We're in the 11th day of combat in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and a growing coalition of nearly 50 nations stands one day closer to liberating Iraq and removing the threat of the regime's weapons of mass destruction. Every day we diminish the regime's ability to command and control its forces. You've all seen that. And every day we erode the regime's grip over the Iraqi people. We're in fact on plan. And where we stand today is not only acceptable in my view, it is truly remarkable.

Let me take a minute and review with you where we stand in terms of operational objectives.

First, the coalition has secured the oil fields in the south from regime destruction, which they attempted, and this vital resource has been preserved for Iraq's future.

Second, we have air and ground freedom of action in western Iraq, working to protect Iraq's neighbors from potential regime use of weapons of mass destruction.

Third, our air forces work 24 hours a day across every square foot of Iraq. And every day the regime loses more of its military capability.

Fourth, we're now staging and conducting air operations from a number of Iraqi airfields which are now under coalition control.

Fifth, coalition forces have attacked and destroyed a massive terrorist facility in the last 48 hours in northern Iraq, and ground forces, as we speak, are exploiting the results of that strike.

Sixth, the entire coastline of Iraq has been secured and her ports stand today as a gateway for humanitarian assistance for the Iraqi people. As you know, the first humanitarian shipments have arrived in convoys, and additional shipments are on the way.

This morning, I received a report that a member of free Iraqi forces in fact yesterday met his mother for the first time in 12 years in the town of Umm Qasr. Somewhat later yesterday, two men stepped forward to surrender to coalition forces. These two men who surrendered are in fact brothers who were trained in Baghdad to be suicide bombers and were sent to Umm Qasr by the regime to kill American and UK forces. Amazingly, when they heard free Iraqi forces speaking in Arabic in the south, they chose to fight for the future of Iraq rather than fighting for this dying regime.

Seventh, the coalition has in fact introduced a very capable ground force into northern Iraq. These forces, along with large numbers of special operations troops, have preventing the rekindling of historic feuding which we've seen in years past between the Turks and the Kurds, and these forces do in fact represent a serious northern threat to regime forces.

Eighth, a large and capable ground force has attacked to within 60 miles of Baghdad on multiple fronts, and they currently maintain readiness levels of their combat systems above 90 percent mission capable. As we speak, elements of that ground force are continuing the attack. The regime is in trouble, and they know it.

Ninth, in the past 24 hours, I have received report that coalition forces are working with local Iraqis in the city of An Nasiriyah, and the death squads that operate -- the squads of gangs, regime gangs that operate in that city, have come under fire. The Iraqis in and around An Nasiriyah are helping us once again as we speak by providing records on Ba'ath Party officials and members of the regime attempting to operate in and around An Nasiriyah. Similarly, we see from day to day Iraqis coming to our forces, linking up with free Iraqi forces, discussing the past, and wanting to discuss their future.

Gains, considerable to be sure, not without cost. Gains in war never come without cost. We honor those that have fallen. We mourn their loss with their families.

As I've said before, this military campaign will be like no other before. We will attack the enemy, have and will continue to attack the enemy, at times and at places of coalition choosing. Sometimes simultaneously, sometimes sequentially.

Let me talk for just a minute about the road ahead. We'll continue to surprise the enemy by attacking at all times of day and night all over the battlefield. Coalition forces will continue to advance on Baghdad while the Iraqi retime will continue to lose control of the country. The regime will continue in the days ahead to locate military assets near civilians, near cultural sites, near hospitals, near schools. And the regime may well attempt to destroy the Iraqi infrastructure. We'll do our best to protect the citizens of Iraq, while the regime does its best to use them as human shields. Our targets will remain the Iraqi regime, not the Iraqi people, and we will continue to provide humanitarian assistance, and we will continue to open the gateways in the south, and in the west, and in the north.

