Posted on 03/20/2003 10:24:04 AM PST by kattracks
Huge plumes of smoke can be seen in the city along with the crack of anti-aircraft fire heard.
Sky's David Chater, in Baghdad, said what appeared to be cruise missiles were landing in the city.
"I can see what appears to be cruise missiles arcing like a shooting star.
"Four targets in front of me are burning away."
Sky correspondent Ross Appleyard said American artillery in northern Kuwait had opened up with what sounded like a "huge barrage" onto troop positions in southern Iraq.
"We are guessing, but they are probably shelling the Iraqi frontlines," Appleyard said.
The targets are around 30kms across the Iraqi border, Appleyard said. Up to 100 artillery shells are believed to have been fired.
"The ground is shaking," he said.
"You can feel the vibrations and the air is full of of aeroplanes and helicopters.
"It feels frightening just from here, so goodness knows what it is like to be underneath all this firepower 30kms within Iraq. These things are so huge they can travel huge distances."
Troops alerted
Associated Press reported that howitzers and multiple launch rocket systems were fired at Iraqi troops by US 3rd Infantry Division.
Major General Bufourd Blount, the division commander, had said the artillery barrage would signal the first phase of the ground war against Iraq.
Earlier, the Pentagon announced that US forces in northern Kuwait were ready to launch a major attack.
Troops are assembled close to the border with Iraq have been ordered to be battle ready - wearing full chemical protection suits and gas masks.
Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon - following the first meeting of Britain's War Cabinet - said a larger scale operation was "very, very near.
Whoever that was, looked like Phil Silvers, he sounds like he is playing his hand all the way to the end.
Can somebody tell me why the Bush Administration kept Tenet at the CIA, given that he was appointed by Clinton? An inquiring mind would like to know.
Just checked again before posting. The headline is now gone. ????
Yeah, the President likes him, trusts him and feels he is doing a good job. That's enough for me.
I guess it didn't happen... Now the talk is of dozens, not thousands, of surrenders. The 1,000,000th bogus rumor of the week?
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.