Black Watch strike at heart of burning Basra

Scotland on Sunday ^ | March 30, 2003 | GETHIN CHAMBERLAIN

[BurbankKarl]

[Dubya]

Great Job Brits bump

[metesky]

Ever since I was a kid, I have thought that one of the most fear inspiring things about being in a war would be to hear the skirl of the bagpipes and suddenly know that the Black Watch was coming for you.

[Cato the Censor]

Hip Hip Hooray to these brave lads from us Yanks.

[GeekDejure]

Oak Hay . . . I give up . . . where's the local Wal-Mart ??? ;-))

.

[pbear8]

Scotland the Brave Bump!!

[eddie willers]

The young soldier said he also fired on a machine gun station and saw an Iraqi soldier blown out by the force of the hit. "That was the only time I have physically seen an Iraqi soldier go up," he said. "It's a bit different to an inanimate target. I will see how I feel about that a bit later, I suppose

Sleep well, soldier.

[river rat]

I suspect the sound of blood pounding in this kid's ears, nearly drowns out the sound of that horribly wonderful 30mm sword....
When death is that close, the proof of life within your own body is overwhelming....

These kids are having one hell of a fight...and each day and each fight they are seeing evidence of the righteousness of their efforts and sacrifices....

I would give up 10 years of my life, to be 40 years younger and there at this time.....
Rarely has man had such an opportunity to destroy true evil.....

God keep them....
Semper Fi

[wasp69]

Well done, lads, indeed! God bless and keep these brave warriors.

[Happygal]

The Scotsman is truly behind the Black Watch troops. Good for them.

Unlike the Daily Mirror, which is like reading Al Jazeera

[Travis McGee]

Amen brother!

I heard one old veteran on talk radio say that he wanted the message to get to our troops that "you have our front, and we have your back!"

There may be a place for us, at the blood bank, the V.A. hospital, or the support the troops rally.

I am so grateful to live in San Diego, where I can thank young Marines in person every day.

I hope when they come home they where distinctive campaign souvenier hats or shirts, so we can recognize them on leave and thank them personally.

[Travis McGee]

"Wear" not "where".

[river rat]

Roger that!

Without question, there will be a campaign ribbon for Iraq.
In addition, I believe the Corps still awards the Combat Action Ribbon for those that actually engaged the enemy.

I can hardly watch the TV, up close and personal with the grunts....
It brings tears of love, pride and gratitude, when I see those fresh innocent faced killers of evil.....
I have lost all fear and concern for the younger generation..
There are more that enough men such as these to counteract the assholes protesting in the streets...

Semper Fi

[houstonian]

It is interesting to look forward to the promotions the embedded reporters will attain when the war is over.

[Lady In Blue]

Outstanding! Ivan, are British reporters embedded with each of your units, like ours?

[Lady In Blue]

Great article! Makes you feel like you're right there!

[Travis McGee]

The new generation of returning soldiers plus the old generation already here should be able to mop up the street with the black shirted punk protestors.

[wardaddy]

A hearty bump to the nation that spawned us.

[may18]

And now they have sent in the royal marines

byebye murdering scum

K forces attack Iraqi stronghold


Basra campaign is going well say UK military
British forces have raided an Iraqi military stronghold south of the country's second city.
Five Iraqi officers were captured and a colonel of the Republican Guard killed in the attack on the village outside Basra, according to a senior British military official.

RAF Harrier pilots also claim to have successfully attacked a fuel storage depot used by tank units of the Republican Guard.

The British say their forces now hold the four bridges on the outskirts of Basra and continue to launch what they describe as aggressive patrols into and out of the city.

British forces military spokesman Group Captain Al Lockwood said there was still resistance by "illegal criminal elements" but this would be met.

'Disorganised resistance'

At dawn companies of the British 3 Commando moved into the village of Abu al-Qassib and captured prisoners of war they say are senior Iraqi army officials, said BBC correspondent Kylie Morris.

In the Rumaila oil fields, another Ba'athist official has been captured by British forces as they continue their campaign to destroy Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath party in Basra, she said.

THE BATTLE FOR BASRA



Click here for the military position
Enlarge image



See also: Why Basra matters
Meanwhile, the BBC's Hilary Andersson said British Royal Marines outside Basra have taken on Iraqi forces overnight and captured tanks, armoured vehicles and prisoners.

Gp Cpt Lockwood said the operation around Basra was going well and resistance was disorganised.

"They are these illegal criminal elements who have decided they have no future in Iraq," he said.

"If they are prepared to fight instead of surrendering to us we will engage them".

Speaking about the fuel depot hit overnight, Wing Commander Andy Suddards, said it was in the desert outside Karbala, 80 kilometres (50 miles) southwest of Baghdad.

'Harassing tactics'

Fuel depots attacks are aimed at stranding Republican Guard tanks in the desert or at least reducing their mobility.

"I fired one Maverick missile into the heart of a fuel dump west-north-west of Karbala used by the Republican Guard.


Harrier pilots are seeking to destroy supply lines
"The visibility was good and I saw the bang," he said.

He said the formation dropped four laser-guided bombs and some free-fall bombs to take out the rest of the storage area.

Amid suggestions - denied by the Pentagon - that the coalition ground offensive has ground to a halt with overstretched supply lines and unexpected Iraqi harassing tactics, the RAF commander said air was having an effect.

"While the army is not moving forward it is the turn of the air to shape the battle space," he said.

The RAF is also involved in attacks on the Republican Guard's armoured Medina Division, which is guarding Karbala and is understood to be one of the best equipped and best manned of the Guard's six divisions.

Pilots say they have destroyed some of its biggest guns, using laser-guided bombs and Maverick missiles.

A US military spokesman said 30 Apache helicopters also attacked the positions southwest of Baghdad, killing at least 50 troops and destroying about 25 vehicles.

[blackie]

Black Watch ... Bump!

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