As many of you know, we have in fact placed water and millions of meals and medicines in stock to go to the Iraqi people, and delivery has already begun. This campaign, as I started my remarks, has made remarkable progress. Lots remains to be done. The days ahead will see ups and downs -- the ups and downs of war. We don't need to remind ourselves that the outcome has not been, is not, and will not be in question.
www.centcom.mil &
http://snowhite.antville.org/stories/335076
i can as well be found here:
http://www.antville.org/list?start=250
source of piX http://cbsnews.com photo AP

Tommy Franks has my respect, the respect of our military, and the thanks of the United States of America. (.)

MacDill is the Command Center of our Special Operations Forces -- (.) -- the silent warriors who were first on the ground -- were first on the ground there in Iraq. And here at CENTCOM, you coordinate the work of a grand coalition that is disarming a dangerous enemy and freeing a proud people. (.)

Every nation in our coalition understands the terrible threat we face from weapons of mass destruction. Every nation represented here refuses to live in a future of fear, at the mercy of terrorists and tyrants. And every nation here today shares the same resolve: We will be relentless in our pursuit of victory. (.)

Our military is making good progress in Iraq; yet this war is far from over. As they approach Baghdad, our fighting units are facing the most desperate elements of a doomed regime. We cannot know the duration of this war, but we are prepared for the battle ahead. We cannot predict the final day of the Iraqi regime, but I can assure you, and I assure the long-suffering people of Iraq, there will be a day of reckoning for the Iraqi regime, and that day is drawing near. (.)

Many of you here today were also involved in the liberation of Afghanistan. (.) The military demands are very different in Iraq. Yet our coalition is showing the same spirit, the same resolve -- that spirit and resolve that destroyed the al Qaeda terror camps, that routed the Taliban and freed the people of Afghanistan. (.)

In Iraq today, our military is focused and unwavering. We have an effective plan of battle and the flexibility to meet every challenge. Nothing -- nothing -- will divert us from our clear mission. We will press on through every hardship. We will overcome every danger. And we will prevail. (.)

It has been six days since the major ground war began. It's been five days since the major air war began. And every day has brought us closer to our objective. At the opening of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Special Forces helped to secure air fields and bridges and oil fields, to clear the way for our forces and to prevent sabotage and environmental catastrophe. Our pilots and Cruise missiles have struck vital military targets with lethal precision.

We've destroyed the base of a terrorist group in Northern Iraq that sought to attack America and Europe with deadly poisons. We have moved over 200 miles to the north, toward Iraq's capital, in the last three days. (.) And the dictator's major Republican Guard units are now under direct and intense attack. (.) Day by day, Saddam Hussein is losing his grip on Iraq; day by day, the Iraqi people are closer to freedom.

We are also taking every action we can to prevent the Iraqi regime from using its hidden weapons of mass destruction. We are attacking the command structure that could order the use of those weapons. Coalition troops have taken control of hundreds of square miles of territory to prevent the launch of missiles, and chemical or biological weapons.

Every victory in this campaign, and every sacrifice serves the purpose of defending innocent lives, in America and across the world, from the weapons of terror. We will not wait to meet this danger, with firefighters and police and doctors on the streets of our own cities. Instead, we are meeting the danger today with our Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Marines. (Applause.)

All the nations in our coalition are contributing to our steady progress. British ground forces have seized strategic towns and ports. The Royal Air Force is striking targets throughout Iraq. The Royal Navy is taking command of coastal waters. The Australian military is providing naval gunfire support, and Special Forces, and fighter aircraft on missions deep in Iraq. Polish military forces have secured an Iraqi oil platform in the Persian Gulf. A Danish submarine is monitoring Iraqi intelligence providing early warning. Czech, Slovak, Polish, and Romanian forces, soon to be joined by Ukrainian and Bulgarian forces, are forward deployed in the region, prepared to respond in the event of an attack of weapons of mass destruction anywhere in the region. Spain is providing important logistical and humanitarian support. Coalition forces are skilled and courageous, and we are honored to have them by our side. (Applause.)

