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| Iraq |
| Basra: Iraqis ’forced to fight’ |
| 2003-03-27 |
| Edited for relevance. Iraqi forces in Basra are being forced to leave the city and fight by pro-Saddam militia, the commander of the British military in the Gulf has said. On Wednesday night an attempt was made by an Iraqi column to break out past encircling British forces. The column of 14 tanks — thought to be Russian-built T-55s — was wiped out after being engaged by a similar number of Challenger 2 tanks, British military sources reported. Earlier reports had estimated the strength of the column as up to 120 vehicles. Hmm, as exaggerated as the reoprts of an uprising... The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards — who engaged the column — also overran two Iraqi infantry positions. The commander of UK forces in the Gulf, Air Marshal Brian Burridge, said the Iraqis involved appeared to have been forced by Ba'ath party fighters to engage the British. Air Marshal Burridge said there was evidence of "exemplar executions" being carried out. "They go to their houses and hold a gun to the heads of their families," he told a news conference at Central Command in Qatar. "These militias — probably the Ba'ath party militias — go through a neighbourhood, round up the existing soldiery, put them in their tanks and say 'go that way'. So that 'push south' was just a bit of Ba'athist housekeping, sweeping out potential troublemakers... "You can tell this isn't a fighting formation that really knows its business. It is disorganised, but there is someone trying to organise it." Wednesday night's attempted breakout from the south-east of Basra was said to be headed for the al-Faw peninsula. It was picked up by radar as it travelled along the coast road on the Shatt al-Arab waterway. [...Blair] said it was essential not to encourage uprisings to take place too soon. "We've got to be careful we know we have the support in place, [and are] able to help them before we encourage them to do things that may lead to their death," he said. British forces spokesman Group Captain Al Lockwood said Basra was now "quiet" after Tuesday's reported uprising. "We are obviously on the outskirts, we are making small forays in, talking to local people," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. The uprising, which involved a "significant number" of Iraqis, had been "dispersed" by the Iraqi authorities, he said. |
| Posted by:Bulldog |
| #5 Basra could be a horror movie after the dust settles if we link a couple of these stories together. We might find that the Iraqi 51st who negotiated secretly with the coalition was left to "melt away" back to their homes. When they got there, Feddeythugs held their families hastage and said you are in trouble if you don't get in get in those tanks because we are in trouble if you don't get in those tanks. They may have been forced to chose between death of family and certain death on the southbound road toward Faw. It may explain why they drove out into the open for certain destruction. We may have lost a few future friends. |
| Posted by: Capsu78 2003-03-27 15:26:25 |
| #4 Steve - all the "good" stuff is in Baghdad. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-03-27 15:12:49 |
| #3 T-55s versus Challenger 2 tanks? That's not exactly a fair fight, unless it was 20 to 1 odds against the Brits, and even then I'd bet on the Challengers. I thought Sammy had some better armor -- T-72s at least if not better than that. Where are they? |
| Posted by: Steve White 2003-03-27 14:03:29 |
| #2 This from ABCnews "Burridge said that small arms and mortar fire heard in Basra suggested that regular Iraqi troops were battling the Saddam loyalists for control of the city, the largest in southern Iraq. He said the Al Faw peninsula further south was firmly in British hands." |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-03-27 10:22:01 |
| #1 T-55s versus Challenger 2 tanks? That's not exactly a fair fight, unless it was 20 to 1 odds against the Brits, and even then I'd bet on the Challengers. I thought Sammy had some better armor -- T-72s at least if not better than that. Where are they? |
| Posted by: Steve White 3/27/2003 2:03:29 PM |