Timeline In A Week: Heart Of The Matter

[Chris Oakley]

In my two previous TLIAW productions, "Red Alert In Red Square" and "On To Berlin", I delved into events from the distant past. This time around I'm going to tackle some more recent history-- the 1994 Republican midterm Congressional election landslide, to be more precise. Those midterms marked the first time in nearly four decades the GOP had control of Congress and you're probably asking yourself: "What could be more dramatic than that?"

Well, stick around and you'll find out as I present....

Heart Of The Matter:
How A Single Case Of Cardiac Arrest Changed The Course of American History
PART 1

ABC NEWS SPECIAL REPORT
November 8th, 1994

“We had expected to be coming back from the commercial
break with further news about tonight's midterm election
results, but in the last few minutes a bulletin has come
to us from Washington that must take precedence even over
the election returns. The White House has confirmed that
President Bill Clinton has been rushed to Bethesda Naval
Hospital with what Clinton's press secretary describes as
a 'life-threatening' heart problem. Doctors at Bethesda
are preparing to attempt emergency surgery to correct the
problem, and as you can probably imagine the President's
family and closest friends are extremely anxious about his
condition..."

NBC NEWS SPECIAL BULLETIN

"There are reports coming in to our studios in New York that
the President's condition has taken a sharp turn for the worse
in spite of Bethesda Naval Hospital doctors' efforts to revive
him...."

CNN SPECIAL REPORT

"Ordinarily the Republican landslide in this year's midterm
elections would be our biggest story of the night, but what's
happening at Bethesda Naval Hospital right now has pushed the
election results into the background. We've been informed that
Vice-President Gore is at Bethesda right now and a U.S. Supreme
Court justice is waiting to be flown there from Washington to
administer the presidential oath of office to Gore should worst
come to worst..."

CBS NEWS SPECIAL REPORT

"The White House has confirmed within the last few minutes that
President Clinton is dead. According to a statement released by
the White House press secretary's office, the President died at
1:48 AM this evening of complications from cardiac arrest....We
will be going shortly to Bethesda Naval Hospital, where Al Gore
will take the oath of office as the 43rd President of the United
States..."

NEW YORK TIMES
November 9th, 1994

CLINTON DEAD;
GORE SWORN IN AS 43RD PRESIDENT
Sudden Passing Of 42nd President Overshadows
Historic Republican Landslide In Congressional Midterms

WASHINGTON POST

GORE TAKES OATH OF OFFICE
AS NEW PRESIDENT
Calls On Congress To Continue Work Started By Clinton;
Will Meet With House And Senate Leaders Tonight

BBC BREAKFAST NEWS

“Not since Lyndon Johnson took over the Oval Office following
the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963 has a man assumed
the American presidency under such tragic circumstances, and he
has never before had to do so in the wake of a decisive midterm
Congressional election defeat for his party...”

GOOD MORNING AMERICA

“It's a somber day for now-former First Lady Hilary Clinton as
she begins preparations to leave the White House following the
death of her husband Bill Clinton. The 42nd President, who died
late last night at Bethesda Naval Hospital of complications from
cardiac arrest, will be buried Sunday at Arlington Cemetery....”

WALL STREET JOURNAL
November 10th, 1994

DOW OPENS DOWN 128 POINTS
Economy Still Feeling Repercussions
From President Clinton’s Death

NBC’S THE TODAY SHOW

“Former House Speaker and newly sworn-in Vice President Tom
Foley will meet with President Gore and members of the National
Security Council this afternoon for a debriefing on the current
situation in the Balkans....”

CNN HEADLINE HEWS

“Mourners are gathering by the thousands at the Capitol rotunda
to pay their final respects to President Clinton, whose body will
lie in state at the rotunda until his funeral on Saturday....”

ABC’S WORLD NEWS TONIGHT

“Following his meeting with the NSC, President Gore spent two
hours on the phone this afternoon making a condolence call to
the late President Clinton’s brother Roger...”

TIMES OF LONDON
November 11th, 1994

THOUSANDS GATHER AT U.S. EMBASSY
TO PAY FINAL RESPECTS TO PRESIDENT CLINTON
Queen, Prime Minister Major Among Those
Signing Condolence Book

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

VICE-PRESIDENT FOLEY TO MEET WITH CALIFORNIA'S
U.S. HOUSE & SENATE DELEGATIONS
Conference Aimed At Addressing Lawmakers' Concerns
About Federal Aid To State

CBC NEWS AT SIX

“Canada Post is estimating tonight that more than four hundred
thousand condolence cards and letters have been mailed in the
past three days by Canadian citizens to former U.S. First Lady
Hillary Clinton since the death of her husband, 42nd President
Bill Clinton....”

THE NBC NIGHTLY NEWS

“James Carville, the political strategist and Bill Clinton
confidant who managed Clinton's successful 1992 White House
run, will deliver the eulogy at the 42nd President's funeral
service tomorrow....”

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
November 12th, 1994

A NATION MOURNS
President Clinton To Be Laid To Rest Today

NBC NEWS SPECIAL REPORT

“Just off to the right of our camera you can see Mrs. Clinton
and her daughter Chelsea preparing to leave the White House for
what will probably be the last time as they go to Washington’s
National Cathedral for President Clinton’s funeral...”

EXCERPT FROM JAMES CARVILLE’S EULOGY FOR PRESIDENT
CLINTON

“This country has lost a great leader and a great man. We can
only hope that the new President won’t falter in his commitment
to continuing the work Bill Clinton began....”

ABC’S WORLD NEWS TONIGHT

“Tonight former First Lady Hillary Clinton and her daughter
Chelsea are on their way home to Little Rock and an uncertain
future...”

CBS’ FACE THE NATION
November 13th, 1994

“The sudden death of Bill Clinton five days ago has not only
triggered seismic power shifts in his own party, it has also
compelled the Republicans to retool their political strategies
for the coming year. GOP senators and representatives who had
expected to be dealing with a Clinton White House when the new
session of Congress begins in January now instead must adjust to
the reality of a Gore presidency....”

BOSTON SUNDAY GLOBE

MOST CLINTON CABINET MEMBERS LIKELY TO STAY ON
AS PART OF GORE ADMINISTRATION
President Will Hold Press Conference Tuesday
To Announce Nominee For New Secretary Of Agriculture

TEN EYEWITNESS NEWS(AUSTRALIA)

“A spokesman for the Australian embassy in Washington has
confirmed tonight that current Australian ambassador to the
United States Dr. Donald Russell will be meeting tomorrow
with President Gore for a discussion on trade, security and
defense issues, and the environment....”

