That was quick ---

[Bystander]

Al J's news conf. w' Iraqi "general staff" types, 0600 gmt; looks like SH is dead?

[Greg Bernhardt]

Nope, he just went on Iraqi TV condemning the bombing. Did we hit anyone though?

[damgo]

Nothing in the TV appearance indicated that it wasn't pre-taped... my bet is that it was.

Supposedly the strikes -- two waves of F-117-dropped JDAMs and Tomahawk missiles -- were directed at handful of very senior Iraqi leaders including Saddam, based on time-sensitive intelligence. No word on whether anyone was killed.

No further attacks yet, either, though there are reports of sporadic artillery fire along the border, and Iraqis beginning to fire oilfields.

My guess is they'll wait till this evening/night in Iraq...

[Greg Bernhardt]

I just don't see how we could take SH this quick, wouldn't that be great though! I guess the next pentagon briefing will be at 9:30am est. If there will be any more attacks it will be tomorrow night.

[damgo]

Yeah, apparently no one knew about this until an hour or two before the bombing.

Iraqi TV just stopped transmitting, and two of the three Iraqi divisions in the south are reportedly negotioning surrender....

[Bystander]

Looked like one of the doubles to me --- flabby sagging jowls rather than those chubby, well-fed cheeks, no button popping beer gut, no bluff, no bluster, no rhetorical pounding with the fist (the arms may have been too short for the drama coaches to allow this guy to try that), and the delivery --- SH doesn't read his own prose with all the dramatic flair of a dept. store mannequin. We wait and we see what we see.

[Dissident Dan]

Originally posted by damgo
[B]Nothing in the TV appearance indicated that it wasn't pre-taped... my bet is that it was.


Listening to a BBC broadcast between 5 and 6 am this morning, I was told that the speech mentioned the exact date and time of the bombing, so I don't see how it could have been pre-taped. Whether or not it was saddam or double is another question.

[Zargawee]

Iraqi TV just stopped transmitting, and two of the three Iraqi divisions in the south are reportedly negotioning surrender....

Who Said So ?
None Of The Iraqi Divisions Surrendered ... Maybe Your Media Is Messing Up With News , Same To What They did When The War with Taliban Was On.

For The Attack , It Wasn't Fast ( Or Happened Suddenly ) , The Arab News Said The US Army Will Launsh Missles To Iraq At 00.00 GMT ...

[LURCH]

Originally posted by damgo
Yeah, apparently no one knew about this until an hour or two before the bombing.

Iraqi TV just stopped transmitting, and two of the three Iraqi divisions in the south are reportedly negotioning surrender....

I knew it! The Iraqi millitary is deploying Weapons of Mass Deffection!

This is some of the best news that could be hoped for. As was seen in the Gulf War, POW's in American care are well-treated and cared for. If this continues, the loss of life will be much less.