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LAKE OSWEGO, Ore. — British and American ground forces are drawn up south of Baghdad in what the press, much to the displeasure of the White House, is calling a "pause." After all, hesitation looks bad, owing to the previous sunny pronouncements about how we would be received in Iraq. But the last few conflicts should have taught us that in warfare, winning sometimes involves looking bad for a while. First, let's consider the Pentagon's plan. Using long-range air against an opponent whose only strength is in short-range ground power is "asymmetrical" warfare in our favor. That is why in...

Forces not 'Paused'; Coalition Attacks Continue By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, March 30, 2003 -- Army Gen. Tommy Franks said coalition forces are not "paused" and are not suffering from a lack of supplies. Franks, who spoke today at a press conference in Qatar, said, "Where we stand today is not only acceptable, … it is truly remarkable." He spoke of "large and capable ground forces within 60 miles of Baghdad on multiple fronts." Coalition forces' combat systems are above 90 percent mission-capable and elements continue to attack Saddam Hussein's forces. "The regime is in trouble, and...

KUWAIT, March 30 — For an American military on the offensive, there may be no more distasteful term than "operational pause." The military prides itself on seizing the initiative and applying relentless pressure to defeat its foe. Continues. ===================================================================== Coalition forces -- Still not losing after all these days Saturday, Day 2 of a 6-day operational pause, ordered by U.S. commanders Thursday, brought another night of peace and tranquility to the beleaguered Iraqi capital of Baghdad.Coalition warplanes rumbling over the ancient city, adhering strictly to the pause, paused to bomb relentlessly, blasting government buildings, Republican Guard positions, terrorist training facilities...

Rumsfeld says no plan for 'pauses or cease-fires' WASHINGTON, March 30 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said on Sunday the United States has "no plans for pauses or cease-fires" in its war against Iraq. Appearing on ABC's "This Week," program, Rumsfeld took issue with reports that a pause in war operations could last as much as a month or more. "We have no plans for pauses or cease-fires or anything else," Rumsfeld said.

U.S. General Franks sees no pause in Iraq campaign AS SAYLIYA CAMP, Qatar, March 30 (Reuters) - U.S. Central Command chief General Tommy Franks rejected reports on Sunday that there was a pause in the drive of U.S.-led forces towards Baghdad. Some U.S. troops said on Sunday they had been told a pause in land advances from the south towards Baghdad could be extended by several weeks because of overstretched supply lines and stiff Iraqi resistance. Addressing a news conference at U.S. war headquarters in Qatar, Franks rejected suggestions of a pause in fighting: "It is simply not the case."...

CENTRAL IRAQ (Reuters) - Some U.S. troops said on Sunday they had been told a pause in land advances toward Baghdad could last several weeks. They said they were digging trenches, laying mines around camps and camouflaging vehicles, but that the aerial and artillery bombardment on Iraqi positions in and around Baghdad would continue unabated. "It looks like they are going to be in this position for at least two weeks, the sergeant says," said a Reuters reporter with U.S. forces in central Iraq. "They're going to send in the aircraft to do the work before the grunts (foot...

Proving the coalition's denial of any pause in the drive toward Baghdad, a fierce air assault was mounted against Baghdad yesterday, targeting the center and outskirts of the metropolis with repeated heavy bombing of Republican Guard positions to soften them up in expectation of the push for the Iraqi capital. The new attacks followed an overnight strike Friday on Iraq's Information Ministry and a marketplace blast that Iraq said killed dozens of civilians. Several large blasts shook the city center after dark yesterday. Fierce attacks beginning in the afternoon also targeted outlying areas where Iraq's Republican Guard are believed to...

'Pause' in doubt as US troops hit elite force By John Lichfield and Anne Penketh 30 March 2003 American airborne troops launched a preliminary offensive against the Republican Guard defending Baghdad yesterday, despite reports from other US commanders that the advance had been placed "on pause". The 101st Airborne Division attacked units of the Medina Division of the Republican Guard defending the Karbala Gap, south-west of the Iraqi capital, claiming later to have killed 50 soldiers and destroyed 25 tanks. The battle for the Karbala Gap – a 20-mile-wide strip of land between a lake and the river Euphrates –...