THE CBS EVENING NEWS

“In one of the first major military policy decisions of his
administration, President Gore has approved a request by the
government of Kuwait for the delivery of additional F/A-18s
to the Kuwaiti air force in response to what Kuwait’s emir is
calling ‘dire threats’ by Iraq against Kuwait’s security....”

WASHINGTON POST
November 14th, 1994

SECRETARY OF STATE ALBRIGHT TO MEET WITH
NATO OFFICIALS IN BRUSSELS TOMORROW
Conference Aimed At Reaffirming U.S. Commitment
To Atlantic Alliance

THE CBS MORNING NEWS

“The next presidential election in this country is still
almost two years away, but that hasn't stopped political
junkies and Washington insiders from beginning to speculate
about who might challenge Al Gore for the Oval Office when
the time comes....At least one veteran political columnist
for one of the country's biggest magazines has suggested to
CBS News that longtime Kansas senator Bob Dole may take one
final run for the presidency...”

WFAA-TV(DALLAS) 12:00 PM NEWS

“Governor Ann Richards’ press secretary declined to comment
this morning on rumors that newly sworn-in Vice President Tom
Foley has approached her about the possibility of taking an
advisor’s job in the Gore White House when her term in Austin
expires next January....”

BBC NINE O’CLOCK NEWS

“American Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has arrived in
Brussels, where she will be meeting with foreign ministers from
twenty-seven other NATO countries tomorrow in a conference which
the U.S. State Department describes as being intended to reaffirm
Washington’s commitment to the alliance....”

LOS ANGELES TIMES
November 15th, 1994

KUWAITI DEFENSE MINISTRY CLAIMS INCURSIONS
BY IRAQI AIR FORCE JETS
Alleges F-1 Fighters Have Violated Kuwait’s Airspace
Twice In 36 Hours

EXCERPT OF OFFICIAL IRAQI FOREIGN MINISTRY RESPONSE
TO KUWAITI DEFENSE MINISTRY

“These accusations are completely baseless. No Iraqi military
aircraft have left Iraqi airspace during the period when these
alleged incursions into Kuwait’s territory are supposed to have
occurred...”

WCVB-TV(BOSTON) 5:30 PM NEWS

“President Gore will wrap up his first week in office tonight
with a press conference in the White House East Room outlining
his approach for resolving the latest Iraq-Kuwait border crisis
and announcing his nominee to succeed the outgoing Secretary of
Agriculture, Mike Espy....”

THE CBS MORNING NEWS
November 16th, 1994

“South Dakota senator Tom Daschle has been named by President
Gore as his nominee to succeed outgoing Agriculture Secretary
Mike Espy....”

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

BETWEEN IRAQ AND A HARD PLACE
Congress divided on Gore Administration's strategy
for tackling Kuwait crisis

ABC'S WORLD NEWS TONIGHT

“United Nations observers in Africa are urging President Gore
to take action to halt the genocide in Rwanda....”

BBC BREAKFAST NEWS
November 17th, 1994

“The civil war in the Balkans is threatening to escalate into
a broader regional conflict this morning as Serbian president
Slobodan Milosevic warns that Serbian air force jets will bomb
Bosnia's capital Sarajevo within the next 48 hours unless the
Bosnian government agrees to end hostilities with Serbia....”

THE CBS MORNING NEWS

“The Bosnian government is rejecting Serbian president Slobodan
Milosevic’s demand that it capitulate to Serbia in order to end
the Balkan conflict...”

WASHINGTON POST

HEARINGS ON DASCHLE NOMINATION
SET TO BEGIN TODAY

BBC NINE O’CLOCK NEWS

“The U.S. State Department has announced that President Gore
will hold his first formal meeting with Prime Minister Major
in two weeks’ time....”

NEW YORK TIMES
November 19th, 1994

SERBIAN JETS BOMB SARAJEVO;
BOSNIANS PROMISE RETALIATORY STRIKES
Secretary Of State Albright En Route To Belgrade

GOOD MORNING AMERICA

“The Pentagon has confirmed within the past hour that U.S.
Military forces in Europe are on a heightened level of alert
in response to the Serbian air strikes on Sarajevo...”

BBC WORLD NEWS

“Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic is refusing to halt air
strikes against the Bosnian capital Sarajevo despite pleas from
U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to open cease-fire
discussions with Bosnia....”

THE CBS EVENING NEWS

“Saying she hasn’t given up on the possibility of securing a
ceasefire in the Balkans, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright
is attempting to arrange another meeting with Serbian president
Slobodan Milosevic for tomorrow...”

MEET THE PRESS
November 20th, 1994

“We begin this week’s broadcast with some potentially alarming
news this morning from the Persian Gulf: sources at the Pentagon
have told us within the past hour that Iraqi soldiers stationed
along Iraq’s border with Kuwait have apparently fired shots into
Kuwaiti territory....”

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

SERBS YOU RIGHT
Milosevic’s ambassador in D.C. quits over snub of Albright
ceasefire proposal

ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT

“Despite Secretary of State Albright's continuing efforts to
bring Serbia and Bosnia together to negotiate a cease-fire to
end the war in the Balkans, sources at the White House say the
Gore Administration is pessimistic about the prospects for her
mission in Belgrade....”

EXCERPT OF OFFICIAL STATEMENT BY THE UNITED NATIONS
ON THE IRAQ-KUWAIT BORDER CRISIS

“We remind the governments of Iraq and Kuwait that it is their
individual and collective responsibility to maintain peace along
their respective frontiers....”

BOSTON HERALD
November 21st, 1994

BALKAN AT SERB INVITATION
Ted K declines Milosevic invite to attend
“peace parade”

THE CBS MORNING NEWS

“Critics of Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic today are saying
that the 'peace parade' his government is planning to hold in the
Serbian capital Belgrade later this week is little more than just
a propaganda ploy meant to distract the world from alleged Serbian
war crimes against Bosnian civilians....”

MSNBC

“A Pentagon spokesman has confirmed that additional U.S. fighter
jets are being deployed to the Persian Gulf to enforce the U.N.'s
designated 'no-fly zone' over southern Iraq....”

NBC NIGHTLY NEWS

“Two huge stories to tell you about as we come on the air: first,
Tom Daschle’s nomination to succeed Mike Espy as U.S. Secretary of
Agriculture hits an unexpected snag, and second, the government of
Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic has categorically rejected an
appeal from the Gore Administration to resume ceasefire talks with
U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright....”