In the early stages of this war, the world is getting a clearer view of the Iraqi regime and the evil at its heart. In the ranks of that regime are men whose idea of courage is to brutalize unarmed prisoners. They wage attacks while posing as civilians. They use real civilians as human shields. They pretend to surrender, then fire upon those who show them mercy. This band of war criminals has been put on notice: the day of Iraq's liberation will also be a day of justice. (Applause.)

And in the early stages of this war, we have also seen the honor of the American military and our coalition. Protecting innocent civilians is a central commitment of our war plan. Our enemy in this war is the Iraqi regime, not the people who have suffered under it. As we bring justice to a dictator, today we started bringing humanitarian aid in large amounts to an oppressed land. (Applause.)

We are treating Iraqi prisoners of war according the highest standards of law and decency. Coalition doctors are working to save the lives of the wounded, including Iraqi soldiers. One of our servicemen said this about the injured Iraqis he treated: "We can't blame them for the mistreatment their government is doing to our soldiers. I'm all for treating them. That's what we do. That's our job." (Applause.)

Our entire coalition has a job to do, and it will not end with the liberation of Iraq. We will help the Iraqi people to find the benefits and assume the duties of self-government. The form of those institutions will arise from Iraq's own culture and its own choices. Yet, this much is certain: The 24 million people of Iraq have lived too long under a violent criminal gang calling itself a government.

Iraqis are a good and gifted people. They deserve better than a life spent bowing before a dictator. The people of Iraq deserve to stand on their feet as free men and women -- the citizens of a free country. (Applause.)

This goal of a free and peaceful Iraq unites our coalition. And this goal comes from the deepest convictions of America. The freedom you defend is the right of every person and the future of every nature. The liberty we prize is not American's gift to the world; it is God's gift to humanity. (.).

The Army Special Forces define their mission in a motto, "To liberate the oppressed." (.) Generations of men and women in uniform have served and sacrificed in this cause. Now the call of history has come once again to all in our military and to all in our coalition. We are answering that call. We have no ambition in Iraq except the liberation of its people. We ask no reward except a durable peace. And we will accept no outcome short of complete and final success.
The path we are taking is not easy, and it may be long. Yet we know our destination. We will stay on the path -- mile by mile -- all the way to Baghdad, and all the way to victory.

i am strictly against this war - but have to examine the pro-thoughts on it, as well - so this is what xb95 wrote.
My thoughts on the war...
Okay, I normally don't post things like this, because I really don't like talking or thinking about them for various reasons. I'm going to put out my thoughts on this, though, just so they're recorded and I can look back in the future and see how my thoughts and mind has changed over the years.

On Bush...
I would have voted for him had I been 8 days older. I missed the cutoff. I think that, while he does have some views I disagree with, I support most of what he does and think that he hasn't done a horrible job in office. Again, I don't agree with some things, especially with regard to feminine rights, but other things like business and such, I agree and support his point of view.

On Saddam...
I think that Saddam is not the kind of person who should be running a country. He is a dictator and rules through fear. He has committed so many atrocities that I don't want to think about it. IMHO, he doesn't deserve to be a dictator, hell, doesn't deserve to be in any position of power.

On the War...
I think that the ideas behind the war are good. I think that removing Saddam and liberating Iraq is a good thing. Granted, I know that some people there like how things are, in fact, I'm sure a lot of them do. However, there's also a big segment that is getting repressed BECAUSE of the regime. I don't agree with that, and I think it's bad enough to warrant some kind of action taken by the rest of the world to fix it.

However, I disagree with the way this is being done. I think that any sort of action taken to remove someone from power should be taken by the world in general. In an ideal situation. I realize that we've been trying to get the UN to do something, and nothing has happened. Perhaps it was time to do something without the world, but perhaps it wasn't. I'm not really one to judge that.

Bombs? Tanks? Troops? Brute force? Perhaps it would have been better to get in some elite CIA people and assassinate Hussein and all of his doubles. That might have been viewed far more favorably by the rest of the world than this "shock and awe" campaign.

