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Biggest push for Baghdad By Bob Graham in Baghdad, David Taylor and Justin Davenport, Evening Standard 2 April 2003 American ground assault forces achieved stunning successes on two fronts in a decisive push for Baghdad today. In the first move, troops completely encircled the city of Karbala, south-west of the capital. And in a separate action to the south-east, US marines fighting the Republican Guard near the city of Kut took a vital bridge over the Tigris, hailed by one senior officer as "the last big bridge we needed" before Baghdad. The successes paved the way for US troops and...

Dramatic shift in battle lines around Baghdad: DEBKAfile reports: US 101st Airborne units break through Iraqi defense lines and are fighting in streets of Hindiyah south of capital. Rumbles of artillery fire heard in South Baghdad come from these advancing US units. Iraq opens Euphrates-Tigris floodgates in path of US troops advancing on Baghdad

TEHRAN, 27 Mar (KUNA) -- The Iraqi regime forces have diverted the water of the Tigris river into nearby plains to curb the advance of coalition forces in southern Iraq, Iraqi opposition sources said. The sources told KUNA that large quantities of water have already been spilled into the nearby level lands. Meanwhile, the coalition forces have been speeding their advance towards the city of Amara as helicopters started as of yesterday the transport of troops and vehicles into that region.

Feb. 3 — An Iraqi dam under construction on the Tigris River threatens to submerge the remains of the spiritual capital of the ancient Assyrian empire in an act archaeologists liken to flooding the Vatican.Much of the city of Ashur, which thrived for more than 1,000 years until the Babylonians razed it in 614 B.C., could vanish under a lake to be created by the Makhoul dam, U.S. and European archaeologists said.More than 60 outlying historical sites are also threatened.Ashur, or Assur, was of such importance that it lent its name to the Assyrian civilization itself."Losing it would be...