TIMES OF LONDON
November 22nd, 1994

MILOSEVIC INSISTS PEACE PARADE WILL GO FORWARD
No comment on when Serbia will resume discussions
with U.S. State Department

GOOD MORNING AMERICA

“Vice President Tom Foley is expressing disappointment at Serbian
president Slobodan Milosevic’s decision to break off discussions
with Secretary of State Madeleine Albright which the White House
had hoped might lead to a cease-fire agreement between Serbia and
Bosnia to end the war in the Balkans....”

BBC BREAKFAST NEWS

“Ministry of Defence sources in Whitehall have declined to comment
on rumours that RAF fighter jet units are scheduled to be deployed
to the Persian Gulf to assist United States Air Force personnel in
enforcing the U.N.'s no-fly zone over southern Iraq...”

CBC NEWS AT SIX

“Canadians of Balkan descent are scheduled to gather in Toronto
tomorrow for what is being described as 'a national town hall' to
discuss the ongoing civil war in the former Yugoslavia...”

 

[Peter Parker]

Great!
Keep it up to present day!


The 90s were a peaceful time, can't wait to see the Balkans and Middle East exploded at once, and maybe Africa too.

 

[OnlyAlb]

Interesting, will follow.

 

[Rich Rostrom]

“Former House Speaker and newly sworn-in Vice President Tom Foley..."

Foley? He's nobody. He's just lost his own House seat (the first Speaker to be so humiliated in 132 years).

“James Carville... will deliver the eulogy at the 42nd President's funeral service tomorrow...”

Carville's a political hatchetman, not the sort of statesman-like figure who would be chosen.

“South Dakota senator Tom Daschle has been named by President Gore as his nominee to succeed outgoing Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy...

South Dakota has a Republican governor. Appointing Daschle to the Cabinet is giving a Senate seat away. It's also unlikely that Gore would move to replace a Cabinet member during the lame-duck period. (Though if he wants to appoint Daschle and give away a seat, Republicans will cooperate happily.)

“The civil war in the Balkans is threatening to escalate into a broader regional conflict this morning as Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic warns that Serbian air force jets will bomb Bosnia's capital Sarajevo within the next 48 hours unless the Bosnian government agrees to end hostilities with Serbia...”

????

Bosnia never attacked Serbia in any way. The conflict was between the Bosnian government and the "Republika Srpska", formed by ethnic Serbs in Bosnia. The "Republika Srpska" was semi-covertly supported by Serbia, which provided arms and sent both paramilitaries and regular-army (JNA) troops to assist the "Republika Srpska".

Serbian air attacks on Sarajevo would be international aggression.

 

[Chris Oakley]

Interesting, will follow.

Apropos of that, Part 2 will unfortunately be delayed until tomorrow because of circumstances beyond my control.

 

[Seleucus]

Was in the process of writing up a critique, and then noticed that Rich covered most of my points, so I'll just quote them.

Foley? He's nobody. He's just lost his own House seat (the first Speaker to be so humiliated in 132 years).
Carville's a political hatchetman, not the sort of statesman-like figure who would be chosen.



South Dakota has a Republican governor. Appointing Daschle to the Cabinet is giving a Senate seat away. It's also unlikely that Gore would move to replace a Cabinet member during the lame-duck period. (Though if he wants to appoint Daschle and give away a seat, Republicans will cooperate happily.)

????

Bosnia never attacked Serbia in any way. The conflict was between the Bosnian government and the "Republika Srpska", formed by ethnic Serbs in Bosnia. The "Republika Srpska" was semi-covertly supported by Serbia, which provided arms and sent both paramilitaries and regular-army (JNA) troops to assist the "Republika Srpska".

Serbian air attacks on Sarajevo would be international aggression.

I would also point out that in the timeframe immediately after the Gulf War, the Iraqi air force was essentially nonexistent, thanks to heavy losses in the Gulf War and the remnants fleeing to Iran. As such, it's ridiculous for the few remaining Iraq jets to provoke Kuwait, given that Kuwait alone has air superiority over Iraq.

 

[Chris Oakley]

Timeline In A Week: Heart Of The Matter(continued)

Heart Of The Matter:
How A Single Case Of Cardiac Arrest Changed The Course of American History
PART 2

NBC'S THE TODAY SHOW
November 23rd, 1994

“Madeleine Albright has left Belgrade and is on her way back to
Washington at this hour, her mission to get peace talks started
between Serbia and Bosnia having ended in failure....”

LOS ANGELES TIMES

LATEST GALLUP POLL SHOWS 20 PERCENT RISE IN
POPULAR SUPPORT FOR U.S. MILITARY STRIKE ON IRAQ

TEN EYEWITNESS NEWS(AUSTRALIA)

“Prime Minster Keating and his top national security advisors
are in conference at this hour at the Lodge to weigh military
options for responding to the latest threats by Iraqi dictator
Saddam Hussein against Australians and other coalition service
personnel enforcing the UN no-fly zone in southern Iraq...”

THE CBS EVENING NEWS

“In her first public statement since her return from Belgrade,
U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright warned that Serbian
leader Slobodan Milosevic is making what she calls “a serious
mistake” by breaking off talks with the United States which it
had been hoped would lay the foundation for peace negotiations
between Serbia and Bosnia...”

NEW YORK TIMES
November 24th, 1994

SENATE TO VOTE ON DASCHLE NOMINATION TOMORROW
S. D. Senator Expected To Easily Win Confirmation
As Secretary Of Agriculture

THE CBS MORNING NEWS

“A Serbian dissident group has announced it will hold a protest
march tomorrow in Belgrade to coincide with the 'peace parade'
being given by the Milosevic government. The group, which calls
itself the Serbian Democracy Committee, says the purpose of the
march is to call attention to what it alleges are war crimes by
Milosevic's regime abroad and abuses of power at home. Serbia's
interior minister has threatened to have anybody who takes part
in or attends in the march arrested....”

CNN HEADLINE NEWS

“A U.S. fighter jet patrolling the no-fly zone in southern Iraq
this morning came under fire from Iraqi surface-to-air missiles
southeast of Basra...”

BBC WORLD NEWS

“Prime Minister Major today reaffirmed his government's support
for U.S.-sponsored sanctions against Saddam Hussein's regime in
Iraq and hinted he may seek Parliament's backing for an increase
in the size of the British military contingent now stationed in
the Persian Gulf....”

