Karen, it's already a quagmire. All 32 attacking Apache helicopters suffered damage. And the search for excuses has begun.
The Russians are claiming that Dubya is trying to blame them for the coalition's problems (using the term coalition loosely).
Others are claiming that the coalition troop strength is not enough.
Battle for Baghdad begins
· Republican Guard bunkers bombed
· Fears over too few coalition troops
· Blair and Bush to meet in Washington
Rory McCarthy in Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar, Julian Borger in Washington and Stuart Millar
Tuesday March 25, 2003
The Guardian
US and British warplanes, guided by special forces soldiers on the ground, began an intense bombardment of Republican Guard bunkers outside Baghdad yesterday to prepare the way for an assault on the Iraqi capital.
Troops from the US army 5th Corps have formed a frontline just north of Kerbala, only 50 miles south of Baghdad. Vast convoys of tanks and ground forces are racing up from Kuwait to join them for the battle that will ultimately decide the war in Iraq. "This is the start of the push towards Baghdad," a senior British military source said last night.
Ahead of them are 36,000 elite Iraqi soldiers, from three divisions, who represent half of the total Republican Guard force. Protected in sprawling bunkers 30 miles outside Baghdad, the armoured divisions are equipped with the best weapons in the Iraqi military, including Russian-built T-72 tanks and heavy artillery.
"Before we start moving forward, these people have got to capitulate or be destroyed," the source said.
As a total of 19 British soldiers were listed as dead or missing on the war's fifth day, it was revealed last night that Tony Blair is to meet President George Bush for talks on the progress of the war. One unnamed US official said Mr Blair had asked for the meeting. "I think Blair feels he needs this consultation," the official said.
The meeting is expected to take place at the Camp David presidential retreat on Wednesday or Thursday.
Mr Blair told MPs that coalition forces would shortly encounter the Medina division of the Republican Guard, who are positioned north of the frontline to defend the route to Baghdad. "This will be a crucial moment," the prime minister said. Promising "certain victory" for coalition forces, he added: "The vital goal is to reach Baghdad as swiftly as possible, thus bringing the end of the regime closer."
But there were stark reminders yesterday of how perilous the assault on Baghdad will be.
A night assault by 32 Apache attack helicopters on the Medina division's second armoured brigade north of Kerbala ended with at least one helicopter being downed and the rest being forced to withdraw in the face of fierce resistance from Iraqi forces, armed mainly with small arms and rocket propelled grenades
more at
guardian.co.uk
With a hail of small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades, Iraqi forces downed one Apache helicopter today and forced 30 other helicopters in its brigade back to their base.
One two-member crew was unaccounted for. Iraqi state television broadcast images of one downed helicopter, which appeared largely intact, and jubilant men dancing around it.
All 32 helicopters sustained some damage, occasionally slight, Army officials said, in what was a significant setback for the allies.
nytimes.com |
