U.S. Closes to Within 30 Miles of Baghdad

AP | Wednesday, April 2, 2003 | By MATT KELLEY

[JohnHuang2]

U.S. Closes to Within 30 Miles of Baghdad

By MATT KELLEY .c The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S.-led forces advancing on Baghdad have moved to within 30 miles of the Iraqi capital, a top U.S. general said Wednesday.

Maj. Gen. Stanley McChrystal told a Pentagon briefing that resistance from Saddam Hussein's Republican Guard was ``sporadic, but not able to stop coalition maneuvers.''

Two top Republican Guard units - the Medina and Baghdad divisions - are ``no longer credible forces,'' said McChrystal, vice director of joint operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Still, he said, ``tough fighting lies ahead.''

Republican Guard forces, the highly trained forces most loyal to Saddam, are ``arrayed for a defense on the southern side of Baghdad at this time, and on the flanks as well,'' McChrystal said. ``Whether they intend to defend in place or just delay is just not clear,'' he said.

[JohnHuang2]

Wednesday, April 2, 2003

Quote of the Day by The Wizard

[Williams]

Should we really be surprised that Iraq's "best" are not a match for the United States Army, Airforce, Marines & Navy? I note that Iraq barely has two of the services on that list.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

The Iraqi navy is parked in Italy (not that could do much anyway).