WASHINGTON POST
November 25th, 1994

SENATE VOTES ON DASCHLE NOMINATION TODAY
Most observers expect swift confirmation

BOSTON HERALD

DASCH-ING TO GORE'S CABINET
Daschle likely to be confirmed as new Secretary
of Agriculture by Senate today

NEW YORK POST

BOSNIANS DON'T LOVE THIS PARADE
Milosevic “peace parade” criticized as “stealth fascism”
by Bosnian citizens, government

ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT

“We open tonight with two major breaking stories...In Washington
South Dakota senator Tom Daschle was unanimously confirmed by the
U.S. Senate to succeed Mike Espy as Secretary of Agriculture when
Espy steps down next month....In Belgrade, the government of Serb
president Slobodan Milosevic cancelled a scheduled 'peace parade'
just minutes before it was due to begin...”

CBS EVENING NEWS

“The Serbian foreign ministry hasn't responded yet to questions
as to why the 'peace parade' that was supposed to take place in
Belgrade today was abruptly cancelled, but there is speculation
among Western journalists and diplomats that the decision was
made in order to disrupt the Serbian Democracy Committee's plan
to hold a protest rally to coincide with the parade. The Serbian
Democracy Committee, established by leading Serbian opponents of
Milosevic shortly before President Clinton's death, has begun to
emerge in recent days as a key advocate for peace between Serbia
and Bosnia...”

GOOD MORNING AMERICA
November 26th, 1994

“The Serbian Democracy Committee has just announced that the
protest rally it had originally intended to hold yesterday to
coincide with the Milosevic government's now-cancelled 'peace
parade' will take place tomorrow....In Washington, President Al
Gore issued a blunt warning to Iraq that any further aggression
by the Iraqis against Kuwait would be regarded as an act of war
against the U.S. and answered in kind...”

EXCERPT OF OFFICIAL STATEMENT
BY IRAQI PRESIDENT SADDAM HUSSEIN

“The Republic of Iraq takes exception to the blatant attempts by
the United States to interfere with its right to self-defense...”

PBS NEWS HOUR

“In spite of the Serbian government's best efforts to portray a
united front to the rest of the world, divisions in Serb society
are gradually becoming more evident as the war with Bosnia keeps
dragging on with no end in sight...”

ABC'S NIGHTLINE

“With Saddam Hussein once more rattling his sabers at Kuwait and
the bitter regional war between Serbia and Bosnia threatening to
escalate into an even wider conflict, it seems strange to recall
that just over a year ago the late President Clinton was actually
taking about what he called a 'peace dividend'....Even we as come
on the air tonight there are disquieting signs the Iraqi army is
marshaling its troops for some sort of probing attack on Kuwait's
border...”

NEW YORK POST
November 27th, 1994

BORDERING ON INSANE
Defiant Saddam says Iraqi army can handle
U.S. forces in Gulf

NBC'S MEET THE PRESS

“The U.N. General Assembly is meeting in special session at
this hour to debate two critical resolutions, one focusing
on the Iraq-Kuwait border crisis the other seeking to impose
tough economic sanctions on Serbia...”

CNN HEADLINE NEWS

“NATO defense ministers are scheduled to meet in Brussels
tomorrow to discuss possible strategies for stopping Serbian
attacks on Bosnia....”

 

[Orville_third]

Perhaps Hussein Kamil may defect sooner than planned, which might just change the entire landscape over Iraq.

 

[Chris Oakley]

Perhaps Hussein Kamil may defect sooner than planned, which might just change the entire landscape over Iraq.

You just gave me an interesting idea for the next two episodes.

 

[Paul V McNutt]

I am subscribed !!!

 

[Chris Oakley]

Grazie.

 

[Chris Oakley]

Timeline In A Week: Heart Of The Matter(continued)

Heart Of The Matter:
How A Single Case Of Cardiac Arrest Changed The Course of American History
PART 3

THE CBS MORNING NEWS
November 28th, 1994

“International pressure on Serbia is heating up this morning.
At the U.N., the General Assembly has unanimously approved a
resolution imposing major economic sanctions on that country
for its refusal to end hostilities against Bosnia; in Brussels
NATO's executive council is discussing a resolution that, if
paased, would authorize NATO's member countries to use force
against the government of current Serbian prseident Slobodan
Milosevic if Milosevic does not meet the U.N.'s December 15th
deadline for beginning peace negotiations with Bosnia....”

BOSTON GLOBE

SENATOR KENNEDY TO MEET WITH ALBRIGHT
ON BOSNIAN CRISIS

NBC NIGHTLY NEWS

“We are receiving word tonight of a development which, if it
can be confirmed, would constitute the most significant blow
to the regime of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein since the Iraqi
army was driven out of Kuwait in the Gulf War. Sources in the
Jordanian capital Amman are claiming that a cousin of Saddam
has defected to Jordan and alleges to have information about
rumored efforts to restart Iraq's nuclear program....”

ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT

“The Iraqi government tonight is disputing claims by Jordan
that a second cousin of Saddam Hussein has defected to the
Jordanians. State-run TV and radio stations in Baghdad have
accused the government of Jordanian monarch King Hussein of
fabricating the story in an attempt to discredit Iraq in the
eyes of the rest of the world...”

WALL STREET JOURNAL EDITORIAL
November 30th, 1994

“Lately the main question regarding the war in the Balkans
seems to be less if NATO will get drawn into the fighting
than when and where the first ground troops will engage the
Serbian army. At a time when our servicemen and women ought
to be preparing for a joyous Christmas season, they instead
face the grim possibility of having to see combat in Europe
for the first time in nearly half a century....”

THE CBS MORNING NEWS

“First Lady Tipper Gore is scheduled to visit soldiers and
their families at Fort Benning, Georgia this afternoon as
part of a concerted effort by the White House to boost the
morale of our nation's armed forces in the face of a growing
threat of military conflict with Serbia...In related news, a
Pentagon spokesman confirmed this morning that families and
dependents of U.S. servicemen in Europe are being evacuated
as 'a precautionary measure'...”

THE MCLAUGHLIN GROUP

“Issue One: The escalating war between Serbia and Bosnia. No
U.S ground forces have seen combat in Europe since 1945, but
that state of affairs may not last much longer if what we've
been hearing from the White House in the last 48 hours or so
is any indication. During a press conference to tout the First
Lady's morale-boosting visits to U.S. armed forces personnel,
President Gore hinted he may seek Congressional backing for a
resolution authorizing the deployment of combat troops to the
Balkans...”

NBC NIGHTLY NEWS

“CIA sources have confirmed that the Iraqi defector who crossed
the frontier into Jordan two days ago is none other than Saddam
Hussein's son-in-law and second cousin, Hussein Kemil...”

