wrbones
03-24-03, 11:58 PM
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/02/24/iraq/main541815.shtml
(CBS) U.S officials tell CBS News Correspondent David Martin that the Iraqis have drawn a red line on the map around Baghdad, and once American troops cross it, the Republican Guards are authorized to use chemical weapons.
The Iraqi Republican Guard controls the bulk of Iraq's chemical weaponry, most of which can be fired from artillery guns or short-range rocket launchers, according to U.S. officials.
Word of the chemical threat came as U.S.-led forces clashed with the elite Guard fighters for the first time about 50 miles south of Baghdad. U.S. Apache helicopters fired on the guard to soften them up for ground forces heading north to Baghdad. The helicopters destroyed about 10 Iraqi tanks before ending their aerial attack.
Maj. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the vice chief of operations on the Pentagon's Joint Staff, said the helicopter attacks followed military doctrine - combining deep strikes with psychological operations and, soon, artillery fire - to weaken the Republican Guard division before the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division hits it full force.
The Pentagon confirmed that one of the attacking Apaches helicopters went down. Its two-main crew was later seen on Iraqi television, where they did not speak to the camera and appeared confused. The Pentagon identified them as Ronald D. Young Jr., 26, and David S. Williams, 30, both based at Fort Hood, Texas. They join five other U.S. POWs captured two days ago.
Along with the ongoing clash south of Baghdad, coalition forces are also fighting near Basra and an-Nasariyah in southern Iraq. There is also fighting in northern Iraq, where coalition forces have taken advantage of the use of Turkish air space to land troops.
In other major developments:
Iraqi television carried another appearance by Saddam Hussein. And while it appeared to be the Iraqi dictator, his remarks were generic enough to further the speculation that they may have been taped days in advance. U.S. intelligence still believes it’s possible Saddam was injured in the first U.S. attack last Wednesday.
Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz held a news conference at a downtown Baghdad hotel. Aziz said the Iraqi leadership is in "good shape" and that Saddam is in "full control" of the army and the country.
President Bush will ask Congress for $74.7 billion to pay for the war with Iraq and for strengthening counter-terrorism efforts at home.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair flies to Washington Wednesday for a two-day war council. A diplomatic source says Blair and Mr. Bush will hunker down at Camp David to plot both war and post-war strategy.
A British soldier was killed Monday in combat near the port of Az Zubayr in southern Iraq, the first British combat death since the war began. As of late Monday there have been were 28 fatalities -- 11 U.S. and 17 British.
The Red Cross reports hearing of 200 civilian casualties in Baghdad. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said "urgent measures" were needed to restore Basra's electricity and water supply.
A U.S. missile struck a Syrian passenger bus near the Iraqi border, killing five and injuring 10, Syria's official news agency reported. Pentagon officials expressed regret for the incident.
U.S. troops are searching for chemical weapons at a munitions depot near the Iraqi city of An Najaf, CBS News Correspondent Jim Axelrod reports. The troops have found gas masks and nerve gas antidotes that indicate Iraqi forces were prepared to protect themselves during a chemical attack.
Military officials also confirmed that nine U.S. Marines had died and a dozen American soldiers were missing and presumed captured after surprise engagements near an-Nasariyah, a crossing point over the Euphrates River.
As CBS News Chief White House Correspondent John Roberts reports, it's believed the Marines were fired on by members of Saddam Hussein's feared Fedayeen militia, after they first signaled they were going to surrender.
Saddam's Fedayeen has assassinated the Iraqi leader's enemies, put down protests and ruthlessly cracked down on dissidents since its founding in 1995. The Fedayeen - whose name means "those ready to sacrifice themselves for Saddam" - are putting up stiff resistance and trying to prevent regular army soldiers from surrendering. Reports from the front suggest members of the Fedayeen may have organized battlefield ruses, like posing as civilians or faking surrender, to draw U.S. and British forces into traps
Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke described "deadly deceptions" by the Iraqis at an-Nasariyah, including faking surrender by waving white flags or disguising themselves as liberated civilians. She called such moves "serious violations of the laws of war."
"The despicable behavior of the Iraqi regime has in no way stopped the progress of the coalition," she said. "Command and control continues to slip away from the regime and coalition forces continue to close in on Baghdad."
In an interview with CBSNews.com, retired Gen. Joe Ralston said the overall campaign is going well. Although the advance forces are within 50 miles of Baghdad, Ralston said it's likely that the advance may slow as commanders let their troops rest and consolidate their forces for a full-scale assault on the Iraqi capital.
©MMIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
(CBS) U.S officials tell CBS News Correspondent David Martin that the Iraqis have drawn a red line on the map around Baghdad, and once American troops cross it, the Republican Guards are authorized to use chemical weapons.
The Iraqi Republican Guard controls the bulk of Iraq's chemical weaponry, most of which can be fired from artillery guns or short-range rocket launchers, according to U.S. officials.
Word of the chemical threat came as U.S.-led forces clashed with the elite Guard fighters for the first time about 50 miles south of Baghdad. U.S. Apache helicopters fired on the guard to soften them up for ground forces heading north to Baghdad. The helicopters destroyed about 10 Iraqi tanks before ending their aerial attack.
Maj. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the vice chief of operations on the Pentagon's Joint Staff, said the helicopter attacks followed military doctrine - combining deep strikes with psychological operations and, soon, artillery fire - to weaken the Republican Guard division before the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division hits it full force.
The Pentagon confirmed that one of the attacking Apaches helicopters went down. Its two-main crew was later seen on Iraqi television, where they did not speak to the camera and appeared confused. The Pentagon identified them as Ronald D. Young Jr., 26, and David S. Williams, 30, both based at Fort Hood, Texas. They join five other U.S. POWs captured two days ago.
Along with the ongoing clash south of Baghdad, coalition forces are also fighting near Basra and an-Nasariyah in southern Iraq. There is also fighting in northern Iraq, where coalition forces have taken advantage of the use of Turkish air space to land troops.
In other major developments:
Iraqi television carried another appearance by Saddam Hussein. And while it appeared to be the Iraqi dictator, his remarks were generic enough to further the speculation that they may have been taped days in advance. U.S. intelligence still believes it’s possible Saddam was injured in the first U.S. attack last Wednesday.
Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz held a news conference at a downtown Baghdad hotel. Aziz said the Iraqi leadership is in "good shape" and that Saddam is in "full control" of the army and the country.
President Bush will ask Congress for $74.7 billion to pay for the war with Iraq and for strengthening counter-terrorism efforts at home.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair flies to Washington Wednesday for a two-day war council. A diplomatic source says Blair and Mr. Bush will hunker down at Camp David to plot both war and post-war strategy.
A British soldier was killed Monday in combat near the port of Az Zubayr in southern Iraq, the first British combat death since the war began. As of late Monday there have been were 28 fatalities -- 11 U.S. and 17 British.
The Red Cross reports hearing of 200 civilian casualties in Baghdad. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said "urgent measures" were needed to restore Basra's electricity and water supply.
A U.S. missile struck a Syrian passenger bus near the Iraqi border, killing five and injuring 10, Syria's official news agency reported. Pentagon officials expressed regret for the incident.
U.S. troops are searching for chemical weapons at a munitions depot near the Iraqi city of An Najaf, CBS News Correspondent Jim Axelrod reports. The troops have found gas masks and nerve gas antidotes that indicate Iraqi forces were prepared to protect themselves during a chemical attack.
Military officials also confirmed that nine U.S. Marines had died and a dozen American soldiers were missing and presumed captured after surprise engagements near an-Nasariyah, a crossing point over the Euphrates River.
As CBS News Chief White House Correspondent John Roberts reports, it's believed the Marines were fired on by members of Saddam Hussein's feared Fedayeen militia, after they first signaled they were going to surrender.
Saddam's Fedayeen has assassinated the Iraqi leader's enemies, put down protests and ruthlessly cracked down on dissidents since its founding in 1995. The Fedayeen - whose name means "those ready to sacrifice themselves for Saddam" - are putting up stiff resistance and trying to prevent regular army soldiers from surrendering. Reports from the front suggest members of the Fedayeen may have organized battlefield ruses, like posing as civilians or faking surrender, to draw U.S. and British forces into traps
Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke described "deadly deceptions" by the Iraqis at an-Nasariyah, including faking surrender by waving white flags or disguising themselves as liberated civilians. She called such moves "serious violations of the laws of war."
"The despicable behavior of the Iraqi regime has in no way stopped the progress of the coalition," she said. "Command and control continues to slip away from the regime and coalition forces continue to close in on Baghdad."
In an interview with CBSNews.com, retired Gen. Joe Ralston said the overall campaign is going well. Although the advance forces are within 50 miles of Baghdad, Ralston said it's likely that the advance may slow as commanders let their troops rest and consolidate their forces for a full-scale assault on the Iraqi capital.
©MMIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.