U.S. forces secure bridge over Euphrates in Iraq

Reuters | 3/22/03

[kattracks]

U.S. forces secure bridge over Euphrates in Iraq

NEAR NASSIRIYA, Iraq, March 22 (Reuters) - U.S. forces secured a bridge over the Euphrates River west of the town of Nassiriya on Saturday in a push to clear a path towards the capital Baghdad, a U.S. military officer said.

"We've established checkpoints at both ends" of the bridge, he said.

Reuters correspondent Andrew Gray, travelling with the U.S. Third Infantry Division and about a mile (1.5 km) from the bridge, said that he could hear explosions in the area, apparently from artillery or grenades.

[demlosers]

All you bridges belong to US !

[jimtorr]

Securing a bridge over the Euphrates is a good thing, much easier than putting in a floating bridge.

[section9]

Outstanding!

Getting the bridges at Nasiriyah was key. Now the Third ID and the Seventh Cav can roll up the center of the Tigris-Euphrates basin. Once the RG's near Basra are dealt with, we can wheel 7th Armored and First MarDiv up around the east bank of the Tigris.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[solzhenitsyn]

Fantastic!

[Maringa]

I find it interesting that major infrastructure items haven't been sabotaged by the Iraqui forces. I think they are trying to draw us in, making us feel overconfident. Blowing up a bridge would make sense to slow us down. Resistance along the way to keep things honest...Drawing us closer and closer to Bagdad. Pictures from Sky showing ragtag forces ready to defend Bagdad. I don't think this is going to be a cakewalk like everyone is thinking. I doesn't seem the leadership is dead quite yet....The Iraquis have psych ops too! I just we are prepared for whatever thrick they have up their sleeve.

[solzhenitsyn]

Maringa, I was surprised (thrilled) that the bridge was captured intact, but I certainly don't think it's a trick. I think it shows that the Iraqi leadership has lost the ability to command and control its forces effectively. It's not hard to destroy a bridge when you're right there, or at least render it unusable.

[vbmoneyspender]

ping

[Scott from the Left Coast]

Thank you for the ping, vb.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

Fantastic, we were not altogether certain that we'd be able to get those bridges intact and in passable condition.

The Iraqis obviously have some serious command and control issues that keep cropping up -- failing to wire the oil terminal in Umm Qasra and now failing to blow the bridges on the Euphrates, all things that would slow the advance.

I expect they intend to simply fight in the city against the siege where the overwhelming U.S. advantage in mobility is lessened. But they may be making an different error here -- we also have a tremendous advantage in firepower, which will be concentrated by their choice to defend in this manner. Obviously, they wish to play the PR game war of "you are criminals killing civilians". I expect that their ability to broadcast this message will be removed entirely once Baghdad is invested fully.

[Free the USA]

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