Posted on 03/21/2003 3:20:29 PM PST by steveegg
Edited on 03/21/2003 3:50:02 PM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
B A G H D A D, Iraq, March 21 — Three top Iraqi leaders — including Saddam Hussein's cousin, the infamous "Chemical Ali" — are believed to have been killed in what would be a major blow to the regime's defense against the U.S.-led onslaught, CIA officials told ABCNEWS.
ABCNEWS' Brian Ross reported that the three critical Iraqi officials — Taha Yasin Ramadan, Izatt Ibrahaim al Douri, and Ali Hassan Majid, known as Chemical Ali — are believed to have died in Wednesday night's "decapitation attack," the opening salvo of the war. CIA officials said they reached this conclusion based on radio traffic analysis.
"Chemical Ali" earned his chilling nickname by using chemical weapons to suppress a Kurdish rebellion in Northern Iraq in 1987 and 1988. Hundreds of villages were razed, and more than 100,000 Kurds died.
Meanwhile, over Baghdad, sirens sounded another warning over Baghdad following U.S.-led bombings that pummeled the city, and bombs and missiles continued to rain over targets across the country.
"This is much, much, more than anything we've had earlier," ABCNEWS' Richard Engel reported from Baghdad as attack aircraft were heard over the city for the first time in this war. "It's hard to even see the western side of the city through all the smoke."
Air War Has Begun
While the series of devastating bombings appear to have paused over Baghdad, there were reports of new explosions heard near the northern Iraqi cities of Mosul and Kirkuk and in the village of Sergat.
Defense officials said the air campaign would continue for 24 hours (until approximately 1 a.m. ET) as a "continually rolling operation" involving 1,500 total sorties by missiles and strike aircraft.
Meanwhile, in another major development, U.S. military sources said that the commander of Iraq's 51st division and his top deputy surrendered to U.S. marine forces today. This was the division charged with defending Basra, a key strategic city south of Baghdad. It was the first time that the commander of an Iraqi division has surrendered to allied forces.
bumpity bumpity . . .
However one reason that the death of Sadam is not announced is simple. If he is alive, but wounded, nobody in his right mind would take over running the leaderless army, for Sadam would have his head on a pike for it. As long as there is the slightest chance he is alive, nobody moves.
G'day Bruce!
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