3/ 1/03 Saturday
Turkey parliament did not have enough votes for U.S. troops base,
for invasion from north, for Iraq war; could have a 2nd vote, but
probably not to change result. U.S. troops are then schedualed to
to move to Kwait, for war.
3/ 2/03 Sunday
Al Qaeda 2nd in command was captured in Pakistan. No movement of
U.S. troops in ships off Turkey coast, yet - perhaps will be
leaving soon, for Kuwait; no word from Bush people, of what is to
be done, when, on the Iraqi northern front.
3/ 3/03 Monday
Pundits say the problem, in not having ground troop base in Turkey,
could put off start of Iraq war, ten days; also that could be
longer, if Turkey puts off any re-vote on U.S. troop base. Twelve
U.S. ships are off Turkey, now, holding off for decisions.
3/ 4/03 Tuesday
U.S. military has alternative plan for Iraq war from north - to
send in paratroops to northern province & have a smaller force;
say can be ready for the end of next week, but that having no
large force for the north & only the small base in Turkey, will be
a disadvantage.
3/ 5/03 Wednesday
Powell said, in talk to think tank, that Iraqis were still not
disclosing the W of MD & were fooling the weapons inspectors; no
word from Turkey. Bush people say there is still chance U.N.
security council will ok resolution II. Russia, France & Germany
say they will see that resolution II will not pass.
3/ 6/03 Thursday
European press reports Iraq war will start on Thurs, Mar 13th,
ground assault will start Mon, Mar 17th. Bush had live TV covered
press conference arnd 7:00p-> 7:50p; said war was necessary and
immanent, but hoped that Iraq would disclose weapons and war would
not have to occur; was more solemn than usual. Dow is down to
7,650.
3/ 7/03 Friday
Bin Laudin is said to be pursued in Pakistan, after upper level al
Quaeda leader was arrested. U.S., England are now seeking U.N.
resolution for war on Iraq, for March 17th - does not appear it
will pass the security council, either. U.N. security council
voted down resolution II, brought up by Bush people.
3/ 8/03 Saturday
National news seemed slanted towards how just and good the Iraq
war will be; channel 3 is showing ad, telling how the soldiers are
the honorable ones in the war newscasts, not the war reporter
correspondents. Iraq war seems to be going to start somewhen
around March 13th->March 17th.
3/ 9/03 Sunday
More news reporters are still coming up to be of the anti-Iraq
opinion, causing them to be rather "pro-war". The big unknown
seems to be: will the war start on the 13h, or start on the 17th.
March 17th, U.N. resolution II, seems doomed - is said, will be
put up to U.N. security council vote, on Tues, Mar 11th.
3/10/03 Monday
U.N. put off resolution II vote until Wed, Mar 12th. England wants
modification of resolution II, to extend the March 17th war start
date, to new date. Some countries are saying will vote for the
resolution, if more time is given Iraq. U.S. wants resolution II
to pass the vote, even though there probably will be a veto.
3/11/03 Tuesday
Bush was reportedly on phones vey much, for calling foreign
leaders, promoting U.N. resolution II. Rumsfield said perhaps
English troops would not be in the Iraq war; less than 30% of
English people were for non-U.N. sanctioned Iraq war. Bush is now
for modified resolution II - would give ultimatum to Iraq, then
start war on March 27th; U.N., now, is to vote on resolution II on
March 13th.
3/12/03 Wednesday
Some confusing news reports on U.N. resolution II - England wants
further stipulations & U.S. says will not go more than a few days
past March 17, for the deadline. U.N. vote is pressed - said to be
before the end of the week. Unknown is when, or if, the war will
start. Several countries still say they will veto resolution II -
Bush & Powell are busy.
3/13/03 Thursday
Bush turned down the U.N. vote-this-week request; said U.N. could
hold off until next week, for vote for war, as it would mean more
war votes, from security council. U.N. security council is said to
not have & will not have the nine needed votes for the `yes' Iraq
war vote. The upcoming weekend is, nonetheless, said to be
perhaps the last weekend before the war begins. Nobody seems to
like the British six proposals addon to resolution II.
3/14/03 Friday
Bush still is saying U.N. does not need to vote on resolution II,
this weekend; is meeting with heads of England, Spain in Azores on
Sunday - nobody seems to know what the purpose of the meeting is;
is still said to be the last weekend before the Iraq war begins.
3/15/03 Saturday
Some pundits seem to think the Azores meeting is more of a war
council, than for one for peace. There were many anti-Iraq war
demonstrations in cities arnd world; 50 people met in Harrison,
Ark, to demonstrate for U.S. troops. Turkey leader says will hold
off a week, before asking parliament to vote on U.S. base. The
soldiers say the sooner the war is started, sooner it will be
over.
3/16/03 Sunday
Azores meeting was more of a `war council', than anything else;
Bush announced that Iraq should disarm, immediately; also, implied
that U.N. resolutions were not pertinent. Newscaster said war was
possible in `hours'. Figure good time, for war to begin, would be
9pm CST, Tuesday, March 18th. News reporters say there is only a
very small chance of there being no war.
3/17/03 Monday
Much in news of Bush's announcement; Powell said would drop
resolution II. Bush made TV speech: 7pm-> 7:15pm: said Iraq had 48
hours to cough up leaders, or war would begin. Means Iraq war,
now, will start on Thu, Mar 20th. Pundits were not very impressed
with Bush's speech - thought was too harsh on France & U.N., who
will have to help re-build Iraq, after the war.
3/18/03 Tuesday
Iraq refused to give up leaders; people in Baghdad are filling up
gasoline tanks, boarding up shops, etc. War is supposed to start
before the "end of the week". Turkey parliament is supposed to be
going to vote on to allow U.S. war planes to fly over Turkey, to
targets - no proposal of U.S. ground troop base.
