the distance.
The explosions started at midnight Monday, flashing a faint orange glow on the horizon to the south, where units of Saddam Hussein's Republican Guard are located. In Washington, Pentagon officials said Monday that U.S. helicopters had begun attacking Saddam's forces arrayed around the capital.
Baghdad's many dogs stopped barking during the explosions but the late-night Islamic call for prayer continued to sound from minarets.
At about the same time, in northern Iraq, heavy bombing was heard from near the key northern city Mosul, indicating that coalition forces were hitting positions closer to the border with the Kurdish area.
On Monday in Baghdad, security and police officers dug more trenches around military offices in the center of the capital, as smoke from fires set to conceal targets from bombing hung over the city.
Daytime traffic was heavy in some areas, youngsters played soccer on side streets and Iraqis walked the city despite the tension from days of bombing by coalition forces.
Some shops reopened along the commercial Al-Rasheed Street, but most were suitcase vendors. The upscale area of Irasat al-Hindiah, where Baghdad has its fashionable restaurants and boutiques, was nearly deserted.
Saddam tried to rally his people in a TV appearance Monday calculated to show that U.S. bombs and missiles had missed him. Iraq also claimed Monday to have shot down two American helicopters and taken pilots prisoner.
During a briefing at Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar, U.S. Commander Gen. Tommy Franks acknowledged an attack helicopter operating south of Baghdad was missing with its two-man crew.
The Iraqi government continued to urge citizens to resist invaders as the military prepared defenses against U.S.-led troops advancing on Baghdad.
Anti-aircraft guns that had been removed earlier were placed once again atop one of the main gates to the Old Palace, a presidential compound hit in earlier attacks. Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf said the U.S. bombardment of Baghdad had injured 194 civilians.
Announcers on Iraq's two TV stations have started wearing olive-green military uniforms to introduce patriotic songs, archival footage of Saddam and old films with a patriotic message.
"You Iraqis are in line with what God has ordered you to do, to cut their throats," Saddam said in his television appearance.
Saddam looked strikingly more vigorous than he did in the speech that aired hours after the first airstrikes on Baghdad last week. Saddam referred specifically to U.S. tactics and the fighting around Umm Qasr in an obvious attempt to show that the address was current.
In Washington, a senior U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity said U.S. intelligence had determined that Saddam's speech was recorded. However, it is unclear when it was taped.
Posted on Tue, Mar. 25, 2003
Explosions Shake Buildings in Baghdad
HAMZA HENDAWI
Associated Press
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Huge explosions shook buildings in the heart of the capital Tuesday, apparently from U.S. forces bombing Iraqi positions on the city outskirts. With coalition troops closing in, the streets were nearly empty as people hunkered down in anticipation of the battle for Baghdad.
Thousands of Marines poured toward the city in convoys, taking dirt roads to avoid cities and towns and creating traffic jams in the push north.
A cold, howling wind blew gray smoke over Baghdad from fuel fires that Iraqi authorities started to conceal targets. Blasts could be heard in the distance.
The explosions started at midnight Monday, flashing a faint orange glow on the horizon to the south, where units of Saddam Hussein's Republican Guard are located. In Washington, Pentagon officials said Monday that U.S. helicopters had begun attacking Saddam's forces arrayed around the capital.
Baghdad's many dogs stopped barking during the explosions but the late-night Islamic call for prayer continued to sound from minarets.
At about the same time, in northern Iraq, heavy bombing was heard from near the key northern city Mosul, indicating that coalition forces were hitting positions closer to the border with the Kurdish area.
On Monday in Baghdad, security and police officers dug more trenches around military offices in the center of the capital, as smoke from fires set to conceal targets from bombing hung over the city.
Daytime traffic was heavy in some areas, youngsters played soccer on side streets and Iraqis walked the city despite the tension from days of bombing by coalition forces.
Some shops reopened along the commercial Al-Rasheed Street, but most were suitcase vendors. The upscale area of Irasat al-Hindiah, where Baghdad has its fashionable restaurants and boutiques, was nearly deserted.
Saddam tried to rally his people in a TV appearance Monday calculated to show that U.S. bombs and missiles had missed him. Iraq also claimed Monday to have shot down two American helicopters and taken pilots prisoner.
During a briefing at Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar, U.S. Commander Gen. Tommy Franks acknowledged an attack helicopter operating south of Baghdad was missing with its two-man crew.
The Iraqi government continued to urge citizens to resist invaders as the military prepared defenses against U.S.-led troops advancing on Baghdad.
Anti-aircraft guns that had been removed earlier were placed once again atop one of the main gates to the Old Palace, a presidential compound hit in earlier attacks. Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf said the U.S. bombardment of Baghdad had injured 194 civilians.
Announcers on Iraq's two TV stations have started wearing olive-green military uniforms to introduce patriotic songs, archival footage of Saddam and old films with a patriotic message.
"You Iraqis are in line with what God has ordered you to do, to cut their throats," Saddam said in his television appearance.
Saddam looked strikingly more vigorous than he did in the speech that aired hours after the first airstrikes on Baghdad last week. Saddam referred specifically to U.S. tactics and the fighting around Umm Qasr in an obvious attempt to show that the address was current.
In Washington, a senior U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity said U.S. intelligence had determined that Saddam's speech was recorded. However, it is unclear when it was taped.
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