Getting to the point that even the NYT can't spin the war anymore.
April 3, 2003
Marines Race 20 Miles This Morning to Ouskirts of Baghdad
By DEXTER FILKINS
NEAR BAGHDAD, Iraq, April 3, American marines chased away a Republican Guard division this morning and raced almost unimpeded toward the outskirts of Baghdad.
The marines, heading from the southeast as part of a multi-pronged assault, covered 20 miles just this morning, with tanks barreling at top speed. Iraqi tanks came under withering fire, and Iraqi troops once again offered little resistance.
The Republican Guard may be ceding this territory, thinking their forces must make their stand in Baghdad in the days to come. But in an unexpected sign of popular sentiment, some residents streamed out of the city and greeted the American troops as they approached.
As the marines advanced in a long column along the Tigris River, other lead units of the American assault were approaching Saddam International Airport, 12 miles outside of the city. Army troops closed in from the southwest after crossing the Euphrates River.
"We're pushing on really fast," Captain Kevin Jackson of the Engineer Brigade of the 3rd Division, told Reuters.
As in previous days, relentless airstrikes cleared the way for the marines' advance here, as they positioned themselves for a final push into the capital.
On Wednesday, the marines poured across the Tigris River, and some members of the First Marine Division wondered why they did not meet the tough resistance they had expected from the Republican Guard.
"They're cowards," Capt. Ted Card, who commanded a company of marines who captured the area around Numaniya, said on Wednesday. "It's the same thing everyday; the Iraqis fire a few shots, we train our guns on them, and it's over in five minutes."
REST AT:http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/03/international/worldspecial/03CND-MARI.html |