NEW YORK TIMES
December 2nd, 1994

GORE CONFIRMS WILL SEEK CONGRESSIONAL BACKING
FOR MILITARY ACTION AGAINST SERBIA;
NATO PLEDGES SUPPORT FOR U.S. INTERVENTION
IN BALKANS

BBC BREAKFAST NEWS

“The British embassy in Jordan came under attack this afternoon
by masked gunmen firing AK-47s and 9mm automatic pistols at the
embassy's security detail. There are few leads so far as to the
identities of the attackers, but an anonymous letter faxed to a
UPI bureau office in Cairo states the attack was carried out as
retaliation for Great Britain's support of U.S. policies in the
Persian Gulf...”

ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT

“Congress is set to vote within forty-eight hours on a proposed
resolution which, if passed, will authorize the White House to
deploy U.S. combat forces against Serbia in an effort to force
the government of Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic to open
cease-fire negotiations with Bosnia. Meanwhile, in the Persian
Gulf, U.S. fighter jets intercepted an Iraqi Air Force MiG that
was attempting to enter Kuwaiti airspace...”

NBC NEWS SPECIAL REPORT

“We are receiving reports at this hour that suicide bombers
have attacked a barracks in Saudi Arabia housing U.S. military
personnel. The precise body count in the attack is uncertain
at this time, but Pentagon sources have confirmed that nearly
two dozen U.S. servicemen are known dead. An anonymous letter
faxed to the Associated Press office in Cairo claims that the
bombing was carried out as an act of solidarity with Iraq....”

TIMES OF LONDON
December 3rd, 1994

IRAQI FOREIGN MINISTRY CLAIMS U.S. WARPLANES
BOMBING TARGETS IN BAGHDAD
No Comment As Of Yet From White House

ABC NEWS SPECIAL REPORT

“The White House has so far declined to comment on rumors that
U.S. and allied fighter jets are launching preemptive strikes on
key military and command/control targets in and near the Iraqi
capital Baghdad. However, the Associated Press is reporting that
at least one high-level Pentagon source has acknowledged U.S. F-
18s have ventured into Iraqi air space in the past half-hour...”

BBC NEWS SPECIAL BULLETIN

“We've just been informed that President Gore will be holding a
press conference in the next half-hour to address reports that
American fighter aircraft have launched strikes against targets
in Iraq....”

CBS NEWS SPECIAL REPORT

“What many people have been expecting for days and speculating
about for the past couple of hours has now become official: the
White House has authorized U.S. military forces in the Persian
Gulf to take action against Iraq. In a brief statement released
just ten minutes ago, the White House press secretary's office
confirmed President Gore has given the green light for U.S. jets
to begin air strikes against key Iraqi military, industrial, and
command/control facilities. While it's unclear whether these air
strikes are a response to yesterday's terrorist attack in Saudi
Arabia or an attempt to halt the recent Iraqi incursions across
Kuwait's border, we have confirmed that President Gore made the
decision to proceed with the strikes after meeting with Defense
Secretary William Perry and FBI director Louis Freeh. We will be
going shortly to the White House, where the President is holding
a press conference to give further details on the air strikes in
Iraq....”

EXCERPTS FROM PRESIDENT GORE'S PRESS CONFERENCE

“Earlier today, I authorized the use of military force against
vital strategic and tactical targets in Iraq in response to the
Saddam Hussein regime's continuing threats against its neighbor
Kuwait as well as its involvement in the cowardly and horrific
terrorist attack on our servicemen and women in Saudi Arabia. I
did not take this action lightly...If there had been a practical
alternative to the use of force I would have taken advantage of
it. However, the current Iraqi government's actions have made it
all too clear that they will not respond to reason, decency, or
for that matter anything other than direct confrontation....”

EXCERPT OF OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE
FROM IRAQI FOREIGN MINISTRY

“The United States should be aware that its latest barbarous
act of aggression against the Iraqi people will not be allowed
to go unpunished...”

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
December 4th, 1994

SHOWDOWN IN THE GULF

U.S. jets target Baghdad; Gore hints
ground troops may be deployed

BBC NEWS AT ONE

“In what is already proving to be a crucial week in the long-
standing conflict between the United States and Iraq, we have
just received word of yet another dramatic development. White
House press secretary Mike McCurry has confirmed over the past
half-hour that President Gore will be making a televised speech
from the Oval Office within the hour to address the question of
whether U.S. ground troops will be sent into Iraq...”

CBS NEWS SPECIAL REPORT

“While we are still awaiting confirmation from the Pentagon on
this report, the sources we've talked to so far have indicated
that President Gore is about to announce the deployment of U.S.
ground troops into Iraq....”

EXCERPT FROM PRESIDENT GORE'S ADDRESS

“On my orders, United States combat troops based in Kuwait have
crossed the border into Iraq to put an end to the Saddam Hussein
regime's repeated violations of sovereign Kuwaiti territory and
the attendant threat to our own national security posed by such
violations...”

NBC NIGHTLY NEWS

“Just over three and a half years after the first Persian Gulf
war ended, the United States is engaged in armed conflict with
the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq again. Today President Gore,
acting in response to repeated Iraqi violations of the borders
of Kuwait and the terrorist attacks against U.S. servicemen in
Saudi Arabia two days ago, directed U.S. ground and air forces
in the Gulf to attack strategic targets on Iraqi soil including
a number of command/control facilities in Baghdad....”

SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
December 5th, 1994

SEVEN ARRESTED AT ANTI-WAR RALLY
NEAR U.S. CONSULATE

NBC'S THE TODAY SHOW

“On the second day of what the Pentagon is formally calling
Operation Desert Thunder, U.S. and allied warplanes continue
to mount bombing raids on strategic and tactical targets in
Iraq while ground troops engage the Iraqi army in the streets
of Umm Qasr...”

CNN SPECIAL REPORT

“Capitol Hill police have ordered the evacuation of all House
and Senate offices after receiving an anonymous tip regarding
a suspicious package left near the office of incoming Speaker
of the House Newt Gingrich...”

ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT

“Operation Desert Thunder concluded its second day with U.S.
forces controlling most of the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr...Here
at home, the Justice Department is pursuing several leads in
its investigation of a bomb threat against incoming Speaker of
the House Newt Gingrich....”

WCBS-TV(NEW YORK) 6:00 AM NEWS
December 6th, 1994

“As we enter the third day of Operation Desert Thunder, U.S.
tanks and ground troops have engaged a unit of the Republican
Guard twenty miles east of the Iraqi city of Basra...In Serbia
anti-Milosevic demonstrators clashed with government troops in
downtown Belgrade late last night....”