Speaking of shock and awe... what the fuck? That's just some general getting his jollies off because he can't actually go fight anymore. He names the campaign something that sounds kinda neat and sends the men and women of this country over to fight.

On the Troops...
I support what our troops are doing. I come from a long line of military background. My mom, dad, and stepmom were military. I have lots of grandparents that were military. My brother considered it. I have considered it. I think that the men and women who serve in the military are such good people.

I know that some will die, some already have. I think it's unfortunate, but I don't think their lives are being lost in vain. Whether or not I agree with the war and whether or not you agree, they ARE performing a service that is pretty overdue. Iraq has stood for a very long time as a dictatorship that doesn't care about the world. The men and women of the armed forces of America, Britain, Australia, and any other country that is helping us, these men and women deserve to be honored and are fighting for a just cause.

pezstar21, I know your dad is over there. He will be in my thoughts. When you talk to him, tell him that I'm rooting for him and all of the others in the military.

In Conclusion...
This war has a point. It has a reason. It's a good reason. The execution leaves something to be desired, but I won't critique it too much because I don't have any better suggestions. The people who run this country have spent their lives doing things like this--and perhaps this really was the best way to do it. Only time will tell.

Oh, and...
For those of you who say that war doesn't work... look around, do you see any slavery? The Civil War sure worked. Do you see a unified Europe murdering every person who doesn't have blond hair and blue eyes or who is Jewish? Oh, wait, World War II worked. Yes, there have been failed wars... BUT, just as many have succeeded and accomplished what they set out to do. - source
http://livejournal.com/~pezstar21
her father is in war.

I'm the director of operations here at Central Command. And Operation Iraqi Freedom continues. We continue to make good progress in accordance with our plan. We continue to believe it's a well-orchestrated plan, it's flexible, and it's producing the daily successes that we need on the battlefield.

We continue to apply good pressure across a broad area of lines of operations. This allows us to put pressure on the regime. It allows us to communicate with the Iraqi civilian leaders in the various communities and to take that information and then target some of these terror cells that are holding hostage many of these cities of Southern Iraq. It also allows us to work in the west and in the north with a number of tribal leaders to continue to expand influence of free Iraqis throughout those parts of the country.

It's -- it's important, as you look at the results that we see on the battlefield and the results that maybe are briefed to you here, that while there's a great deal of information that is passed through the media from the battlefield, and from what we try to pass here, there's a great deal of information that's just not covered out there, and those kinds of things are also producing great pressure on the battlefield. So, it's important to understand that we try to pass on as much information that we can that you can see. There are many things that we just can't pass to you because we don't visibility in terms of visuals with some of those key elements out on the battlefield. And, of course, as we continue to put pressure on some of these terror-like cells throughout the country, we certainly don't want to put any of our people at risk.

We continue to integrate a really superb coalition force. That comes at the lowest level all the way up to the highest levels. And I would tell you that -- I'll mention a couple of anecdotes in a minute that can show you how important it is to be able take capabilities of each nation, integrate it into a fighting force, and then get great results in a very timely fashion.

As I said, we're moving very successfully along our objectives, but that comes -- does not come without a cost, and certainly we mourn the loss of those men and women who deployed here, committed to the important aspects of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and we share the concern of the families of those missing in this tough time.

But as I said, we continue. We continue to isolate the regime, its forces on the field, its command and control networks. We continue to take strides with humanitarian aid. We mentioned yesterday the port of Umm Qasr opening. Twelve distribution points opened up on the -- in the area today, and food being delivered to Iraqi people in the Umm Qasr, Al Zubair, and to some to degree as we're able to get it to some of the Basra population.

We continue to take control of airfield. We're operating from some airfields in southern Iraq, with combat search and rescue, close air support, and obviously logistic support to our forces in the field.

