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UK forces fight tank battle south of Basra
Reuters | 3/25/03 | Peter Graff

Posted on 03/25/2003 3:43:01 AM PST by kattracks

UK forces fight tank battle south of Basra

By Peter Graff

ABOARD HMS ARK ROYAL, March 25 (Reuters) - British forces south of Basra have blocked an attempted breakout by up to 50 Iraqi tanks seeking to press southward from the edge of the city, a British naval commander said on Tuesday.

Captain Alan Massey of the flagship aircraft carrier Ark Royal said British light tanks from the Queen's Dragoons' Guard and marines from two battalions on the Faw Peninsula had halted the advance of the Iraqi tanks overnight and on Tuesday morning.

"They were aided by small helicopter gunships and further surveillance helicopters stationed on board ships in Britain's amphibious task force off the Iraqi coast," he told Reuters.

"We can't attack them directly because of fear of collateral damage (civilian casualties) so we get them when they poke out," Massey added.

He said the helicopter and ground forces had destroyed five to seven Iraqi tanks in the fighting so far.

British troops have taken over all responsibility for southern Iraq as U.S. forces press on towards the north in their campaign to oust President Saddam Hussein.

Earlier, a British spokesman at Central Command headquarters in Qatar said British troops would not enter Basra, Iraq's second city, to battle "Fedayeen" irregular Iraqi fighters.

"MILITARY IMPORTANCE"

"We're not going into Basra, it's simply considered a target," a British military spokesman at Central Command headquarters in Qatar told Reuters.

"The reason it is a potential target is because it has an enormous political and military importance in the area."

Brigadier Jim Dutton of the 3 commando brigade of the Royal Marines told Reuters an Iraqi unit of T-55 tanks was causing problems for the British at Abul Khasib, southeast of Basra, because they were hiding among houses.

The T-55 combines a high-velocity gun with a highly mobile chassis and a low silhouette. It was the former Soviet Union's primary frontline battle tank until the 1980s.

"They pose no real threat to us. They are not going to be able to advance but it is very difficult to winkle them out because of our collateral damage requirements," he told Reuters.

"They are in built-up areas on the southern edge of Abul Khasib on the main eastwest road that runs into Basra," he said.

Since the United States and Britain invaded Iraq last Thursday, British troops have been reluctant to engage in urban warfare which would endanger the civilian population.

"If we were prepared to flatten the houses we could destroy the tanks but we are not prepared to flatten the houses because that is not what we have come here for," Dutton said.

British Lieutenant Colonel Ronnie McCourt, also at Central Command, said: "All options are open to us. If you're going to put your hand into the hornet's nest you have to make sure you are fully protected. Close-quarter stuff (fighting) really would not be our first choice."

Iraqi resistance in Basra and the nearby port of Umm Qasr to the south has thwarted plans to distribute aid to Basra, which the United Nations says faces a humanitarian crisis without the speedy restoration of adequate water supplies.

Tonnes of humanitarian relief supplies are waiting offshore to the south of Basra while British and other naval vessels try to clear mines from the waterways leading inland.

(Additional reporting by Adrian Croft)

03/25/03 06:36 ET


TOPICS: Breaking News; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: basra; basrah; battleforbaghdad; dragoonguards; iraq; iraqifreedom; royalmarines; t55; war; warlist
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1 posted on 03/25/2003 3:43:01 AM PST by kattracks
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To: kattracks
A few mintues of A-10 flight time should take care of 50 Iraqi tanks, don't you think?
2 posted on 03/25/2003 3:45:40 AM PST by machman
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To: kattracks
This is an obvious attempt to cut supply lines and encircle a great number of our troops. Didn't they see the 50 Tanks in the city??
3 posted on 03/25/2003 3:50:35 AM PST by SCR1
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To: SCR1
The T-55 was NOT the Soviet premiere tank until the 1980's. It was developed in the 50's. British Challengers will eat them as well as our Close Air Support.
4 posted on 03/25/2003 3:54:42 AM PST by Credo
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To: kattracks
"They pose no real threat to us. They are not going to be able to advance but it is very difficult to winkle them out because of our collateral damage requirements," he told Reuters.

Key paragraph.

