Bush addresses the world- Pending War

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by cassiopeia
Nope, I meant the American ABC. We're too lazy to do round the clock coverage here. We just get English and American coverage, with occasional Australian presenters interupting.

That's cool. I'm not sure if all the other networks are broadcasting round the clock - uninterupted. ABCNews I like the best anyway - so I'm glad they're doing it.

It's 1:00am here and Peter Jennings is still reporting. He's starting to look really tired though. I figured they would be letting him take a break for at least an hour or something.

[Dúnedain]

Originally posted by BeardofPants
Yep, we've been getting around the clock coverage from CNN, and late night coverage from ABC, and BBC (Unfortunately ABC and BBC are both on a bit late for me.) Well, all I can say is you'd better actually GET the bastard this time. At least make the casualties worthwhile. And I sincerely hope that America can stabilise the region, but I have my doubts given how this whole charade was pulled off.

figures

[Dúnedain]

Another update on the casualties, the believed 16 troops killed is actually now thought to be 12. Where it was 8 Britons and 4 Americans in the helicopter as of the latest release on it, again still sad but 12 is better than 16 I suppose

[BeardofPants]

Originally posted by Dúnedain
figures

[markedel]

I like CBC newsworld. Objective, competant accurate. No hysterical flag-waving. This war may turn into an utter failure but it may just destroy the Canadian alliance. So at least one good thing has come out of the war.

[Legolas_Frodo_Aragorn]

Originally posted by markedel
I like CBC newsworld. Objective, competant accurate. No hysterical flag-waving. This war may turn into an utter failure but it may just destroy the Canadian alliance. So at least one good thing has come out of the war.

with the US?

[Sween]

Originally posted by Dúnedain
Another update on the casualties, the believed 16 troops killed is actually now thought to be 12. Where it was 8 Britons and 4 Americans in the helicopter as of the latest release on it, again still sad but 12 is better than 16 I suppose

still too many!

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by Sween
still too many!

What - you mean to compared to the thousands Hussein tortures and kills? I don't think the people whose family members are executed by acid bath would think so.

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by markedel
I like CBC newsworld. Objective, competant accurate. No hysterical flag-waving. This war may turn into an utter failure but it may just destroy the Canadian alliance. So at least one good thing has come out of the war.

That's an ignorant statement. You'd rather have a militarized zone between our two countries???? Thyat is the most ridiculous statement I have ever read or heard.

Concerning "hysterical flag waving" that's your problem.

[Sween]

Originally posted by jerseydevil
That's an ignorant statement. You'd rather have a militarized zone between our two countries???? Thyat is the most ridiculous statement I have ever read or heard.

Concerning "hysterical flag waving" that's your problem.

have to agree with JD on this one! I have sky so we get a few of the american news networks (Fox and CNN allthough CNN does switch over sometimes to a smaller british based unit) and they do make for intresting watching. The style in which they present to the british is very diffrent they are less calm than the british but from my experience of them even in peace time they do like to dramatise the news a bit so thats just there way (esspecially fox)! I think the best news channel is sky news its very unbiased and unlike the BBC does not tend to dwell on just the bristh issues

[GrayMouser]

That's an ignorant statement

You like to use that word about other people a lot, don't you?

The Canadian Alliance is the main opposition party in Canada- though of course it might be a bit much to expect some people to actually know what's going on in a country that's, gee, what- a couple of hundred miles away from their hometown.

Always happy to alleviate ignorance

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by GrayMouser
You like to use that word about other people a lot, don't you?

The Canadian Alliance is the main opposition party in Canada- though of course it might be a bit much to expect some people to actually know what's going on in a country that's, gee, what- a couple of hundred miles away from their hometown.

Always happy to alleviate ignorance

No - I don't use that word a lot - just whjen I see ignorance. In markedel's post - Alliance was no capitalised - so it could have meant the alliance with the United States. If people hope this war destroys the alliance between the United States and Canada - then that is an ignorant statement - especially if they are Canadian or American. If I was wrong in what they meant - then I take back my statement. Just to point out too - I did not call markedel ignorant - I called the statement ignorant.

I will however admit that I don't know anything about Canadian Alliance "party" though. Maybe you can enligten me. I did look up some things on the web about them. It seems they're also against the Kyoto Treaty and feel that it will be bad for the Canadian economy. There website doesn't really seem to say very much on how they stand on the issues.

By the way - the ignornace concerning our two countries goes both ways. I've talked to MANY Canadians who thought that New Jersey was part of New York. Most Canadians also don't seem to know much about our government or states either. I'm also a little bit further from Canada than a mere couple of hundred miles, unlike the majority of Canadians who live within 90 miles of the US/Canadian border. How much do you know about the politics of New Jersey?

[Lizra]

Don't flame misunderstandings! Don't flame!

[markedel]

Oh! JD I don't mean the alliance with the U.S! (godspeed and good luck to the forces etc. etc.). God forbid! (and I mean that wholeheartedly and I don't want to think about _bad_ relations with the U.S!

I do happen to think the war is a bad idea (though a screw up would be far worse). It's just that as a capital L liberal (think a leftie democrat) the misfortunes of the Canadian Alliance-(think republican party, with a distinct Montana flavour) make me gleeful.

I don't want guntoting two-tier health care promoting, abortion banning, voucher school focused MPs running my country-and now it seems I won't need to worry about it. I can even vote for the NDP to protest Liberal arrogance and corruption.