We continue to expand the influence in our air operations and have virtual freedom of movement around the country. We've taken advantage of very rapid censor-to-shooter links in order to re-target our airmen as they move around the country to respond to situations on the battlefield that the commanders feel are critical to them. It's a great story of a combined nature. These are Australian, U.K. and U.S. airmen responding through pretty rotten weather over the few days prior, to the last couple of days where we've had much more of a capability to engage the ground -- the fielded ground targets, and I think we're seeing success, as we expected to.

I say it was -- it's an integrated operation, and I'll give you a couple of anecdotes. We had a U.S. fighter aircraft out on a mission a day or two ago, caught in bad weather, fought his way through thunderstorms. And after having a few harrowing moments in his airplane, found himself recovering, heading back out to a tanker. And after what I would have called a mission where I would have been ready to come home, he took on gas and went back and flew four more hours striking targets in southern Iraq. So, it's that kind of heroism that is occurring out there every day, and I can't show you that. I can't -- there's not a good way, other than for me to communicate that to you here, that kind of courage and heroism that occurs.

We've had Australian and U.K. fighters working through very difficult conditions in the southern portion of Iraq to strike targets in the midst of thunderstorms, Australian fighters who have swung from doing defensive counter-air into strike missions. And so across the board we have seen great flexibility.

One further little note, that we had a circumstance a couple of days ago where a long-range patrol element was out isolated in a bit of a -- in a bit of a bind, and we used an Air Force combat rescue unit to go pick them up and bring them out. Certainly not traditional missions for each one of those, but adapting to the battlefield has been one of our successes.

As we've mentioned, we continue to secure the oil industry resources in the southern part of the country. We have begun to complete -- well, we've progressed nicely in the -- in the emergency or explosive ordinance disposal operations in the southern oil fields. We have the Basra refinery now secured, and we continue our commitment to keep the economic assets safe for the people of Iraq in the future.

I mentioned our ability to destroy Iraqi command and control, but we've also been able to target some of those key elements of Ba'ath Party and some of these terrorist cell organizations. Later, General Brooks will show you some imagery of a strike that went particularly well. I'd like to focus a minute on the integrated effort that it takes to make that work, taking advantage of an ability to use small special operating teams to get close to targets that we can identify, that a location is of interest to us. We can find that these terror leaders are in fact having a meeting, and then call in very precise strikes to destroy that, and I'm pleased to say the result of that, we believe, were about 200 leaders of these -- of these irregular squads, and key leaders we believe were destroyed last night.

Each time we make one of these attacks, we continue to degrade the regime, we continue to degrade their capability. And in a very systematic approach, we are moving nicely down the road.

Our plan remains unchanged. We continue to focus on movement of logistic support up to our units. We've had, as you may have seen from some of the imbedded reporters, consistent movement of long lines of supplies up to the forces. That's going fairly well -- not without some engagements by some of these Iraqi irregular forces, but there is good force protection there with armed helicopters, with armored patrols, and we feel that line of communication is moving along quite nicely.

We continue to see these small units operating in the south, although we're seeing them get smaller and smaller, reducing in the area of As Samawa, An Nasiriyah and in Basra we're having positive effects, but we still see that terror behavior. A couple of days ago -- actually, a day ago, we had a report of an Iraqi woman waving a white flag to get out of an area that was hazardous. Our troops allowed her to continue. They continued on a patrol. Came back some time later in the morning and found her hanged at the light post on a street corner. So, that kind of terror continues. And we should not forget that that's the approach of this regime. That's not the approach of this coalition.

Iraqi terror organizations continue to force young men to come out of the towns and fight, and we have anecdotal evidence of young men fighting in some of these small cities that clearly are not there because they want. They're probably being forced to fight because they fear for their families as opposed to being loyal to the regime, and their prowess on the battlefield in some cases leads us to that conclusion.

So, in conclusion, I guess I'd say that we continue to work on plan. We continue to see the results that we would like to see on the battlefield. There is I think good progress being made with the land forces, conducting long-range patrols, artillery attacks to interdict a number of enemy lines of communication as well. So, we're having our effect on a much broader scale than these small attacks that are getting some publicity are having on our forces.