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thedrifter
03-21-03, 08:23 AM
By Adrian Croft

UMM QASR, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. Marines briefly raised the Stars and Stripes flag over the new port area of Umm Qasr on Friday after facing tougher than expected resistance in and around the southern Iraq (news - web sites) port.


Reuters correspondent Adrian Croft, traveling with the Marines, saw troops lower an Iraqi flag soon after they arrived at the port complex, replacing it with the U.S. flag.


Some time later, Marines returned and removed the Stars and Stripes. No reason was given for the decision, but Washington has consistently stressed that invading U.S. forces want to liberate Iraq, not occupy it.


U.S. troops moved into the huge port area to hunt for Iraqi soldiers who might be hidden in the site. A dozen Marine helicopters landed on a massive parking lot inside the perimeter fence to bring in reinforcements.


"The (new) port is about 40 percent secure. There is still shooting going on," said Marine Captain Rick Crevier from Placerville, California, one of the operation's commanders.


He added the old port, one mile away, was still under observation.


U.S. Marines poured over the Kuwaiti border just after dawn heading for Umm Qasr, but were almost immediately pinned down in a two-hour firefight with Iraqi soldiers armed with machineguns and anti-tank rockets.


The Marines called in tanks and artillery fire to clear their path.


STIFF RESISTANCE


Asked if the resistance was stiffer than expected, Crevier said: "Yes, a lot more. We had some dug in troops and we were starting to receive some mortar fire."


He added one Marine was slightly injured by broken glass.


He had no information about Iraqi casualties, but the bodies of two men in civilian clothes were seen lying in the streets as a U.S. armored convoy moved to the port area.


A third man sat in the road bleeding heavily. Nearby, two cars were ablaze.


U.S. commanders said they were keen to secure Umm Qasr, Iraq's largest commercial port, because they wanted to use it to bring in humanitarian aid.


When Marines arrived at the port they were met by a huge portrait of Saddam Hussein (news - web sites), showing a younger version of the Iraqi President wearing a Western suit, which was hung next to the main entrance.


Hours later, the picture had been cut out of its frame and spirited away, allegedly by a Marine looking for a war trophy.



http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/nm/20030321/mdf237693.jpg

A U.S. Marine replaces the Iraqi flag at the entrance to Iraq (news - web sites)'s main port of Umm Qasr on March 21, 2003 with the Stars and Stripes and the flag of the Marine Corps. Marines briefly raised the U.S. flag over Umm Qasr after facing tougher than expected resistance in and around the southern Iraq port. Some time later, the flag was removed. No reason was given for the decision, but Washington has consistently stressed that invading U.S. forces want to liberate Iraq, not occupy it. (Desmond Boylan/Reuters)


Sempers,

Roger

GyGUSMCRet
03-21-03, 08:36 AM
We Marines surely have had our problems getting our flag stories straight!

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/judiearnold/firstflagmed.gif