3/19/03 Wednesday
People here & Iraq were still doing some preparing for war. A few
cruise missiles & F-17 warplane struck bunker complex in Baghdad,
arnd 8:30pm CST - it was a target of intelligence opportunity - no
other attacks were made on Iraq. Figure regular air war will start
on March 20th. Ground war will start a few days later, military
pundits tell. Dow is up to arnd 8,250; economic indicators are
still down.
3/20/03 Thursday
U.S. military changed plans for start of Iraq war: put off large
air assault, due to not wanting many causualties and hoping the
Iraq military would surrender and/or not resist the overthrow of
their government. So the ground troops organized & started the
push across the Kuwait-Iraq border. Big question of newscasts was:
did they get the leader? Most believe the leaders are all still
well - not known is how much resistance will the Iraq military
have, especially around Baghdad.
3/21/03 Friday
PBS has been having special Iraq war coverage, past 7pm; most
networks have been, except for CBS, where the basketball games are
covered; UPN and WB networks have regular programming, but PAX has
an occasional CBS news summary of the war events; the FOX channel
continues to cover the war. NBC newscasters seem emotional, CBS
newcasters seem confused, ABC's Koppel has very good reports, from
the army infantry, in convoy to Baghdad. U.S military will
probably roll up to Baghdad around Monday, Mar 24.
3/22/03 Saturday
NBC TV coverage of Iraq war was continuous until 1pm; other
channels kept to normal programming. U.S. troops are around
50% of the trip to Baghdad; have been several heliocopter
accidents - some U.S., but mostly British troops killed. U.S.
101st airborn troop threw hand grenades in officers' tent;
possibly, "patriot" missile shot down British war plane; some
resistence from Iraq soldiers, is starting to to occur. Some
burning oil, in trenches, is around Baghdad.
3/23/03 Sunday
More bad news on the Iraq war front: 11 U.S. army troops held
prisoners & a few killed, in southern Iraq; also some marine troop
casualties. U.S. heliocopter down, close to Baghdad; crew is
un-accounted for. U.S. troops have been "100 miles from Baghdad",
for 36 hours - weekend, Sunday news reports possibly are wrong.
3/24/03 Monday
Not much new news from Iraq war front - mostly re-telling of U.S.
POW's and Iraq resistence in the South. Are two more POW's - from
downed Apache heliocopter. U.S troops are around 50 miles from
Baghdad - Iraq republican guard is said to be stationed in south
area of Baghdad. Bush now says the war could take longer than
people had expected. Iraq gas masks have been found, but no
"weapons of mass destruction".
3/25/03 Tuesday
Very heavy sand-storm in Iraq is due to end tommorow. Are 22 U.S.
troop KIA's, so far, and 7 POW's, & several MIA's. Next seems to
be the battle of Baghdad; some towns in S Iraq need U.N.
humanitarian aid; mines are being checked for, in harbor. Iraq TV
station building was bombed - no more Iraq TV propaganda, showing
U.S. POW's, etc. Dow is around 8,250.
3/26/03 Wednesday
Sand storm in Iraq started to calm down; some special Iraq troops
are being reported on; pundit says military has either withheld
info on their existence, or ignored reports from CIA on these
special units. Figure the war will last 3 weeks total - will be
pretty much over on 4/09/03, when Iraq leaders will give up. More
U.S. troops are ordered to Iraq region - only 75,000 are in Iraq,
now.
3/27/03 Thursday
U.S. military is calling for re-inforcements for supply line in S
Iraq. Iraq TV is back on; Iraq leaders are seen in open, during
Baghdad air raids, similar to news caster reporters. Is said Arab
world people see Iraq TV as speaking truth, and coalition news to
be fabricated. Mines in harbor still stop U.N. help from reaching
Iraq people - need food, water, electricity. Dust storm has calmed
down - so has some of the troop movements & shooting, bombing.
3/28/03 Friday
Mines in harbor were mostly cleared & British aid ship docked -
aid to be passed to Iraq people in 48 hours. U.S general made
comment of how the "war is not the one that was drawn up & planned
on". Rumsfield says night goggles are going from Syria to Iraq &
such acts would not be condoned. U.S troops are going through
operation "pause", in Iraq, until the re-inforcements can be there
to help protect the supply line to the troops, close to Baghdad.
3/29/03 Saturday
More bombings in & around Baghdad. New re-inforcements will be the
ones who had been planned to be coming in from base in Turkey;
suicide bomber in taxi-cab killed 4 marines in S Iraq; many
anti-war demonstrations in cities arnd the world - Boston, in
particular; some civilians have been bombed accidentally, in
Baghdad. Arabs say Arabic/Iraq news is more believable than U.S.
news reports. Still predict end of war on April 9th - although
guerilla war could go on for months.
3/30/03 Sunday
Heliocopter accident killed 3 U.S. marines; U.S. total toll is 49
KIA's, 16 MIA's. U.S. generals I.C. tell that there is no
"operation pause". Republican guard S of Baghdad are being bombed;
some believe coalition push on Baghdad is near - probably is not.
Aid packets are being distrbuted in S Iraq, though not in large
quantities. Some say the U.S. military did not consider the
patriotism of the Iraq people, when war plans were being drawn up;
others believe Iraq government will soon crumble.
3/31/03 Monday
U.S. troops are said to be "within 50 miles" of Baghdad; have
fought republican guard forces in town arnd 100 miles S of
Baghdad. British marines are engaged in town in S Iraq - say area
is almost secure. U.S. troops are shooting at civilian cars, when
cars do not stop when ordered, at check stops - 7 civilians killed
in 1 incident; 1, in another. Troops are being added in, N Iraq;
pundit said the troops should have been all assembled before the
war started, before the extra troops were needed - for more
flexibility.
|