Posted on 04/07/2003 1:42:35 PM PDT by knighthawk
WITH THE U.S. MARINES ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF BAGHDAD - As Saddam Hussein apparently visited bombed areas of his capital yesterday, kissing babies amid a small but cheering crowd, a short drive away in the east of Baghdad U.S. forces were being rapturously received, with not an Iraqi soldier to be seen.
The Third Light Armoured Reconnaissance Battalion with which the National Post is embedded, drove all night within 10 kilometres of Baghdad's southern side before jogging laterally.
While the Marines travelled north, one of the most concentrated U.S. artillery barrages of the war arched overhead on its way to Republican Guard positions in and near Baghdad.
The pell-mell rush into the densely populated outer fringes of Baghdad yesterday was an exhilarating experience for the young Marines, many of whom are not yet 20 years old.
Thousands of Iraqis greeted them at the roadside with smiles, cheers, thumbs up and occasionally attempts to say "Very good, very good," in English.
One reason for the friendly reception was that the area was mostly Shia. Saddam is a Sunni who has oppressed Iraq's majority Shia population for years. In the past few days, some Iraqi Shia mullahs have called on their people to support the U.S. intervention.
The juxtaposition of Iraq's old ways and the ways of the American conquerors was sometimes striking. Horse-drawn carts would thread their way between some of the largest mechanized machinery of the U.S. fighting force. Men and women walked by with cans of milk on their heads. Shepherds and goat herders and veiled women also stopped to watch the parade and to wish the Americans well.
The welcome seemed to become even more enthusiastic the nearer the battle column got to Baghdad's southern suburbs. Hundreds of Iraqis gathered to gawk and congratulate the Marines. Most in vehicles and many of those on foot waved white flags at the Americans.
Several black plumes of smoke scarred the horizon on what was the hottest day in the Middle East for the Marines since they came ashore in Kuwait in February.
The biggest of these plumes was the result of a direct hit by a U.S. aircraft on a huge oil tank. The fire raged out of control for hours.
The Marines have brought forward almost every type of killing machine they possess. Dozens of tanks guarded the main roads, artillery was dug in with its guns trained toward Baghdad. Infantry battalions waited for fresh orders as did reconnaissance units.
Special forces were also out in large numbers in their distinctive fighting gear, which includes baseball caps, jeans, expensive sunglasses and specially adapted rifles.
There were no Iraqi soldiers to be seen during the Marines' advance, although many young men in what can best be described as "civilian battle" clothes crowded intersections. But it was apparent from all the wrecked Iraqi vehicles, some of these men had given the Marines a fight late on Thursday and early yesterday.
One U.S. infantry battalion claimed a large statue of Saddam as a battle prize, but many portraits of the dictator remained untouched on the side of buildings along the Marines' route to the southern outskirts of Baghdad.
By nightfall, as U.S. warplanes continued to buzz overhead, tens of thousands of Marines had moved to within a few minutes drive of Baghdad proper. Whether they will enter the capital as the climax to their 400-kilometre, two-week push into Iraq or lay siege to it was not clear as they encamped last night.
Probably, but I like these as well...
many of those on foot waved white flags at the AmericansWhy wave French flags at American soldiers?
-Eric
They've been reading Tolkien. It's the great flag of the White City.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.