"Our World" at war!

...3/20/03: War Day #1...I am unsure what will happen to this country as the war continues...suppose people start thinking that it's taking too long to end this conflict...right now, I will not dwell on that issue...Bush declared war during the Catholic holy season of Lent...why couldn't he have waited 3 more weeks?...

...3/20/03: most of Bush's allies were caught off-guard when he declared war...Tony Blair was not informed of the President's actions prior to the 3/19/03 broadcast...Turkey was taken by surprise; they will now enter Iraqi soil in spite of protests by the US...that country has given permission for US troops to enter Iraq from the north...

...the Nat'l Guard will protect SunPort & PNM facilities...in AZ, soldiers are guarding one of the biggest nuclear reactors in this country...

"...the US & UK are in league with Israel!"

...will the Iraqi war be the next "reality TV" fad...people can sit & watch & forget & escape their problems at home, such as unemployment & rising fuel costs...Americans have such short attention spans...

"The line in the sand has been crossed!"

...Iraq fired missles at Kuwait, only minor damages reported...US bombed one of Saddam's compounds; no casualties reported...this news changed as time progressed...

...the President asked Congress for $90 billion to cover the expenses during the first month at war...

...when will the war reach our shores, and what will happen then?...

...no specific sites in NM have been targetted for attacks...

"Operation: Iraqi Freedom!"

...will Arab looking people become the focus of attacks in this country?...if the war lasts longer or costs more than expected and there is no sign of victory for the US, might the President resort to more dealier, drastic measures, such as true weapons of mass destruction?...will this become a jihad, or holy war...

...but, as of 3/20/03, we do not know exactly where Saddam Hussein is hiding, since he has many body doubles...


"...will accept no outcome but victory!"

...Iraqi soldiers are already surrendering...200 have done so near Basra...Bagdhad has been bombed...oil fields may be burning (unconfirmed as of 3/20/03)...

...3/22/03: some missles land in Iran...no details on the damage (if any) as a result of this mistake...however, it is calling on the UN to stop this war!...

...Iraq should be divided into smaller countries, none called Iraq...or it should be divided amongst its "neighbors", thus preventing Saddam Hussein from resuming power in anything resembling "Iraq"...

...3/21/03...oil wells on fire?...most are contained...9 destroyed (this number may also change as the war continues)...

"It's showtime!"

...protest marches continue around NM & across the Country...one occurred on Central near UNM...people threw bottles at police...they were countered with tear gas...some arrests were made...

"Let's Do It & Do It Right!"

...3/19/03: Saddam may have been injured in the first salvo...someone resembling him was seen on a gurney wearing an oxygen mask...his sons may also have been injured...he is losing his control & power (?)...a US observer remained in Baghdad & was reporting these events...the presidential compound is repeatedly bombed during the day...another of his homes was destroyed...3/22/03: Baghdad is surrounded by a ring of fire as oil burns around its perimeter...this has trapped citizens inside the city...

...3/19/03: a helicopter crashed in N Iraq, killing 4 US & 8 UK...3/21/03: a brigade (8,000) of Iraqi soldiers surrendered to US troops...3/22/03: meeting by Tommy Frank (the next Schwartzkopf?) in the briefing room @Doha, Qatar...one journalist commented twice that it appears to have cost a lot of money to build...52 countries are now part of the coalition...Umm Qasr & Safwa in S Iraq, as well as oil fields in that area, are under US occupation...

We are using a "Shock & Awe" technique in battle!

...setbacks: at Camp PA in N Kuwait, US soldier from the 101st Airborn Division throws grenade in tent; 1 dead, 13 injured...the casue could be stress & isolation, but is listed as resentment...his fellow soldiers teased him about his Arabic background...US troops ambushed near Al-Nasariyah...US soldiers may have been captured...nothing can truly prepare a person for this empty terrain...US friendly fire shoots down a British plane, the cause is the Patriot missle...another British plane attcaked near Baghdad...the pilot(s) ejected...no news of their fate as of AM 3/23/03 (US MST)...Turkish troops advancing in N Iraq are complicating our plans...the US is maintaining contact with the Turkish government...landmines are detected in safe roads in S Iraq...more resistance than surrenders outside the city of Basra...at least 9 soldiers may have died in battle...

...President Bush spent the first weekend of the war at Camp David...during that time, he has met with his war council, and is now managing the war effort...3/22/03: troops have crossed the Euphrates, and are halfway to Baghdad...but gunfire can still be heard near the Kuwait-Iraq border...Iraqi soldiers may not actually be surrendering, but attempting to be brought inside a US camp where they can start firing on our troops!...3/23/03: the US still does not know where Saddam is, but he has been seen on Iraqi TV 3 times on 3/22/03...Iraqi leaders claim they have POWs' as well as pictures of destroyed tanks...Saddam promises his people that victory is soon!...he also mentions specific battles in his speech...

"...this may be a longer, bloodier war than some had predicted!"

...comments from Iraqis...the US is taking over our country!...they will steal our oil!...where is the aid they promised?...where is the food, the water or the medicine?...will they be invaded by Israel next?...

"...this is not a campaign of half-measures!"

...new bumper sticker: I Love America, but I don't like Bush!...KOAT TV has a scrolling headline banner at the bottom of its screen, similar to CNN & FOX networks...