If you're really curious about Canadian politics I can give you a short run through of the issues on the table. Though you sound like an Alliance voter yourself (I can deal with it )
and would disagree with someone who would vote for NDP every so often.

[markedel]

I really hope my post clears up such misunderstandings

And hysterical flag waving is my problem-I think it's merely a Canadian aversion to blatant patriotism. I actually think it's one of the admirable things about the United States-but it can get exasperating to a guy like me.

By the way the NDP is a left-wing party, social democratic in orientation, and my prefered protest vote to the Liberal party, which has run the country since 1993, and will likely do so until 2009 at least. Now back OT:

Who thinks Saddam is dead? I think that would be great. (see I'm sure JD and I agree on some things )

[Goatee]

Originally posted by Lizra
Hi Goatee, welcome to Entmoot!

Thanks!

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by markedel
I really hope my post clears up such misunderstandings

yeah - that clears it up. And yes - I would probably be more "Canadian Alliance" leaning by my quick look of their website. I am against the outright banning of abortion though - but I guess that was discussed in the abortion thread.

I am glad you're not for the eliminate of the US/Canadian Alliance. I'd hate for th US to feel it has to reactive the military forts in Buffalo. I personally like the fact that we live in a peaceful hemisphere where I can travel the entire continent without a passport or having to go through military check points like so many other countries (especially during the cold war between the East and West European countries).

And hysterical flag waving is my problem-I think it's merely a Canadian aversion to blatant patriotism. I actually think it's one of the admirable things about the United States-but it can get exasperating to a guy like me.

Yeah - a lot of countries don't seem to understand it, but it's part of our heritage. We went thorugh a lot to form this country and we're proud of it (at least most of us)

By the way the NDP is a left-wing party, social democratic in orientation, and my prefered protest vote to the Liberal party, which has run the country since 1993, and will likely do so until 2009 at least. Now back OT:

I sort of gathered that it was a very left leaning party.

Who thinks Saddam is dead? I think that would be great. (see I'm sure JD and I agree on some things )

It would be the best thing if he is dead. Then we can stop the military action and finally help the people. Of course there would still be the Hussein supporters we'd have to keep down. But at least there would be less chance of civilians getting hurt or killed.

It is funny how he hasn't been on TV since the first bombing - and it seems as if most people feel that wasn't even him. Maybe he wants us to believe he's dead - but I'm sure it's just as likely that his government wants his people to believe he's alive.

[Sween]

Originally posted by markedel
Who thinks Saddam is dead? I think that would be great. (see I'm sure JD and I agree on some things )

im sure the Iraqies would love us to think he is but im sure hes not. But is he planning his escape as we speak? I do think one thing though i doubt very much he will be take alive i think he will try and die a marters death

[jerseydevil]

From CNN....

Officials said they did not know whether the Iraqi leader was injured or killed in the massive attack, and sources acknowledge information so far is mixed.

"I've seen intelligence suggesting he is dead, intelligence suggesting he is injured, and intelligence suggesting he is just fine," said one U.S. official. "Welcome to the fog of war."

..............
Some intelligence, however, suggesting the Iraqi leader may no longer be in full control has contributed to the Bush administration's decision to hold off -- at least for a while -- the much discussed "shock and awe" campaign of heavy aerial bombardment. That term comes from a book on military strategy, "Shock and Awe: Achieving Rapid Dominance."

Referring to the attack on Hussein's compound early Thursday, one U.S. official said "we gave them the shock, we may not need the awe."

Hopefully this is true and we won't have to do massive bombing campaign on Baghdad.

From ABCNews...

Eyewitnesses saw the Iraqi leader being taken from the complex on a "gurney, with an oxygen mask over his face," Thursday morning (Wednesday night U.S. time), the officials told ABCNEWS.
Sources said there was clearly a U.S. observer nearby, watching the complex.

When asked today whether Saddam may have been injured in the attack, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said he wouldn't address rumors, but added ambiguously, "I don't know how Saddam Hussein is feeling today."

Intelligence sources also said there has been a significant lack of communications between Saddam and his military structure since the airstrike.

They are optimistic that the attack injured Saddam, though they are cautious about the extent.

I think with the rumours of Hussein being dead - Iraq would want to put Hussein on TV to prove the "lies". They did it moments after it was suggested Tariq Aziz had defected or left the country. Hussein is not going to want his "people" to question whether he is alive or dead for too long - since it is only his tyranical presence which keeps the Iraqi regime in power.

Also - look at how much they are trying disprove that their military is surrendering - yet they haven't had Hussein on TV to say that he is still alive. It seems a little strange.

[jerseydevil]

I want to know who comes up with the names for the military assualts. This one - "Exemplary Destruction" I think is out of line. That's the name of the bombing campaign I guess that is going on now.

Anti-Aircraft Fire
ABCNEWS has learned that the U.S. military is ready to launch the next wave of major air and land attacks, with Baghdad as the primary target. U.S. intelligence sources told ABCNEWS that the operational name given to the second wave of airstrikes will be "Exemplary Destruction."

The new wave comes more than 24 hours after the "regime decapitation" first wave of airstrikes, which began after President Bush announced the start of "Operation Iraqi Freedom" on Wednesday night (ET).

U.S. intelligence sources tell ABCNEWS that "Exemplary Destruction" follows the failure of the first airstrikes to decapitate Saddam's regime, although there are doubts within U.S. intelligence circles about whether the Iraqi leader was hit in Wednesday night's airstrikes on Baghdad.