To the Point

Iraq War Gets Underway

The United States and Iraq are at war. The ground combat is underway and Baghdad is facing a massive attack from the air. Iraqi oil wells in the south have been set on fire. Though Turkey has opened its air space, there-s still opposition from France, Russia and other powers. Meantime, the White House says the -coalition of the willing- has grown to 35 nations, including every race, ethnic group and religion in the world. The Pentagon claims to possess -good evidence- that Iraqi leaders are thinking about surrender. We get updates, analysis and international reaction from reporters and military correspondents in the US, Jordan, Turkey and Baghdad. Making News: Press Briefing Stresses Coalition of the Willing At the latest White House press briefing today, the first message was not about what-s happening on the ground in Iraq, but about the coalition of the willing. Carl Cannon, White House correspondent for the National Journal, has an update on today-s briefing, which stressed the expanding coalition of the willing and reinforced America-s goal of liberating Iraqis from the brutal regime of Saddam Hussein. Reporter-s Notebook: Democracy, Dissent and Defending the War Effort Even as the fighting gets underway, Americans remain divided about this war. Some Democrats say the President Bush was wrong to start it, and anti-war protesters have plans to disrupt some cities. Vietnam veteran John Balzar has covered other wars as a reporter for the Los Angeles Times. Now a columnist for the Times, he-s also a defender of the right to dissent as a cornerstone of democracy.