WASHINGTON POST

SYRIA DENOUNCES U.S. INVASION OF IRAQ
Assad Charges Gore Administration
Wants To “Colonize” Mideast

BBC NEWS AT ONE

“The latest military conflict in the Persian Gulf has claimed
its first British casualty. Just moments ago, a spokeswoman
for the Ministry of Defence confirmed that a 25-year-old Royal
Marines corporal was killed by Iraqi sniper fire. The marine's
name is being withheld at this time pending notification of his
family....”

 

[Chris Oakley]

Heart Of The Matter:
How A Single Case Of Cardiac Arrest Changed The Course of American History
PART 4

GOOD MORNING AMERICA
December 7th, 1994

“Fighting continues east of Basra this morning as U.S. ground
troops battle Iraqi Republican Guard units for control of that
strategically important city...Meanwhile, in Serbia, Slobodan
Milosevic is defying international sanctions and threats of a
NATO intervention in the ground war in the Balkans and vowing
to continue his military campaign against Bosnia....President
Gore is in Honolulu at this hour to attend ceremonies marking
the 53rd anniversary of Pearl Harbor and confer with U.S. Navy
CINCPAC officials about Operation Desert Thunder....”

NEW YORK POST

IRAQ AND RUIN
Saddam's military taking a beating
as Operation Desert Thunder begins Day 4

CNN HEADLINE NEWS

“Iran has put its armed forces on full alert in response to
the latest developments in Operation Desert Thunder. Tehran
is so far declining to comment on the reason why it took this
action, but a former Austrian ambassador to Iran who is now a
professor of Near East studies at the University of Vienna has
told CNN the move may be intended to deter an anticipated U.S.
invasion of Iran...”

CBS EVENING NEWS

“Today at ceremonies in Honolulu marking the 53rd anniversary
of the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Gore urged Americans
not to forget the sacrifices being made by U.S. servicemen and
women in the current conflict with Iraq. He also said that the
United States and its allies would be 'relentless' in pursuing
Operation Desert Thunder's primary goal of neutralizing Iraq's
Baathist regime as a threat to its neighbors....”

CTV'S CANADA A.M.
December 8th, 1994

“Canada's largest left-wing antiwar organization has announced
plans to hold a demonstration tomorrow outside the U.S. embassy
in Ottawa to protest the U.S.-led military campaign against the
Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq. The campaign, officially called
Operation Desert Thunder by the U.S. Defense Department, is now
in its fifth day....”

WASHINGTON POST

THREE DEAD, TEN WOUNDED IN APPARENT
BOMBING AT U.S. EMBASSY IN ROMANIA
Pro-Serbian Group Claims Responsibility For Blast

CNN HEADLINE NEWS

“At his daily press briefing on Operation Desert Thunder,
current Defense Secretary William Cohen reported that U.S.
force have broken through the Iraqi lines east of the city
of Basra. While making no comment on rumors that elements
of the 82nd Airborne Division are gearing up for an assault
behind Iraqi lines west of the city, the defense secretary
did confirm that paratroop units are on standby in the area
ready to be deployed as events warrant...”

NBC NIGHTLY NEWS

“The Justice Department is sending a team of investigators
to Bucharest to work with Romanian authorities in the effort
to determine who is responsible for this morning's bombing of
the U.S. embassy in Romania...Elsewhere in Europe, the German
Bundeswehr has confirmed it is deploying troops to Hungary as
part of joint preparations with the Hungarian defense ministry
for possible NATO ground intervention in the Balkans....”

TIMES OF LONDON
December 9th, 1994

COALITION AIR STRIKES HIT OIL WELLS NEAR MOSUL
AS OPERATION DESERT THUNDER ENTERS DAY 6

GOOD MORNING AMERICA

“The White House has so far declined comment on reports from
Reuters that elements of the U.S. Army Rangers are en route to
the Czech Republic, but in a written statement the President's
press secretary did confirm the Pentagon has updated its lists
of potential strategic targets in Serbia as the Air Force makes
final preparations for a bombing campaign against the Milosevic
regime...”

CBS NEWS SPECIAL REPORT

“Iraqi defenses near Basra are reportedly collapsing at this
hour....”

BBC WORLD NEWS

“Tonight the Iraqi city of Basra is in coalition hands as we
conclude Day 6 of Operation Desert Thunder. Whitehall has just
released a statement indicating U.S. and allied troops are in
full control of the city after the collapse of Iraqi army and
Republican Guard defensive posiitons on the western and eastern
edges of Basra...”

THE CBS MORNING NEWS
December 10th, 1994

“Just one week after launching Operation Desert Thunder, U.S.
and allied forces in Iraq stand poised to make a full-on push
towards Baghdad. Today's Washington Post quotes a confidential
source in the Defense Department as saying that additional U.S.
troops are presently being airlifted to Iraq to give coalition
ground forces a greater manpower advantage as they continue to
drive northward up the Tigris-Euphrates Valley...”

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

LEFT HOLDING THE BAGHDAD
Iraqi POW charges Saddam has “abandoned”
Najaf defenders

CNN HEADLINE NEWS

“NATO has reaffirmed its intention to take military action
against the regime of Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic
if Milosevic does not comply with the U.N.'s December 15th
deadline for opening peace negotiations with Bosnia. In an
hour-long press conference at his headquarters in Brussels,
NATO Secretary General Willy Claes stated that he has been
in close contact with defense and intelligence officials in
all NATO member countries during the past forty-eight hours
finalizing timetables for the initial deployment of air and
ground forces against Serbia in the event Milosevic fails to
meet the U.N. deadline....”

THE CBS EVENING NEWS

“Slobodan Milosevic is responding defiantly to NATO warnings
of an imminent military strike against Serbia. In an address
broadcast on Serbian state television an hour ago, Milosevic
asserted his country would immediately retaliate against any
country that fired on Serbian territory....”

BBC BREAKFAST NEWS
December 11th, 1994

“With only four days left until the United Nations deadline
for Serbia to end hostilities against Bosnia expires, there
are still no signs from the government of Serbian president
Slobodan Milosevic of any willingness on Belgrade's part to
enter into cease-fire negotiations with the administration of
Bosnian president Alija Izetbegović. If anything, Milosevic's
regime appearsm in the eyes of most impartial observers, to be
taking an increasingly confrontational stance in regard to the
Balkan crisis....”

