Instead of waking to the pleasant beep of an alarm clock early
Thursday morning, Iraqi citizens awoke to the terrifying sound of
massive explosions and air-raid sirens as the first U.S. missiles
struck key targets in the country.
According to news agencies around the world, at 9:42 p.m. EST on
March 12 (5:42 a.m. Baghdad time March 13), the United States
activated its military in an effort to depose the Iraqi dictator
Saddam. The operation in Iraq has been labeled “Operation Iraqi
Freedom.”
At the same time the 82nd Airborne Division raided villages in
Afghanistan in search of Osama Bin Laden and other Al-Queda and
Taliban leaders.
Many experts are calling Wednesday’s action by the United States
the most aggressive movement in the war on terror to date.
On Monday U.S. President George W. Bush gave Hussein and his
sons a 48-hour deadline to leave Iraq peacefully. Saddam rejected
the offer and said it was the Bush family who should leave the
United States.
“Operation Iraqi Freedom” began almost two hours after the
deadline passed, when the first cruise missiles struck targets in
Iraq early Thursday morning.
According to the Fox News Network, the missile strikes came
after the Central Intelligence Agency director, George Tenet,, told
President Bush in a meeting Wednesday afternoon that they had a
track on Hussein.
Wednesday’s strike was not part of the main air campaign but an
attempt to take advantage of time-sensitive targets and targets of
opportunity.
“When the real air campaign starts, you will know it,” the
Pentagon said.
U.S. officials said that the preemptive strike personally
targeted Saddam Hussein and senior Iraqi leadership. It was a
“decapitation” attack–without the brain the body cannot live.
Destroying the command structure will make strategy and movement
nearly impossible for Iraqi forces.
Associated Press sources said that four U.S. battleships and two
attack submarines located in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea fired
more than 40 Tomahawk cruise missiles at “targets of opportunity”
all over Iraq. Two F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighters dropped four
2,000-pound bombs on the most sensitive of targets.
Mosul, Iraq, a royal palace where Saddam and key leaders may
have been spending the night was bombed. This palace is one of 20
in the country, and each are equipped with bunkers and safety
shelters.
A refueling depot on the road to Jordan in western Iraq was
completely obliterated. This site was targeted to hinder
transportation of Iraqi forces.
The United States is attempting to destroy the Iraqi soldiers’
will to fight. The regular soldiers are poorly trained, not fed,
and have no money. “Their morale is at the bottom of the barrel”
retired Col. David Hunt said.
According to reports from U.S. military officials, before any
missiles were fired, 18 Iraqi soldiers surrendered to coalition
forces. Sources within the military also indicate that Iraq’s 11th
infantry division and 5th mechanized division are also ready to
surrender. These two divisions would account for two-thirds of
Iraqi forces in the South.
Fox News said that China, France and the United Nations have
expressed great concern for the situation in Iraq and have called
for military action to end immediately.
On Thursday, U.S. forces from the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force
moved into Iraq from the southeastern border with Kuwait, Pentagon
sources said.
With approximately 300,000 troops and 1,000 warplanes in the
region, the United States is prepared for a fight.
“These are the opening stages of what will be a broad and
concerted campaign,” Bush said. “We will accept no outcome but
victory.”
As a barrage of missiles and bombs fell in Iraq, “Operation
Valiant Strike” commenced in the mountains of Afghanistan.
According to CNN, “Operation Valiant Strike” is the largest
military operation in Afghanistan since “Operation Anaconda” a year
ago.
U.S. officials in Washington indicated that 1,000 troops from
the 82nd Airborne Division raided three remote villages in
southeastern Afghanistan in an attempt to hunt Osama Bin Laden and
members of Al-Queda and the Taliban.
Bin Laden and the terror organization, Al-Queda, are responsible
for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the
Pentagon, which claimed the lives of nearly 4,000 Americans.
The Associated Press said that Information from Al-Queda’s No. 3
man, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who was captured in Pakistan March 1,
could lead to the capture of other Al-Queda members.
It is believed that the three villages aided and may have even
housed members of Al-Queda and the Taliban.
Radio transmissions, believed to be from suspected terrorists,
who were ccoming from caves above the villages.
Security officials say that in recent weeks several Afghan
government posts were violently attacked by the Taliban and
Al-Queda.
The latest of these attacks happened Wednesday. The soldiers at
Sherabik post, near the Pakistan border, were ambushed early
Wednesday and their throats slit by attacking Taliban, said Abdul
Razzak Panjshiri, security chief of Spinboldak.
U.S. forces are hoping to find Bin Laden and put an end to the
ongoing attacks on the new Afghan government.
Mississippi State University has implemented a Critical Incident
Management Plan that allows a quick response to any emergency
associated with the war.
MSU created a special Web site,
www.msstate.edu/web/prepared.html that will be used during the war
to provide students with updated information and links to important
state and federal resources.
Counselors from the University Counseling Center will be in the
Colvard Student Union from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today to provide
support and assistance to students and faculty who are coping with
the war.
“While all of us should follow the progress of world events and
remain alert to potential threats, we also encourage everyone to go
about normal activities as much as possible,” said Interim Vice
President of Student Affairs, Jimmy Abraham said. Student responses
to the war have been varied and reflect on a smaller scale the
national opinion.
Student Jay Grisham says, “In regard to everyday life it will
have no effect, but it will make me take life more seriously.
Hopefully the war will shed light on how bad saddam really is. I
mean even his own troops attempted to assassinate him back in the
early 90’s, and now 2/3 of his forces are ready to surrender.”
According to freshman Will Dahlem, “It’s a shame that very few
major countries are willing to help us get rid of the most evil
leader in the world today. Then when its over they will want some
of the spoils of war.”
Daniel Connerly says, “I support war because he (Saddam Hussein)
has been in power too long and has done things that no man should
be allowed to do, and he should feel the repercussions for his
actions.”
“I trust the President, and I think he is trying to make America
a safer place. He must have proof that Iraq is in the wrong. He
would not just make a rash decision without evidence,” said fashion
merchandising major, Carrie Davis.
Architecture student Wesley Stuckey says, “I feel that it is not
necessary for us to bomb everywhere we think there is a
terrorist.”
“I don’t know what to think about the war,” says Matt Dees.
Sophomore Will Brantley says, “I think war isn’t good but it
came to a point where it was necessary. But ya know, I wish there
was another way to get Saddam out.”
Whether or not you support the war is not an issue right now.
The war has already started. We need to unite as a nation and
support the U.S. government, our fellow Americans who are serving
overseas, and each other.

Gallery • 1 Photos

Grant Holzhauer