Posted on 03/20/2003 6:22:24 PM PST by Ed_NYC
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THE ground war against Iraq began yesterday after Saddam Hussein's forces began torching the country's oil fields. British and US Marines crossed into enemy territory and artillery pounded Iraqi positions with self-propelled howitzers and multiple rocket launchers. At 7.20pm UK time, reports said British and US troops had seized the Iraqi border town of Umm Qasr. It is the first town on the road to Basra, Iraq's second city, and the oilfields. The blitz began after Iraq set fire to at least three oilfields near Basra. US officials have insisted that troops will protect Iraq's oil wealth for the people if Saddam tries to hinder the Allies by destroying it. The assault started at about 5pm UK time, when the US 3rd Infantry Division attacked with more than 100 Paladin howitzers and multiple launch rocket systems. Thousands of US troops massed near the border cheered as the 150mm shells went overhead. British and US fighter jets and warships in the Gulf had softened up Iraqi forces with missile strikes. Major General Buford Blount III, the division commander, had said an artillery barrage would signal the start of land operations. The ground troops were involved in fighting soon after crossing the border. There were reports that the US 1st Marine Division had encountered two Iraqi armoured personnel carriers, and destroyed them. Pentagon officials confirmed that US Special Forces were performing reconnaissance missions in southern Iraq, to "prepare the battlefield". Huge explosions and anti-aircraft fire were also heard in Baghdad, more than 300 miles to the north. Saddam's main presidential complex and Republican Guard compounds were targets for cruise missiles and guided bombs. Witnesses said the attack hit a 10-storey building that appeared to be part of Saddam's compound, setting it on fire. The ministry of planning and an office used by deputy prime minister Tariq Aziz were also hit, and missiles rained down on strongholds of the Republican Guard. The Iraqis responded with massive anti-aircraft fire. F14 and F18 jets armed with missiles and bombs took off from the carrier Theodore Roosevelt in the eastern Mediterranean. It was not known whether they were headed for Baghdad. The Allies attacked after the Iraqis fired four Scud-type missiles over the border into Kuwait. Two were destroyed by Patriot anti- missile batteries, and two landed harmlessly in the desert. Troops had to scramble in and out of protective gear as repeated chemical warfare alerts were sounded. Later, RAF Harriers took part in search and destroy missions against mobile Scud launchers in the area. Despite the missile strikes, White House sources said they were pleasantly surprised by the weak Iraqi response to Thursday's "surgical strike" aimed at killing Saddam in a Baghdad bunker. One source suggested that the raids had caused chaos in the Iraqi command structure. The official said: "We are seeing no coordinated response to our first attack. "It's little things here and there. Some individual commanders are hunkering down, while others are launching small attacks and setting fires." Other observers fear that burning the oilfields is part of a "scorched earth" policy by Saddam. It is believed he will try to slow the Allied advance by laying waste to his own country. Iraqi troops are thought to have rigged wells with explosives. US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said: "I have seen indications and reports that the Iraqi regime may have set fire to as many as three or four oil wells in the south. "We are in the process of trying to get additional information on that. "Needless to say, it is a crime for that regime to be destroying the riches of the Iraqi people." Rumsfeld added: "The days of the Saddam Hussein regime are numbered. "We continue to feel that there is no need for a broader conflict if the Iraqi leaders act to save themselves. "What will follow will not be a repeat of any other conflict. It will be of a force and scope and scale that is beyond what has been seen before." Rumsfeld said coalition radio broadcasts would issue instructions explaining to Iraqi troops how they could demonstrate that they did not intend to fight. Damage And he warned the enemy: "If you follow Saddam Hussein's orders, you will share his fate." In Gulf War I, Saddam set light to more than 700 oil wells in Kuwait. The fires caused an environmental disaster and took seven months to extinguish. Green campaigners were dismayed by yesterday's fires. Greenpeace UK director Stephen Tindale said: "Environmental damage, just like human suffering, is an inevitable consequence of war. "This news underlines the need for an immediate ceasefire." Earlier, the first British shots of the new Gulf War were fired by Parachute Regiment gunners. Soldiers from 7 Para Royal Horse Artillery were fired on by Iraqi troops. They returned fire in what was described as "a cross- border skirmish". No British servicemen were hurt. There was no word on Iraqi casualties. The Paras involved in the fighting specialise in "fast drops" into front line positions, with their field guns slung beneath Chinook helicopters. They are part of Britain's 16 Air Assault Brigade, likely to spearhead the main ground assault. |
Is there any confirmation of Actual SCUDS? Has the media
made any comments on the existence of the very banned
scud missiles?
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