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| Iraq |
| Al-Kut: Baghdad Division of Iraqi Guard Destroyed |
| 2003-04-02 |
| American forces, which crossed the Tigris River in the drive toward the Iraqi capital, destroyed the Baghdad Division of Iraq's Republican Guard, the U.S. Central Command said Wednesday. U.S. forces had entered what U.S. commanders call a "red zone" near Baghdad, and Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks warned that it might be an area where the Iraqis would consider using chemical or other weapons of mass destruction. "There may be a trigger line where the regime deems (there is a) sufficient threat to use weapons of mass destruction," he said. "It's a conceptual line across which there may be a decision made by regime leaders." He said U.S. forces seized the strategic town of Kut and routed the Republican Guard division force that had been guarding the highway leading to Baghdad. "The Baghdad Division has been destroyed," Brooks said. Not degraded, not defeated, Destroyed! He said that two other Republican Guard divisions had been engaged around the city of Karbala and that coalition forces had seized control of a dam on Lake al-Milh. Some analysts had feared the Iraqis would try to destroy the dam and trap U.S. forces with the resulting flood. "They're in serious trouble, and they remain in contact now with the most powerful force on Earth," Brooks said, referring to the other Republican Guard units. Soon to join the former Baghdad division. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #6 It's my opinion that WMDs were not used up to this point because Saddam (or whoever's in charge now) did not want to risk the wrath of the rest of the world before seeing if his city-fighting and human-shield-taking tactics paid off. That being said, I thought his best time to use them was before the deadline expired (Mar. 19) when our troops were concentrated in Kuwait. However, giving the total absence of the Iraqi air force and the progress of the Coalition, my suspicion is he's going to use what existing air power he has to deliver one last desperate attack--including chemical weapons--hoping that launching everything at once will temporarily overwhelm the Coalition air assets at that time long enough for them to get through. This is just pure conjecture on my part. I just can not believe that Hussein's regime will go down without using every means at hand, and the absolute no-show of the Iraqi air force to date tells me something is brewing. |
| Posted by: Dar Steckelberg 2003-04-02 16:07:53 |
| #5 Carolyn, Obviously, one can't say without absolute certainty, but one has to think that if there was a nuclear ace-in-the-hole, it would have been played before this point. This late in the game, command and control facilities have been wrecked, missile delivery systems have been targeted and systematically destroyed, and as you run out of territory, it grows more difficult to conceal any remaining assets. Iraqi television has to claim victory is at hand because if the general populace becomes convinced that Saddaam is finished, the light poles will be decorated with many a Baath party official. |
| Posted by: Dreadnought 2003-04-02 14:52:21 |
| #4 Maybe Im delusional and I hope some of you will help me realize that,but having a daughter over there I have followed this conflict almost exclusively on the net. The way the Iraqi tv is claiming victory is near, and considering they have made statements asking for other Arabs to come to Bagdad to be martyrs, and the fact they KNOW our troops have defenses against chemical warfare, and given the absolute bruality of the regime, has it occured to anyone except myself that the victory they are referring to is a nuclear one? |
| Posted by: Carolyn 2003-04-02 13:57:19 |
| #3 Fox reports that Medina division now largely destroyed, focus shifting to Nida and hammurabi divisions. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-04-02 11:41:20 |
| #2 This is all good news, and it's good to see it, but I'm getting more and more nervous now as the battle for Baghdad approaches. We know they've got WMD, and the time is nigh for them using it. I don't want to be the spoil sport--I'm glad to read reports of the Iraqi civilians warming up to the US and British troops, and I'm glad to read the reports of the Rep. Gd. divisions getting hammered, but before I get too giddy I have to remember we're there because we know they've got WMD, and "use it or lose it" time is fast approaching. |
| Posted by: Dar 2003-04-02 09:59:20 |
| #1 One down, five to go. |
| Posted by: Doug De Bono 2003-04-02 08:33:06 |