Baghdad under fire.

fisty

Watching Sky news.
Smoke from southern and eastern Baghdad.
117 stealth bombers/fighters begin bombing baghdad, iraqi radio off air and americans broadcasting messages to the iraqi people.
A surgical strike....

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Explosions rocked Baghdad at dawn on Thursday as the United States launched a war to overthrow Saddam Hussein.

Jets roared overhead, Iraqi anti-aircraft batteries opened up and air raid sirens sounded, said Reuters correspondent Nadim Ladki, reporting from the city center.

The United States said the attack on Iraq had begun, just 90 minutes after its deadline for the president to quit Iraq had passed.

sky news:

Intelligence was tracking 5 iraqi leaders.

Sky News:

Pentagon says Saddam or one of his sons was said to be in area being attacked by missiles. Late intelligence says it was an opportunity which was taken on intelligence sources in the area.

U.S. Appears to Start Broadcasting on Iraqi Radio
Wed March 19, 2003 10:13 PM ET
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The main frequency of Iraqi state radio appeared to be taken over by the U.S. military as U.S. planes began bombing Baghdad at dawn on Thursday.
"This is the day we have been waiting for," an announcer said in Arabic shortly after the normal Iraqi broadcast went off the air suddenly, within minutes of U.S air strikes starting.

The new announcer said Saddam Hussein's administration was under attack.

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Muslim leaders in Asia condemned the U.S. attack on Iraq on Thursday and said Americans would never live in peace again.
"This is not an attack on Islam but an attack on humanity," said Syafii Maarif, head of the 30-million-strong moderate Muhammadiyah Muslim group in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country.

Malaysia's conservative Islamic opposition said Allah would bring about the U.S. superpower's eventual downfall.

"This despicable war exposes the ugliness of America and its allies," said Abdul Hadi Awang, the president of Parti Islam se-Malaysia (PAS).

"PAS is convinced that this war is the start of America's destruction because Allah will not let any major power reign supreme forever."

They were speaking within minutes of the United States and Britain launching attacks on Iraq in a war which President Bush said could take longer and be more difficult than many had predicted.

Murid Timasaen, spokesman for Thailand's Muslims for Peace Group, said Americans would never live in peace again.

Sky News: 04.22

2 Iraqi army divisions surrender.

fisty

well im off to bed now - i hope this helps fill in some blanks for you guys when you wake up for work and read this.

DriftingRain

I am american and my mother called me at work and told me that CBS started to broadcast that war had started and then 30 mins later our president came on to give it's people a 4 minute speech. The fool should have left the world in peace I know many americans that will turn in the sleep tonight and pray for the wounded.

Washout

A Quote from the Two Towers movie Theodan: "And so it begins".
As the band of urak-hi(US soldiers) are in a frenzy just outside the door.

Altough in this case its one evil against another evil.

The Surgeon

I know many americans that will turn in the sleep tonight and pray for the wounded.

Amen.

Victor

"urak-hi" sounds awfully like "Iraqi"

Originally posted by DriftingRain
I know many americans that will turn in the sleep tonight and pray for the wounded.

And the dead and their families.

gandalf

Well at least the Americans can sleep eh, a Iraqi in Baghdad tonight won't get much chance to.

Apparently most of the Iraqi civilains won't use the offical bomb shelters after the massacre in the last Gulf war.

I also hope the Chinese have evacuated their embassy in Baghdad we don't want a repeat of the Belgrade incident !

Gandalf.

DriftingRain

I wonder if China was pre-warned by U.S. officials?

DriftingRain

The sorry dog this is his speech!
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030320/ap_wo_en_po/na_gen_us_bush_text_1

(edited by bonkey to fix link)

Washout

Michael Moore Letter to George Bush

fisty

15.14
Sky News:

U.S. Marine engage enemy on the ground inside de-militarised zones

bug

Latest: US special forces helicopter crash-lands in southern Iraq- Crew rescued. link not up yetBBC news on-line

Edit: Just refreshed the page and the headline is gone from, is anyone watching the tv at the moment? Are we experiencing media blackout or am I just paranoid?

fisty

didn't get it on the link.
media blackout?
well they're saying nothing on sky news.

bug

Now its just saying- "Southern Iraq comes under considerable bombardment..more soon". And something about Angelina Jolie's dress for the oscars getting stolen.

I swear!, it was there on the ticker headline thingy. I saw it! Maybe they're reporting it on BBC World, perhaps, anyone watching it???

fisty

they just said it on sky news, but they said it was yesterday.
"a special forces helicopter crash landed"
and the people were retrieved, must not have been too bad...

1350 The Pentagon says a US special forces helicopter crash-landed in southern Iraq before the attacks began. Its crew and troops on board were rescued.

-

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2866555.stm

Its there alright

Bateman

Before the attacks began? Strange.

not really. The US have had troops in there well before they launched their bombardments. Plus they were taking out equipment with air strikes within the no-fly zone, from what i've heard.

Bateman

Yeah, the strikes were in the no-fly zones last night our time. But to argue that this crash happened before the attacks began make it strange that they have decided to destroy it to prevent it from falling into Iraqi hands.

Victor

1350 The Pentagon says a US special forces helicopter crash-landed in southern Iraq before the attacks began. Its crew and troops on board were rescued.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/03/20/sprj.irq.war.main/index.html

A Special Forces helicopter crashed in the southern Iraqi "no-fly" zone Wednesday before the attack began, a Pentagon official said. No one on board was injured, and all were evacuated, CNN has learned. A coalition airstrike later destroyed the damage.

Whoot airstrikes that get rid of damage! If only they were available for C&C generals. :rolleyes:

Éomer of Rohan

All I have to say is, if they loose, they deserve nothing better for listening to such a ridiculous regime and if they win, may 'insert deity of choice' help us all. I am referring to America by the way.

bonkey

Originally posted by Bateman
But to argue that this crash happened before the attacks began make it strange that they have decided to destroy it to prevent it from falling into Iraqi hands.

Not necessarily. Special Forces are typically inserted in theatre long before the "real" hostilities begin. Thats part of what their job is about...being in place for H-Hour, being ready to down key installations, or perhaps simply working with the local civilian population if it looks like there is a good chance of bring the populace onside.

As to destroying the chopper.....makes perfect sense to me. If you cant fly it home, and it doesnt suit your plans to send in some heavy rescue assets (risking plans and timstables unnecessarily) , what exactly would you do with all that modern tech that the enemy would just luuuuurve to get his hands on? Remember - this was supposedly a Special Forces chopper, not just a regular military whirly-bird that was carrying SF. That baby was loaded to the tits with high-tech gear is my bet, and its so much safer to destroy that if you cant bring it home safely.

jc

fisty

Baghdad has just exploded into "shock and awe" with bombs blitzing the city.
It's live on BBC ITV RTE and SKY at the moment.
Huge intense barrage of Bombs and cruise missile have just struck the city.

mike65

Just watched the B52/Cruise attack on Bagdad, it brings it all home and in stereo surround sound....The explosions seemed to be concentrated into a couple of areas.

Mike.

Barry Aldwell

Originally posted by gandalf
I also hope the Chinese have evacuated their embassy in Baghdad we don't want a repeat of the Belgrade incident !

If they don't have enough common sense to be long gone they deserve to be bombed.