Paras will make lightning assault on Baghdad airport

The Sunday Telegraph ^ | March 9, 2003 | Sean Rayment and Julian Coman

[MadIvan]

British paratroopers are preparing to seize Baghdad's Saddam International Airport in a bold and high-risk air assault.

The operation is part of a "blitzkrieg" offensive being planned by Allied commanders in which they hope to overrun the Iraqi capital within 72 hours of the outbreak of war. British troops from 16 Air Assault Brigade will support American soldiers from the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions.

The raid - of a kind unseen since the Second World War - will be launched within hours of President Bush giving his military commanders orders to invade Iraq, perhaps as early as this week.

Britain's 16 Air Assault Brigade and 3 Commando Brigade have reached full operational capability and are ready for war. The 7th Armoured Brigade, the other part of the British contingent, will be ready shortly.

The war will begin with waves of cruise missiles, followed by bomber and ground attack aircraft striking Iraqi command and control centres. It is understood that the main Allied thrust, comprising two 25,000-strong US infantry divisions, will head into Iraq from Kuwait, while 3 Commando Brigade links up with elements of America's 1st Marine Expeditionary Force to carry out an assault on Basra, Iraq's second city. The Americans remain hopeful that the Turkish parliament will allow the 4th Infantry and 1st Cavalry Divisions into their country to open a northern front against Saddam.

In the hours after the launch of war, the airborne assault on Saddam International Airport will begin. Air defence sites and troops guarding the airfield will be destroyed by combat jets armed with satellite-guided bombs before the first British and American troops arrive.

Paratroopers or heliborne troops will then assault the airfield, jumping from just 250 ft.

The potential threat to Allied troops increased yesterday when it was revealed that Iraq has secretly built a new and potentially lethal unmanned drone that could rain down chemical and biological weapons on advancing forces.

The revelation was buried deep in the latest 173-page report from United Nations weapons inspectors, declassified only late on Friday.

[MadIvan]

With you at the first, with you to the last.

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Bump!

[KantianBurke]

how will they be reinforced if trouble occurs? How far away are the republican guard units?

[dighton]

Beyond any shadow of doubt, either this is true or it isn't.

[anniegetyourgun]

Very interesting.

[Cagey]

The revelation was buried deep in the latest 173-page report from United Nations weapons inspectors, declassified only late on Friday.

From our pals at the UN.

[steveegg]

I know this was published on your side of the pond by a reputable newspaper (at least if my memory of British publishers hasn't failed me), but either the British version of the Office of Strategic Information is working overtime shovelling or somebody there fouled up.

[TruthShallSetYouFree]

Paras will make lightning assault on Baghdad airport

At first I thought you had misspelled "Paris." Then, I looked at the context and realized that this was about attacking, not surrendering.

[The KG9 Kid]

I would imagine that they mean SAS 'Sabre' squadrons, rather than Paras, but we'll see.

[demlosers]

Go For Broke!

[tet68]

Paratroopers or heliborne troops will then assault the airfield, jumping from just 250 ft.

Wonder if they are going to give them parachutes?
Or maybe these are Ghurkas!

More disinfo and the press lapps it up.

[Owen]

Folks,

When you look in the dictionary under the word "resolve" there is a picture of GW Bush.

When you look in the dictionary under the word "stalwart", yup, that's Tony Blair.

Do not ever think we have not noticed who we can rely on and who we cannot. Thank you, England.

Owen

[xzins]

This will not happen.

We take airports we want to use or that we want to deny use of.

We don't need to deny use of Baghdad airport because we'll have air superiority. To deny use we must be able to hold in the face of opposition until reinforcement arrives.

We won't be taking the airport because we won't be landing in downtown Baghdad until we subdue Baghdad.

I really don't think this article makes sense.

[steveegg]

"Office of Strategic Information" (Masters edition) ping

[Dog Gone]

Jumping from 250 feet? I doubt that, unless we want a lot of dead men. There's no margin of error.

[oceanview]

all we need is a debacle, 24-48 hours into this thing, and the whole effort will collapse. we don't need a slaughter of our troops, and prisoners taken. why capture an airport 24 hours into this, when it can be essentially rendered useless for flight operations by Iraq if necessary?

[TADSLOS]

Good Hunting!

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Masters edition, LOL

[John Jorsett]

I wonder what the Iraqis think about all these leaks about our battle plans? I'm betting that we could publish the entire invasion blueprint and they'd think it was a lie.

[demlosers]

An agresesive plan doesn't have to be this Op. I don't think its true.