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| Iraq |
| Baghdad’s main airport ("Saddam" International) seized by 3rd Infantry |
| 2003-04-03 |
| From ABCNews's embedded reporter, who apparently filed while standing on the tarmac: U.S. ground forces have swept into Baghdad's international airport under cover of darkness, securing it with tanks and other armored units. They encountered almost no opposition from Iraqi forces. Reporting from the tarmac of Saddam International Airport, ABCNEWS' Bob Schmidt, embedded with the 3rd Infantry Division, said the airport was in pitch darkness as coalition tanks entered the facility. So, um, where is everybody? U.S. forces encountered very little Iraqi resistance, said Schmidt, although some units of the 3rd Infantry Division did encounter scattered firing by Iraqi foot soldiers and men in pickups. He reported seeing Iraqis waving and cheering as U.S. tanks rolled toward the airport which is just 10 miles from central Baghdad. If a significant portion of the RGs managed to fall back into the city, that's not great news... |
| Posted by:jrosevear |
| #11 "Oh that airport. I thought we were talking about the other Saddam International Airport over here" |
| Posted by: john 2003-04-04 01:06:51 |
| #10 I think we should change it to "Blair International" or "Howard International". Maybe "Aznar Int'l"? What the hell, Bush International is already taken..... ;) |
| Posted by: Former Russian Major 2003-04-03 20:25:24 |
| #9 OK Wills, I have a couple of pickups that run, must make me an "elite" redneck? Course that may be France's biggest problem: no pickups to be found. |
| Posted by: john 2003-04-03 18:48:32 |
| #8 Plenty left for the 4th. Maybe they'll get to be the vanguard for the run to Damascus... |
| Posted by: jrosevear 2003-04-03 17:58:02 |
| #7 In this day and age, I consider any American regular Army or Marine combat unit elite by definition. By the time this is over the "Rock of the Marne" could be known as the "Rock of the Euphrates" and the 4th ID will be grousing about why no one left anything for them. What a difference a week makes, thank you Saddam for sticking your military neck out so we can chop it off. |
| Posted by: Hiryu 2003-04-03 17:56:39 |
| #6 Doe's "Elite" republican guard mean that they have a pickup truck that runs? I understand that France has some special "pettite" democratic guards, who are noted for their ability to scowl and gnash their teeth. |
| Posted by: Wills 2003-04-03 16:41:00 |
| #5 There's something I want to get off my chest. In the fight around and in Baghdad we have the "elite" Republican Guard, the "elite" Special Republican Guard, the "elite" Fedayeen, and a bunch of "elite" Gestapo-types who are a part of Saddam's various security services. Oh, yeah. There's the just plain Iraqi Army, too. Poor bastards. Meanwhile, on our side we have the elite 1st MEF, the elite 101st Airborne, the elite 82nd Airborne, the elite SOF, the elite Rangers, and the very elite Delta Force and Navy SEALS. And all of them are doing just fine work, I might add. Notice the lack of scare quotes around elite when I use that term to describe those units. On the non-elite end of things we have the 3rd Infantry Division. It's filled with "ordinary" infantrymen, tankers, cannon-cockers, supply haulers, bullet counters, and clerks. They don't have a lot in the way of special clothing accessories, fancy shoulder tabs, or Hollywood name recognition. And this non-elite formation seems to be getting to its fucking objectives very fucking quickly and leaving behind it a fucking trail of fire, ruined Iraqi equipment, and a constantly spreading wake of terrified Iraqi grunts, guardsman, and other thugs whose major goal is to get as much fucking distance between themselves and the non-fucking-elite, just-plain-vanilla, completely-fucking-normal 3rd Infantry Division as they can possibly fucking manage. Heh. That's all. Sorry about the language. |
| Posted by: Patrick Phillips 2003-04-03 15:52:04 |
| #4 I remeber reading about an underground tunnel or tram from the airport to numerous palaces and gov buildings. Hope thats true! |
| Posted by: Yosemite Sam 2003-04-03 15:50:44 |
| #3 Shortly after his report, TSA agents subjected him to a strip and body cavity search, and confiscated his mic as a potential hijacking tool. |
| Posted by: Chuck 2003-04-03 14:59:12 |
| #2 Somehow I lost the second paragraph of the story, which is thus: Reporting from the tarmac of Saddam International Airport, ABCNEWS' Bob Schmidt, embedded with the 3rd Infantry Division, said the airport was in pitch darkness as coalition tanks entered the facility. |
| Posted by: jrosevear 2003-04-03 14:37:43 |
| #1 Can't wait for the Iraqi press conference for TODAY! Will he use the Herman Munster approach? "They are NOT at the Sadaam International Airport...they're NOT, THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT!" (Smashing the Podium to bits) Or will he use the Nathan Thurm (Marty Short's agitated, sweating, cigarette smoking lawyer on SNL) approach? "I repeat, the Americans are not at the airport!" "But Minister, there is actual footage on CNN of the Americans driving tanks through the entrance." "I know THAT! Of course I know that! Why do you think I wouldn't know that? Is it me or is it him? It's him isn't it?" |
| Posted by: Tex 2003-04-03 23:26:14 |