April 5, 2003

ELITE MEDINA DIVISION INVINCIBLE DURING BRUTAL AFGHAN WINTER.

U.S. Troops Capture Republican Guard Division HQ

U.S. Army soldiers Saturday captured the headquarters of the Republican Guard's Medina Division in this town about 35 miles southeast of Baghdad.

Two tank companies and an infantry company of the 3rd Infantry Division rolled through the headquarters unopposed and quickly took over the entire base. It appeared that the Republican Guard defenses had completely collapsed. . . .

When U.S. troops pulled into Suwaryah, the Republican Guard artillery pieces were sandwiched between civilian homes and business. Hundreds of young men in civilian clothes stood on the side of the road waving as U.S. troops drove by.

"Look at all the Republican Guard waving at us," Staff Sgt. Bryce Ivings of Sarasota, Fla., quipped to his company commander, Capt. Chris Carter of Watkinsville, Ga.

Triumphalism is bad. Triumphalism is bad. Triumphalism is bad.

Posted by David Cohen at April 5, 2003 12:03 PM
Comments

I am listening to the senile Daniel Schorr right

now remarking about the "big change" since

last week -- he still doesn't get it. Nothing

changed. Cakewalk all the way.

Posted by: Harry Eagar at April 5, 2003 1:14 PM

Did you hear the letter from the guy to the soldier who, in the flush of battle, referred to a woman he'd had to shoot as a "chick"? Self-righteous ass.

Posted by: oj at April 5, 2003 1:20 PM

The NPR station here is running its semiannual

fund drive and the hosts have said about a

thousand times that they are the only place

you can get straight info about the war.



I believe they are sincere.



I wrote in my column 2 weeks ago that most

people have no interest in accurate news but

are just looking for confirmation that the

opinions they had two months ago are being

borne out today. I guess that cut too close

to home--the editor spiked it.

Posted by: Harry Eagar at April 5, 2003 6:03 PM

Harry:



Why not start a blog of your own?

Posted by: M Ali Choudhury at April 5, 2003 6:22 PM

Keeping in mind that when being overrun by a victorious army, it is in the defeated party's self interest to smile and wave.



Are these people sincere?



One hopes so. But there is a very strong and long tradition of insincerity in this region, especially when it comes to invading armies.



And it is especially problematic, in that the coalition dearly wishes to believe that the smilers are sincere.



How dear we shall find out.

Posted by: Barry Meislin at April 6, 2003 12:50 AM

Sincere may be too much to hope for. Last month, they were cheering Saddam. This month their cheering the 3rd ID. We just need to make sure that we get to influence who they're cheering next month.

Posted by: David Cohen at April 6, 2003 2:40 PM

Mr. Choudhury, I thought about it, and had

selected a name: Restating the Obvious.



But then James Lileks wrote that all he was

doing was restating the obvious, and I

thought, shoot, I'll never be able to do that

as well as he does.

Posted by: Harry Eagar at April 6, 2003 8:54 PM
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