5 posted on 03/25/2003 4:01:06 AM PST by metesky (My retirement fund is holding steady @ $.05 a can)
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To: kattracks
BBC now reporting 20-25 Iraqi tanks destroyed in initial fighting. Good!
6 posted on 03/25/2003 4:16:34 AM PST by Forceful1
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To: kattracks
As long as they're contained I don't see any reason to waste ammunition on them. They can't do much damage stuck in the middle of Basra unless they start shooting up the civilian population.
7 posted on 03/25/2003 4:18:37 AM PST by libertylover (Republican, because I care.)
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To: machman
A few mintues of A-10 flight time should take care of 50 Iraqi tanks, don't you think?

Not without damaging the houses. Please note it is very difficult to winkle them out because of our collateral damage requirements," he told Reuters…"They are in built-up areas…If we were prepared to flatten the houses we could destroy the tanks but we are not prepared to flatten the houses because that is not what we have come here for.

8 posted on 03/25/2003 4:19:24 AM PST by SJackson
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To: kattracks
Seems to me all the Iraqis are doing is preventing food rations from pouring into the city.
9 posted on 03/25/2003 4:20:49 AM PST by NittanyLion
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To: SJackson
Polically correct (collateral damage) wars, cost American lives. As we have already scene.
10 posted on 03/25/2003 4:31:50 AM PST by chachacha
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To: NittanyLion
Exactly, they want the people to starve to death so they can blame us.
11 posted on 03/25/2003 4:32:29 AM PST by Coolidge
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To: Credo
You're right that the T-55 was not the Soviet frontline MBT after about 1968, when the T-62/4 and thereafter the T-72 took those honors. You're also right that Challenger 2s will eath them for lunch, but from the article, it didn't sound like Challengers were being used. Rather, it sounded like British light tanks (Scorpions?) were opposing the Iraqis. That would be a much more even fight, unfortunately.
12 posted on 03/25/2003 4:36:33 AM PST by CatoRenasci (Ceterum Censeo Mesopotamiam Esse Delendam)
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To: kattracks
Our Rules Of Engagement which as he said, "If we were prepared to flatten the houses we could destroy the tanks but we are not prepared to flatten the houses because that is not what we have come here for," Dutton said.

This will have to change or it will be impossible to fulfill the mission of destroying the RG and Saddam's control.

There is no way to take Bagdad unless we are willing to have some collateral damage.

Will we never learn?? :)
13 posted on 03/25/2003 4:44:50 AM PST by rebel
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To: kattracks
The following sentence jumped out at me:

Since the United States and Britain invaded Iraq last Thursday, British troops have been reluctant to engage in urban warfare which would endanger the civilian population.

Apparently, Reuters thinks that American troops are hoping for urban warfare that would endanger the civilian population? Ugh.
14 posted on 03/25/2003 4:49:20 AM PST by small_l_libertarian
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To: metesky
Great word, winkle.
15 posted on 03/25/2003 4:54:13 AM PST by Pukka Puck
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To: Pukka Puck
For some strange reason that I can't fathom, the English seem to have a way with the ... er... English language.
16 posted on 03/25/2003 4:57:28 AM PST by metesky (My retirement fund is holding steady @ $.05 a can)
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To: SCR1
Yes. The Iraqis play the media like a violin. Reminds me of the way the Democrats flatten the Republicans with PR all the time. I think it is time to make the TV's go out in Iraq. The images (fake though they may be) of Saddam, are inspiring some and terrifying others in Iraq. We need images of a dead Sadam or NO images at all.

A_R

17 posted on 03/25/2003 5:07:40 AM PST by arkady_renko
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To: kattracks
Wonder why they just didn't let them out into the open. And then....
18 posted on 03/25/2003 5:29:31 AM PST by 12B
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To: small_l_libertarian
"Since the United States and Britain invaded Iraq last Thursday"

Author also failed to mention the Australian and Polish forces that have been involved in combat operations.
19 posted on 03/25/2003 6:15:18 AM PST by ironman
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To: kattracks
no offense, but I would personally LOVE it if everyone quoting Reuters would add (REUTERS PUKE) after their titles.
20 posted on 03/25/2003 6:21:26 AM PST by Future Useless Eater (Freedom_Loving_Engineer)
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