Month: April 2003

Report: Iraqi Officials Warn Citizens To Leave Baghdad Area. Iraqi officials have been driving in pick-up trucks mounted with loudspeakers in the vicinity of the Saddam International Airport, CNN reports, citing sources in Baghdad. The officials reportedly are instructing citizens in the area to leave their houses and exit the city in the direction of the airport. [Stategic Forecasting, LLC]

I decided to pay the $49.95 for a six-month subscription to Stratfor’s coverage of Gulf War Two. It appears to be worth the money.

Amazing video on CNN a couple of moments ago about a demonstration in Najah (which as of yesterday was one of the most welcoming cities we have entered) against American troops.  The mob quickly formed and turned ugly when a rumor emerged that US troops were planning to enter some holy site in the city.  [John Robb’s Radio Weblog]

I’d be willing to bet that the US troops never had any such plans, and the rumor was spread by some Iraqi government loyalists looking to stir up trouble.

Addendum: According to Strafor, the troops involved where supposed to meet with Shiite leader Said Ali Sistani and secure his residence. The Stratfor author suggests that the “demonstration” may have been a setup to demonstrate his power to the US so they couldn’t ignore him.

Military puzzle as US advances. Is the rapid move by US troops on Baghdad a result of Iraqi weakness or a ploy by Saddam Hussein to draw them in? [BBC News | Front Page | UK Edition]

I’m a little confused. The media has been reporting that the Republican Guard units defending Baghdad were destroyed in battle. Were they, or weren’t they?

I’ve noticed that recently some of the Crusaders have been claiming that the predictions of a “cakewalk” in Iraq were made up by the US media, and the government never said any such thing. This is nonsense, of course, but the Crusaders seem to figure that nobody will remember what they had been saying for months. Here is one particularly appropriate article where a wounded soldier reports that even his own officers told him to expect mass surrenders.

Military analysts believe that today and tomorrow will decide the outcome of the attack on Baghdad that begun two days ago. If the coalition forces fail to break the Iraqi defenses, then by the weekend the US will be forced to curtail all attacks and to resort to positional warfare while regrouping forces and integrating them with the fresh divisions arriving from the US and Europe. Such a tactical pause in the war, although not a complete halt in combat operations (the coalition command will continue trying to use localized attacks to improve its positions), may last seven to fourteen days and will lead to a full re-evaluation of all coalition battle plans. [Venik’s Aviation]

I’ve added an explanation of who is a libertarian to the navigation bar.

Beyond Baghdad [Guardian Unlimited]

An article about US plans for the occupation of Iraq.

bq. Apart from the attempt by Paul Wolfowitz, the deputy defence secretary, to install Ahmed Chalabi, the failed Iraqi banker, and his cronies in advisory positions (since all the ministerial posts will be filled by Americans), the Pentagon has also ousted eight senior officials nominated by the US state department.

The news about Chalabi is rather predictable. It’s inevitable that we would install some criminal, and this con artist (who is on the run from a 34 year prison sentence in Jordan) is popular with the “neo-conservatives.”

bq. Although Britain has been consulted, it also seems unhappy about US plans to establish neo-colonial rule, even if it’s supposed to be temporary. Prime minister Tony Blair yesterday called for a UN-sponsored conference of all groups to start reshaping Iraq’s future.

In other words, Blair actually has no objection to neo-colonial rule as long as it’s the UN doing the colonizing.

Al-Jazeera halts Iraq broadcasts. The influential Arab TV channel says it will stop reporting from Iraq after Baghdad bars two of its correspondents. [BBC News | Front Page | UK Edition]

First CNN, now Al Jazeera. The Iraqis certainly are clumsy when it comes to the media and propaganda.

Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss. Michael Freund tells the plain truth about Abu Mazen, aka Mahmoud Abbas, aka Arafat’s ‘pragmatic’ protege. [little green footballs]

Why do we support such bastards only to regret it decades later? [Counterpoint]

This is a pretty ironic question, coming from a Crusader. One possible answer might be, “because there are still people who think they can slaughter their way to Utopia, in spite of all historical evidence to the contrary.”

Back to Iraq — at last. TEN MILES FROM THE IRAQI BORDER — J. and I are sitting in the middle of mountain valley, protected from surveillance by scrub and rocky outcroppings. Overhead the roar and rumble of bombers echoes against the mountain walls. Every now and then, we can hear the dull thuds of exploded ordinance — over Mosul? — as the sounds of the blasts roll through the valleys and off the sheer faces surrounding us. It is overcast, which is lucky. Tonight, we will ford one of the Tigris’ tributaries and then walk two to three hours on foot — with a guide — into Iraq. [Back to Iraq 2.0]

An interesting glimpse of what life is like in the Kurdish area controlled by Turkey.