"Victory does not have a timetable!"

...Iraq gained independence from the UK in 1932...

...it is time for the US to start fighting dirty, using tricks instead of technology to determine battle strategies & maneuvers...our soldiers have dealt with defectors, casualties, ambushes & our forces being captured...Iraqi soldiers will launch chemical attacks and place the blame on Americans...this is the unpleasant reality of war!...3/24/03: Apache helicopter shot down 50 miles S of Baghdad...5 (?) captured soldiers...the next major battle will be against the Republic Guard when our forces reach Baghdad...2 people from NM died as a result of the helicopter that crashed in Afghanistan...

"War does not bode will for us (US)!"

...the ABQ Journal & www.newmexicochannel.com are providing me with news about the war...people across this country must be using their PCs' at work to stay informed on the events of the war...can anyone blame them?...there may be 12 MIAs', one from Alamogordo...

...prisoners have been seen on Iraqi TV...it is hard to determine if the counts are totals or per specific battle...1 NM soldier tripped a land mine, leg had to be amputated...another NM resident is a POW...however, our soldiers may have found a factory in S Iraq that produced chemical weapons...

...sandstorms are plaguing the troops & their equipment...it negates technology...they subside by 3/26/03...moving or resting, the winds keep blowing, getting sand everywhere...black smoke continues to rise from Baghdad...the Republican Guard may use chemical weapons against our soldiers, per Saddam's orders (this is unconfirmed)...there are also unconfirmed reports that some Iraqis have led an uprising against the Republican Guard...is Russia selling military weapons to Iraq?...France wants to make sure it can be part of the rebuilding process when the war is over...possibly 7 POWs'?...

"We will fight until Saddam Hussein falls!"

...3/26/03: the war is 1 week old...aid arrived in Basra...people mobbed the trucks containing water & bread...many still think the US should leave their country...back home, this country will not be able to maintain or afford a long-term homeland security alert status...at home, some protest marches or rallies may be considered acts of terrorism...in ABQ, protesters cannot occupy the entire width of a street without a permit...

...both the President & the Pentagon state the most brutal battles lies ahead...the Iraqi Republican Guard is heading towards the US troops, who are proceeding north to Baghdad...the bridges of the capital city have been rigged with explosions...other structures are surrounded with a circle of oil...

...someone is still definitely in charge of Iraq...the "who" is unclear...3/28/03: the belief now is that Saddam Hussein is alive & moving around in his underground bunkers, monitoring the war's progress & planning more attacks with his military generals...at the UN, the Arab countries want this war to stop immediately!...the US has a planned agression against the arab world, per Middle East delegates...

...Mother Nature is not always our ally...everything is taking longer than expected, putting an added burden on our troops...unexpected events result in changing startegies...mines in the rivers are delaying both aid & soldiers...Colin Powell will not accept a cease fire!...some Kurds may be fighting with US forces...those with severe injuries are flown to Landstahl, GER and then back to Walter Reed Hospital in DC...1 of the 14 MIAs' is from Tuba City, AZ...I am tired of the woman on the Central bus who says in a loud voice that America is losing this war...an additional 100,000+ troops are being sent to that area...

...the US appears to be less truthful to the Arabs, who think that Saddam Hussein would be the lesser evil!...we appear to be killing women & children...bunker bombs blast Baghdad...3/28/03: the UK is still trying to gain complete control of Basra...reporters who are with the troops must perform daily military tasks...they are part of the squads...suppose a cease fire or pulling troops out of Iraq is "what it takes" to achieve a victory?...

"...our soldiers will face more casualties & have to make more sacrifices!" Pres. George W. Bush, 3/29/03 @Camp David, MD

...3/29/03: many are killed by a rocket that lands in a Baghdad market...the Ministry of Intelligence building is bombed...4 US soldiers & 1 Iraqi are killed in a suicide bombing at a checkpoint in Najaf...a bomb landed near a popular mall in Kuwait City...the rocket landed near the river, and during the early morning hours, thus causing no loss of life...through the day US troops were regrouping their forces & rethinking their strategies...at that point we control 35-40% of Iraq's territory, and 95% of its air space...

"Never forget America's bravest!"

...Donald Rumsfeld warns Syria & Iran not to get involved in this conflict...he also keeps changing the war's possible time span from days to weeks to months!...a survey shows that most Americans feel that our politicians & military have underestimated the unforseen factors that have occurred so far during this war...Iran denies meddling in these affairs...Saudi Arabia is quite upset that Tomahawk missles landed in their country...the US has to improve its diplomatic & tactful skills!...the UN will play a major role in the rebuilding of post-war Iraq...2 high ranked paramilitary leader were captured near Basra...S of Basra, AK-47 rifles and boxes that may contain chemical or biological weapons were discovered...15 soldiers were attacked @Camp Udari in Kuwait...

"Iraq will use any means to win this war!"

...Saddam Hussein presented a medal & money to the family who son killed an American soldier...to them, this is a high honor...

...it will cost $10 billion to provide a missle defense system on all commercial airlines...

...the US destroys a communications tower, thus preventing news from being sent between Baghdad and Basra...US TV viewers are suffering war fatigue...this is quite true for veterans who replay battles in their minds...

"War, like life, never proceeds as planned or expected!"