NEW YORK POST

IRAQ-ING THE BOAT
Top Iraqi U.N. rep defects, calls for Saddam
to step down

NINE AFTERNOON NEWS(AUSTRALIA)

“With less than four days to go before the U.N.'s official
deadline for an end to Serbia's war with Bosnia is scheduled
to expire, there is still no sign from the Milosevic regime
in Belgrade of any willingness to enter cease-fire discussions
with the government of Bosnian president Alija Izetbegović. In
Moscow, Russian president Boris Yeltsin reiterated his foreign
ministry's offer to mediate peace negotiations...”

NBC NIGHTLY NEWS

“Today the last pockets of Iraqi resistance in Najaf formally
surrendered to U.S. and Saudi as the push for Baghdad continues
to pick up steam....Meanwhile, in the Balkans, NATO ground and
air forces are taking up strike positions for what is expected
to be the start of combat operations against Serbia's military
when the U.N.'s deadline expires on Thursday....”

MONTREAL GAZETTE(CANADA)
December 12th, 1994

MONTREAL EXCHANGE FLUCTUATING WILDLY
AS BALKAN TENSIONS ESCALATE

BBC BREAKFAST NEWS

“With only three days left before the United Nations deadline
for Serbia to end hostilities against Bosnia is due to expire,
world hopes for a peacful resolution to the conflict may have
been dealt a fatal blow. BBC News has just confirmed a Reuters
bulletin which said the Serbian air force has launched bombing
raids against Bosnian civilians in the town of Srebenica....”

CBS NEWS SPECIAL REPORT

“The response from the international community to news of the
bombing of Srebenica has been swift and outraged. In Moscow,
the Russian government has just announced that it is suspending
all military and economic aid to Serbia until further notice; a
spokesman for John Major has told us the British prime minister
is expected to announce shortly that Great Britain will cut off
diplomatic relations with Serbia; Pope John Paul II has issued
a statement condemning the attack as 'the worst act of genocide
to be perpetrated in Europe since the Holocaust'; at the U.N.,
the Security Council and the General Assembly are meeting in a
joint emergency session to vote on suspending Serbia from U.N.
membership; French president François Mitterand is calling for
the Serbian pilots who carried out the attack to be prosecuted
as war criminals; and NATO is expected to shortly authorize its
member states to begin military action against Serbia. Chinese
foreign minister Qian Qichen is quoted in the People's Daily as
calling the bombing 'an unconscionable act' and there are hints
China may close its embassy in Belgrade...”

NINE AFTERNOON NEWS

“The United Nations Security Council and General Aseembly have
both voted unanimously to suspend Serbia's U.N. membership in
response to this morning's Serbian air strikes against Bosnian
civilians at the town of Srebenica....”

[/IMG]

NBC NEWS SPECIAL REPORT

“President Gore will address the nation at 5:30 on the events
in Srebenica. According to the White House press office, Gore's
speech will also touch on the latest developments in Operation
Desert Thunder, now in its eighth day and making rapid progress
towards Baghdad...”

[/IMG]

CBC NEWS AT SIX

“Saying that efforts to mediate a cease-fire between Serbia and
Bosnia have 'irretrievably' broken down as a result of the air
attacks on Bosnian civilians in Srebenica, the White House has
authorized U.S. ground and air forces in the Balkans the green
light to begin taking action against Serbian military forces as
part of NATO's intervention against the Milosevic regime....In
Iraq, meanwhile, Baghdad witnessed a rare public demonstration
of opposition to the Baathist government as protesters marched
through the heart of the Iraqi capital to demand the country's
longtime ruler, Saddam Hussein, step down from power...”

ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT

“For the first time since the end of the Second World War,
American ground troops are going into combat in Europe as
the United States and her NATO allies made good today on a
threat to take military action against Serbia for Serbian
president Slobodan Milosevic's refusal to cease hostilities
against Bosnia. U.S. forces are also mounting air strikes
on key military and command/control facilities in Serbia at
this hour-- in fact, just as we were going on the air we got
confirmation from Britain's Channel 4 News that NATO fighter
jets have bombed the Serbian defense ministry's headquarters
in Belgrade...”

 

[Turquoise Blue]

Maybe have less images?

 

[Octosteel]

Maybe have less images?

Or at least have different images instead of the same ones over and over again.

 

[TheBrunswickian]

The 90s were a peaceful time

Um, no. Iraq invades Kuwait, Somalia in civil war, Yugoslavia breaks down into war, genocide in Rwanda, Peru and Ecuador border war, Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi invade the DRC, Sierra Leone, Nepal, Yemen, Afghanistan and Georgia in civil war, war in Chechnya and of course the war in Kosovo.

Peaceful, I think not

 

[Chris Oakley]

Timeline In A Week: Heart Of The Matter(Continued)

Heart Of The Matter:
How A Single Case Of Cardiac Arrest Changed The Course of American History
PART 5

NEW YORK TIMES
December 13th, 1994

U.S. TROOPS ENTER SERBIA
First Major Combat Operation By American Ground Forces
In Europe Since 1945

THE CBS MORNING NEWS

“Pentagon sources have confirmed that two U.S. soldiers have
been killed and six others wounded in a firefight with Serbian
regular troops and militia forces five miles northeast of the
town of Sombor. Serbian casualties at this hour are estimated
at six dead and eleven wounded or missing...”

BBC NEWS AT ONE

“Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic is defiantly vowing to
resist NATO’s invasion of his country at any cost...”

CBC NEWS AT SIX

“Tonight Canadian soldiers are fighting alongside other NATO
forces in what has officially been designated Operation Balkan
Shield...”

CANADA A.M.
December 14th, 1994

“NATO forces in Serbia have taken control of a highway north
of Novi Sad as Operation Balkan Shield begins its second day.
The NATO Secretary General's office in Brussels has issued a
statement indicating Canadian, U.S., and German ground troops
secured the highway with only minimal resistance from Serbian
forces...In a related story, NATO jets are continuing to bomb
strategic targets in the Serbian capital Belgrade...”

WASHINGTON POST

YELTSIN URGES SERBIA TO MAKE CEASE-FIRE PACT
WITH BOSNIA
Warns Milosevic's “Intransigence” Could Plunge Balkans
Into Anarchy

CNN HEADLINE NEWS

“In an hour-long press conference at the White House East Room
earlier today, White House press secretary Dee Dee Myers told
reporters the United States and its NATO allies are continuing
to work with Russia to bring an end to the Balkan conflict....
Meanwhile, in the Persian Gulf, there's been a major change in
the strategic situation in Iraq on Day 11 of Operation Desert
Thunder. Two Republican Guard battalions assigned to defend a
key highway leading to Baghdad are reported to be surrendering
to U.S. troops at this hour, severing a critical connection in
the Iraqi capital's defenses...”

