Free Republic

BANI MAQEM, Iraq -- A hilltop position where Iraqi forces had menaced Kurdish civilians for years fell Thursday, after several days of bombing by the U.S. military. Villagers and militiamen celebrated after Kurdish military commanders confirmed the Iraqis had abandoned the checkpoint and surrounding bunkers by mid-afternoon. The retreat came less than a day after U.S. paratroopers landed in Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq, opening a new front against Saddam Hussein's forces.

Coalition Warplanes Hit Baghdad Defenses By DAVID ESPO .c The Associated Press U.S.-led warplanes and helicopters attacked Republican Guard units defending Baghdad on Monday while ground troops advanced to within 50 miles of the Iraqi capital. White House aides said a down payment on war-related costs would come to $75 billion. Five days into Operation Iraqi Freedom, fierce resistance prevented American and British forces from securing the southern cities of Basra and An Nasiriyah and thwarted efforts to extinguish burning oil wells. Iraq claimed custody, as well, of two American pilots after a helicopter went down, in addition to a...