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| Iraq |
| U.S. War Commander Briefs Bush on Iraq |
| 2003-04-17 |
| The top commander of U.S. forces in Iraq briefed President Bush on the war from inside one of Saddam Hussein's ornate palaces on Wednesday, underscoring the death of the old regime. Gen. Tommy Franks, in command of more than 200,000 troops in the war zone, lit up a cigar as he toured the palace just outside Baghdad that had been part of Saddam's realm. Franks and other senior officers sat in plush green chairs with gold, wood trim for the briefing with Bush in Washington, held over a secure videoconference linkup. Earlier, the four-star general viewed, with evident disgust, gold sink fixtures, a gold toilet paper dispenser and a toilet bowl brush inside one of the bathrooms. Almost as tacky as Saddam's love nest! ``It's the oil for palaces program,'' he said, a biting reference to the U.N. program that allowed Iraqi oil exports on condition that the proceeds went to food for civilians. Franks' visit to Baghdad, from his command headquarters in Qatar, came less than two weeks after Army tanks first rumbled through the capital and one week after Iraqis, aided by Marines, toppled a statue of Saddam in a downtown city square, signaling the end of his regime. Just had to get Franks' quote in there: Oil for Palaces sums it up pretty well, eh? |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #8 per reuters, WHO says hospitals in Mosul operating at around 50% (hit by looting) Red Cross says hospitals in the south generally working, in contrast to Baghdad. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-04-17 15:40:34 |
| #7 dare i post another? oh well here goes. AP reports taxi and bus service(both municipal and private) starting to return to normal in Baghdad. Gasoline still scarce, selling for 5 to 6 times normal price (in Dinars??) Schools, offices still closed. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-04-17 15:35:29 |
| #6 afp reports from a street in Baghdad were 20 shops have now re-opened, operating without electricity, closing early. Nearby a gas station is operating, using a diesel generator for power. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-04-17 15:30:57 |
| #5 afp says US officials say 14 of 33 hospitals running in Baghdad. Largest power plant in Baghdad has 1 MW of power to run lights and control panels,etc. Needs 7 to 9 MW to get started. Then it can be provide rolling power to neighborhoods, and jumpstart other power plants. Hope is to get this plant running by Friday or Saturday. Meanwhile small diesel plants are providing limited power. Hospitals continue to have problems with staff as well as supplies. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-04-17 15:24:32 |
| #4 Centcom reports power and water restored to pre-war levels in Basra, al Zubair, and Kirkuk. BBC continues to report absence of water and power in Baghdad. Centcom reports initial efforts to restore power in Baghdad, Doura power plant and about half a dozen substations. Natural Gas from the north still cut off, attempting to start oil-fired plant, need jump start - possibly from Kirkuk - examining apparently damaged power line from Kirkuk to Baghdad. Brits report main obstacles to medical care in Basra now are supplies, situation slowly improving. Centcom reports coalition medical facilities coming in, notes Kuwaiti and Spanish efforts. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-04-17 09:57:10 |
| #3 "Oil for palace" ! Tommy-boy how would you like to host Politically Incorrect? |
| Posted by: Scott 2003-04-17 09:44:38 |
| #2 There are now reports from the Red Cross that water has returned all over Baghdad (ABC - Aussie, I think) |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-04-17 09:29:29 |
| #1 Through all of these palace |
| Posted by: Samma-lamma 2003-04-17 09:26:43 |