NO BLOOD FOR FREEDOM:

Iraqis greet advancing Marine units as liberators (James W. Crawley, March 23, 2003, San Diego UNION-TRIBUNE)

Marines driving deep into southern Iraq were greeted by Iraqi civilians yesterday who waved and gave the advancing force a "thumbs-up."

"That was awesome," Gunnery Sgt. Gregory Keeler said. "They were waving at us, honking their horns . . . I really felt like a liberator."

Three days into the war, Marines passed by small villages set around cultivated fields and encountered increasing numbers of civilians and surrendering Iraqi soldiers as they moved closer to the fertile Euphrates River valley. [...]

"They seemed happy we're here, or they were just hungry," said Cpl. Adam Brown, a light armored vehicle driver with the recon battalion. "I think I saw definite joy in their faces."

Many of the Iraqis carried yellow plastic bags containing humanitarian daily rations that U.S. troops were given to hand out to refugees and surrendering soldiers.

"They all know what the yellow bag is," said Ramage, who with the other crewmen on his vehicle tossed the rations to women and children along the highway.

Peace Marchers Rally Across United States (AP, March 23, 2003)

Anti-war activists marched again Saturday in dozens of cities, marshaling well over 100,000 in Manhattan and sometimes trading insults with backers of the U.S.-led war on Iraq. War backers rallied too, often by the thousands, with American flags and chants of ``USA!''

In Chicago, some of about 800 troop supporters came within 20 feet of a small group of anti-war activists outside a federal building. As the protesters shouted ``killers, killers, killers,'' a military backer yelled back ``idiots, idiots, idiots.'' Later, about 500 anti-war protesters marched around the same building.

Carrying peace signs and wearing costumes, demonstrators in New York spanned 30 blocks as they marched down Broadway toward Washington Square Park. Unofficial police estimates put the crowd at more than 125,000; United for Peace and Justice, the march organizers, estimated the crowd at more than 250,000.

"I believe if you really want to show `shock and awe,' you should show love and justice,'' said marcher Bob Edgar, an officer at the National Council of Churches.

Who's showing greater love for the people of Iraq: Mr. Edgar who's marching to try and keep them under Saddam's thumb or Cpl Brown who's risking his life to free and feed them? Posted by Orrin Judd at March 23, 2003 12:43 PM