The Pause and the PoliticalMar 29, 2003 - 1942 GMT The decision to pause operations on the Euphrates front makes perfect military sense. An advance of the magnitude experienced in the first five days of war is punishing and requires an equivalent pause in operations. Men and machines cannot continue to operate without rest, maintenance and resupply. Moreover, the current strategic situation makes further advances on the Euphrates undesirable for a number of reasons. 1. Advancing further without air preparation of the battlefield is risky and unnecessary.2. The Basra battle has not resolved itself, and shifting British forces dealing...

Weather experts are forecasting more sandstorms in Iraq next week, with temperatures starting their climb towards unbearable summer highs. After swirling sandstorms struck southern Iraq during the week, German forecasters are predicting more high winds in the coming week. "In southern Iraq and in Kuwait there could again be sandstorms because the wind will be strong," German independent weather service Wetter.com said. The forecasters, using data from Germany's national forecasting service DWD, say conditions will improve in Baghdad over the weekend but next week will be changeable. Searing heat Meteorologists in the United States say temperatures could soar to an...

WITH THE THIRD INFANTRY, Central Iraq, Saturday, March 29 — A Iraqi suicide bomber killed five U.S. soldiers today by luring them to his taxi cab at a checkpoint north of Najaf and then detonating an explosive, an army spokesman in the region said. The attack occurred north of Najaf on a road west of the Euphrates River. The victims were all members of the division's First Brigade, which has been involved in significant fighting around the city since last weekend. Capt. Andrew J. Valles, the civil affairs officer for the First Brigade, said the attack occurred just after noon...

(snip)When asked today why it was so important to get to Baghdad so quickly, General Meyers (Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff) said, "Because we could." The Republican Guard has been found and fixed. The advance to Karbala has probably outrun the supply line "tail." Since the 26th of March logistics issues have taken primacy. This is normal in rapid armored operations. Saddam's Stalinist tactics, described in our 24 March report, has to be addressed. The irregulars attacking the rear is more a nuisance than a threat, unless the supply lines cannot be maintained. That would threaten the forward units. Rushing...

AS SAYLIYA CAMP, Qatar (Reuters) - U.S. Central Command denied on Saturday that there had been any pause in military operations to oust Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. "I think that with respect to a pause, there is no pause on the battlefield. Just because you see a particular formation pause on the battlefield it does not mean there is a pause," Major General Victor Renuart told a news conference. Earlier, U.S. military sources said commanders had ordered a pause of four to six days in their northward push toward Baghdad because of supply shortages and stiff Iraqi resistance.

CENTRAL IRAQ (Reuters) - U.S. commanders have ordered a pause of between four to six days in a northwards push toward Baghdad because of supply shortages and stiff Iraqi resistance, U.S. military officers said on Saturday. They said the "operational pause," ordered on Friday, meant that advances would be put on hold while the military sorted out logistics problems with long supply lines from Kuwait.

March 29, 2003 Airstrikes Continue as Allies Consider Timing of a ThrustBy PATRICK E. TYLER UWAIT, Saturday, March 29 — On a day of punishing air assaults against the Iraqi capital, an unexplained blast tore through a Baghdad market on Friday killing or wounding 100 civilians, and the Iraqi authorities blamed allied forces. American officials said they were not responsible. The blast came as skirmishes with irregular forces loyal to Saddam Hussein continued to plague American and British armies in the midst of large-scale resupply operations in preparation for attacks on Republican Guard divisions outside Baghdad. Marine columns headed northward...

March 29, 2003 Either Take a Shot or Take a ChanceBy DEXTER FILKINS IWANIYA, Iraq, March 28 — At the base camp of the Fifth Marine Regiment here, two sharpshooters, Sgt. Eric Schrumpf, 28, and Cpl. Mikael McIntosh, 20, sat on a sand berm and swapped combat tales while their column stood at a halt on the road toward Baghdad. For five days this week, the two men rode atop armored personnel carriers, barreling up Highway 1. They said Iraqi fighters had often mixed in with civilians from nearby villages, jumping out of houses and cars to shoot at them,...