....2000 pound "Bunker Buster" bomb was used in the strike.
In his speech, Bush indicated that they will be attacking civilian areas cz "Saddam has hidden his arsenals in civilian areas and will use them as human shields". I guess this roughly translates that "expect a lot of collateral damage".
cant take this anymore…my indian friend just called saying she was feeling sick to the stomach as well coz of these strikes so wanted to go for a drive…i’m off then, talk to u later than inshallah, Allah Hafiz 
More and more reports are coming in from senior US officials that Saddam Hussein himself was the target, after they received late intelligence. But they did not plan to attack Iraq today, and only after this intelligence they launched this targeted and so far limited attack. No other attacks are being launched as yet?
closing your eyes wouldn't make the cat go away irem ...
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Faisal: *
In his speech, Bush indicated that they will be attacking civilian areas cz "Saddam has hidden his arsenals in civilian areas and will use them as human shields". I guess this roughly translates that "expect a lot of collateral damage".
[/QUOTE]
you selectivly left this out "I want Americans and all the world to know that coalition forces will make every effort to spare innocent civilians from harm."
It was kinda funny, listening to George Bush telling the listeners the virtues of sticking to International Law. 
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by underthedome: *
you selectivly left this out "I want Americans and all the world to know that coalition forces will make every effort to spare innocent civilians from harm."
[/QUOTE]
We always have you to come in and clarify that. We'll see how much effort is made this time around. Will it be as much "effort" as they did in Al-Amirya?
There is a big difference between talking the talk and walking the walk, dude.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by underthedome: *
you selectivly left this out "I want Americans and all the world to know that coalition forces will make every effort to spare innocent civilians from harm."
[/QUOTE]
No I think he probably had American bombing atrocities like the Amirya bombing shelter in mind, hence he did not take those words of Bush seriously.
It is imperative for the Islamic world to arm itself with WMD especially nuclear weapons..... The biggest terrorist only understands the language of chappal.... I don't have to repeat the recent past examples again you all know darn well...
Jaab gidhar ki moat aati hey tho wo shaher ke teraf baghta hey
Jaab amreekan kutay ki moat aati hey tho wo vietnam ki teraf baghta hey
No more bombing attacks on Iraq, and Baghdad is quiet.
That's it for now, let see what rises from the dust.
Weatherwise Baghdad looks beautiful today.
Apparantely the British military command in the Gulf were not told about this attack beforehand by the American’s. 
The BBC are now reporting that senior military sources in Qatar are saying that 5 senior Iraqi leaders were targeted in one attack, including Saddam.
Could Saddam be dead?
Has the psychological attack against Iraqi children finished for the day? When does the "fun" begin again tomorrow?
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Malik73: *
Could Saddam be dead?
[/QUOTE]
I'd be very surprised if he gets caught in the first raid. He'd probably be in his deepest bunker(s) now.
Splendind. Further proof, if any was needed, of Bush and Blair’s “special relationship”. This should cause Blair sufficient embarassment.
US attack on Iraq has begun
WASHINGTON - U.S. forces launched a strike against “targets of military opportunity” in Iraq (news - web sites), President Bush (news - web sites) said Wednesday night. He described the action as the opening salvo in an operation to “disarm Iraq and to free its people.”
Bush spoke after the U.S. military struck with cruise missiles and precision-guided bombs against a site near Baghdad, where Iraqi leaders were thought to be, U.S. government officials said. There was no indication whether the attack was successful.
The strikes used Tomahawk cruise missiles and precision-guided bombs dropped from F-117 Nighthawks, the Air Force’s stealth fighter-bombers, military officials said.
Bush addressed the nation about two hours after his 8 p.m. EST ultimatum for Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) to give up power.
“Now that conflict has come, the only way to limit its duration is to apply decisive force,” Bush said. “We will accept no outcome but victory.”
He spoke as a U.S.-led force of 300,000 troops ringed Iraq, ready to launch a ferocious assault to topple the Iraqi dictator and capture any weapons of mass destruction.
“On my order, coalition forces have begun targeting selected targets of military importance to undermine Saddam Hussein’s ability to wage war,” the president said. “These are the opening stages of what will be a broad and concerted campaign.”
As he has many times in the run-up to war, Bush declared that the United States has “no ambition in Iraq except to remove a threat. Our forces will be coming home as soon as their work is done.”
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer (news - web sites) had announced Bush’s plans to speak on short notice.
Fleischer spoke as anti-aircraft fire and explosions were heard across Baghdad after air raid sirens went off at the capital at dawn.
A U.S. official declined to identify which leaders were targeted or to say whether the attack was successful.
However, a second official said the plan for targeting Iraqi leadership included using F-117 stealth bombers and a handful of cruise missiles.
Bush’s speech came at the end of an anxious day of waiting at the White House.
The president scrutinized final battle plans and told Congress why he was poised to launch the largest pre-emptive attack in U.S. history.
After meeting yet again with Pentagon (news - web sites) officials, including Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, Bush had just finished dinner Wednesday night and was in the living room of the White House residence with first lady Laura Bush when his chief of staff, Andrew Card, called. Card informed the president that intelligence officials had no information that Saddam had left Iraq.
Earlier, Fleischer spoke of somber realities of war.
“Americans ought to be prepared for loss of life,” he said.
Extra security enveloped the executive mansion while aides inside whispered rumors of Iraqi defections and surrenders.
The president began his day with the usual briefing from FBI (news - web sites) Director Robert Mueller and CIA (news - web sites) Director George Tenet. He also met throughout the day with his war council, including Rumsfeld, Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites), Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites).
They reviewed the final details for war in Iraq, aides said, poring over weather forecasts and troop positions.
Bush also discussed battle plans by telephone with Prime Minister Tony Blair (news - web sites), who has sent 40,000 British troops to the Persian Gulf.
Bush sent Congress formal notice that he had determined “further diplomatic and other peaceful means alone” would not be enough to contain the “threat posed by Iraq.” Bush has contended that Saddam possesses chemical and biological weapons that he could use on his enemies or slip to terrorists.
Bush closed the window to diplomacy Monday when he addressed the nation, but the congressional notification was required under the terms of a resolution passed last year to authorize military action.
The resolution also required Bush to verify that ousting Saddam would not hurt the global war on terrorism. Bush complied with a seven-page report asserting that Iraq supports terrorist networks, including Osama bin Laden (news - web sites)'s al-Qaida organization.
Offering fresh justification for war, the report said one of the spoils of victory may be information about terror cells in the United States.
“United States government personnel operating in Iraq may discover information through Iraqi government documents and interviews with detained Iraqi officials that would identify individuals currently in the United States and abroad who are linked to terrorist organizations,” the report said.
White House officials said the assertion was mostly speculative.
The United States has initiated attacks in such places as Grenada and Panama, but war in Iraq would set a new standard for pre-emptive military action.
The president also met with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who emerged from the White House to say the long national debate about whether to go to war is over.
Bloomberg made a pitch for more money to help his city prevent a terrorist attack and respond to any that occurs.
hehehehe good one!! honeymoon shroo bhe nahin howa aur divorce bhe ho gaee…
But Blair is a baysharam…
and the bombs kept coming..who's next
next on the list is iran.. imperialism is in full swing. one by one the capitalists will beat you and you will be helping them doing them..
god have mercy on your souls..
The BBC are saying that Blair’s spokesmen were awoken by British reporters to inform them of the American attack, although Blair sources are now saying they were told one hour before.