Allied jets target Republican Guard convoys

IC Wales.co.uk ^ | March 27th, 2003

[Sabertooth]

Allied jets target Republican Guard convoys
Mar 27 2003

The Western Mail - The National Newspaper Of Wales

IRAQI military in Baghdad and Basra were last night risking being wiped out in air attacks by leaving the confines of the cities to confront coalition troops.

Saddam Hussein's elite Republican Guard left the capital in a column of 1,000 vehicles.

And up to 120 Iraqi troop vehicles drove out of Basra in a southern direction.

Harriers and Tornados flying out of Kuwait attacked the armoured convoys.

An RAF source said, "A significant number of British aircraft are involved."

It appeared the vehicles were heading towards British troops on the Al Faw peninsula.

It is thought Iraqi commanders decided sandstorms around Baghdad would provide cover for the elite troops to journey to the area of the heaviest fighting of the war so far.

They may have believed the appalling weather conditions would protect their troops from being decimated by allied air power, much of which has been grounded by sand-storms.

But military intelligence had spotted 3,000 Republican Guard moving from the capital to the city of Al Kut, and a further 2,000 were seen to the south of Al Kut.

The Iraqi advance appeared to signal that Saddam Hussein's best trained and most loyal force was ready to go on the offensive despite days of allied air strikes and missile attacks on its positions.

The Iraqis have already issued their first report of battlefield action by the Republican Guards. A spokesman said a special forces unit attacked coalition troops in south-central Iraq, destroying six armoured vehicles and inflicting an unspecified number of casualties.

A US military officer said there had been a fierce battle yesterday for control of a bridge over the River Euphrates at Abu Sukhayr, 13 miles south-east of Najaf. He said an unspecified number of tanks and Bradleys had been destroyed. He believed the US crews, under the command of the 3rd Infantry Division, had escaped the vehicles - but their fate was unknown.

Meanwhile Washington announced yesterday it was flying another 30,000 troops from the US to the war zone.

The Pentagon admitted it was shifting its battlefield tactics after commanders on the ground said they were surprised by the stiff resistance put up Saddam's paramilitaries.

[Sabertooth]

[Sabertooth]

Time to break their back.

[lilylangtree]

To the Republican Guard: You can run but you can't hide. Mess with the best; die like the rest!

[lilylangtree]

To the Republican Guard: You can run but you can't hide. Mess with the best; die like the rest!

[lilylangtree]

To the Republican Guard: You can run but you can't hide. Mess with the best; die like the rest!

[TADSLOS]

Wow, a triple post. Was that one post for each RG division?

[b4its2late]

Get 'em!!!!!!

[MonroeDNA]

B-53's, and C-130's with MOABS.

[GAGOPSWEEPTOVICTORY]

Republican Guards -- you are the weakest link.. GOODBYE!

[Paleo Conservative]

Predicted in previously posted threads. Saddam is no military genius.

[ffusco]

Ever heard the Italian version?

Mess with the Bull, You get the Horns!

[Sabertooth]

B-53's

Those are better than B-52s, right?

[ffusco]

......My amp goes to eleven!

[VRWC_minion]

they were surprised by the stiff resistance put up Saddam's paramilitaries.

I think we planned on flying in a northern force to attack Baghdad in conjunction with our southern force. It doesn't need much because making Iraq protect north and south at same time divides their force and makes them easier to brake.

This is too big and a lot of time was available to plan. I really doubt they are winging this.

[ambrose]

Pinging my fellow convoy watchers....

[Carry_Okie]

I've been waiting all day for a decent report on the contingents from Baghdad. So far, nothing.

[dep]

something we need to think about: this is so plainly stupid a thing to do that pretty much anybody can see it. so rather than relish their stupidity, we might wonder what they're really up to, or what else they're up to. because driving out to get blown up makes to very little sense that it simply cannot be the whole story.

dep

[Milwaukee_Guy]

It's one more!

[MrBambaLaMamba]

The best way to end war and ensure peace is to kill the enemy.

Here's hoping the good guys kill them all.

[meyer]

Those are better than B-52s, right?

Roughly 2% better!