BBC NEWS AT FIVE

“Whitehall today was the scene of a small but vocal protest as
a group of seventy left-wing antiwar activists marched against
Britain's participation in Operation Balkan Shield. There were
no arrests or injuries reported and the demonstrators left the
area without incident...”

NBC NIGHTLY NEWS

“Despite having to face a Republican-dominated Senate and
House of Representatives when the new session of Congress
convenes in January, the Gore Administration is sounding a
confident note about the next two years of his presidency,
and that's hardly surprising given his latest poll numbers.
According to the just-released results of a Lou Harris poll
of 25,000 registered voters, ninety percent of the people
surveyed said they had a 'favorable' or 'highly favorable'
opinion of the President; Gore got particularly high marks
in regard to his handling of the wars in Iraq and Serbia...”

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
December 15th, 1994

82 PERCENT OF CHI-TOWN AREA VOTERS
SAY THEY’D BACK GORE IN ‘96
Incumbent President Enjoying Solid Poll Numbers
On Strength Of Economic And Foreign Policy Successes

GOOD MORNING AMERICA

“As Day 12 of Operation Desert Thunder begins we’re getting
word from Agence France-Presse of a major shakeup within the
Iraqi government. An anonymous source in Baghdad is quoted as
telling AFP that Iraqi defense minister Ali Hassan al-Majid
and foreign minister Tariq Aziz have been dismissed from the
Revolutionary Command Council....Closer to home, President Al
Gore’s initiatives to re-energize the U.S. economy as well as
his tough stance on Iraq and Serbia are helping to strengthen
his approval rating. According to a new Gallup poll quoted in
this morning’s Wall Street Journal eighty-nine percent of the
people surveyed gave Gore a ‘favorable’ rating...”

WFAA-TV(DALLAS) 5:30 PM NEWS

“The speculation is continuing to mount about a possible White
House appointment for outgoing Texas governor Ann Richards. An
article in today’s Houston Post quotes an anonymous source with
the governor’s staff as saying that Richards has had two phone
conversations with the president in the past 48 hours in which
the topic was broached....”

CBC NEWS AT SIX

“Less than two weeks after American and allied military forces
launched Operation Desert Thunder, the Iraqi government appears
to be on the verge of collapse. Sources at the Arab League have
told BBC News that a number of Republican Guards detachments in
northern Iraq are refusing to comply with Saddam's orders to put
down anti-government uprisings in that region...”

WASHINGTON POST
December 16th, 1994

SADDAM INSISTS IRAQI FORCES STILL FULLY UNITED
BEHIND HIM, SCORNS MUTINY REPORTS AS “GOSSIP”
Refuses Comment On Claim Two Army Generals
Have Been Shot

CBS MORNING NEWS

“As American and European leaders meet in Brussels to mark the
fifty-year anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, a vocal and
prominent critic of Russian president Boris Yeltsin is charging
Yeltsin with making a 'tragic miscalculation' in regards to his
decision to suspend Russian military and economic aid to Serbia.
Vladimir Putin, a former KGB lieutenant colonel who is now part
of the St. Petersburg political scene, told a German journalist
today that the suspensions have 'seriously endangered' the long-
standing friendship between Serbia and Russia...”

BBC NEWS AT ONE

“The Iraqi foreign ministry has declined comment on a Belgian
television news channel's report that the Iraqi ambassador in
Brussels is seeking political asylum...”

CBC NEWS AT SIX

“Boris Yeltsin today answered Vladimir Putin's criticisms of
his Balkans policy by stating it is the Milosevic government's
own actions that have threatened Serbian-Russian ties....”

NEW YORK TIMES
December 17th, 1994

HEAVY FIGHTING REPORTED IN BAGHDAD
AS DISSIDENT IRAQI TROOPS REVOLT AGAINST SADDAM
Iraqi Dictator's Son Uday Believed Killed
In Gun Battle Between Rebels And Government Loyalists

THE CBS MORNING NEWS

“Day 14 of Operation Desert Thunder has begun with what may
prove to be the most crucial development yet in the conflict
between the U.S.-sponsored coalition and Iraq. The Associated
Press has confirmed earlier reports of an uprising in Baghdad
by dissident elements of the Iraqi army and pitched firefights
between these dissident forces and troops still loyal to Iraqi
president Saddam Hussein. Saddam’s son Uday is believed to be
dead; there has been no word yet concerning the whereabouts of
Uday’s brother Qusay...”

BBC NEWS AT ONE

“Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq have announced the creation of
an independent Kurdistan....”

CBC NEWS AT SIX

“A respected University of Toronto foreign policy analyst has
told CBC News tonight that the latest developments in Operation
Desert Thunder may signal the end of more than just the Saddam
Hussein regime. The analyst, a former attaché with the Canadian
embassy in Baghdad, says today's declaration of independence by
Kurdish rebels has the potential to trigger the breakup of Iraq
itself if the new Kurd state is granted official recognition by
other countries....”

LOS ANGELES TIMES
December 18th, 1994

GORE MUM ON WHETHER U.S. WILL RECOGNIZE
KURDISH INDEPENDENCE

AIRSTRIKES CONTINUE NEAR BAGHDAD
AS ANTI-SADDAM UPRISING ENTERS 2ND DAY

THE CBS MORNING NEWS

“A Jordanian newspaper is reporting today that Baghdad's main
civil airport is the scene of heavy fighting between Republican
Guard units still loyal to Saddam Hussein and Iraqi army troops
supporting the anti-Saddam uprising in Baghdad....”

BBC NEWS AT ONE

“We are now trying to get confirmation of a report from Jordan
Radio And Television Corporation's news bureau stating that the
commander-in-chief of Iraq's Republican Guard has been shot and
killed...”

CBC NEWS AT SIX

“The U.S. Justice Department has made two significant arrests
in relation to the December 8th bombing of the American embassy
in Bucharest. An FBI spokesman announced this afternoon that a
joint U.S.-Romanian police raid has resulted in the capture of
the bomb-maker as well as the primary mastermind in the bombing
conspiracy....”

 

[Tom Colton]

Chris Oakley and a President Gore TL? Excellent.

Mighty long "week", though.

 

[Chris Oakley]

Well, when I originally started this project I didn't think my life was going to spiral as far out of control as it did.

Anyhow, your interest in this series is greatly appreciated. I'll see if I can pick up the pace on future installments.

 

[Chris Oakley]

Quick heads up to readers:in the next two installments of this series I'll be making some big time jumps in the interest of speeding up the pace of the story.