It's On...

[cali_tkdbruin]

It's on now, the Iraq War has begun. I know this isn't a political forum, but, I just wanted to say I hope this thing is over very, very quickly without too many casualties. Unfortunately it had to come to this. I'm standing by our sailors, soldiers, airmen, marines and innocent civilians. Take care of yourselves, be safe... :asian:

[Bob Hubbard]

May whatever powers that watch over them, do so, and minimize the loss of life on both sides of this conflict, and bring it to a speedy conclusion.

:(

[Nightingale]

When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.
--Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970)

[bdparsons]

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
Edmund Burke

[Jill666]

Well it seems the CIA thought they had a fix on where Sadaam was hanging out, an the initial strikes aimed there. But their information was not correct-

all I thought was "here we go again". Having been over 18 during the Gulf War friends and family were fighting in Kuwait, and I followed that action closely. This time around I hope the same thing we all do, a quick and decisive end with the minimum of casualties.


:yinyang:

[jfarnsworth]

Hopefully this thing does move swiftly with the least amount of casualties as possible. I'm sure the u.s. & british troops have been trained very well to come back safetly. :asian:

[Seig]

As a vet during the last period of conflict n Iraq, all I can say is I hope they find the bastard and.......this is a family forum........:flammad:

[Bob Hubbard]

• U.S. 7th Cavalry rolling unopposed through southern Iraq after skirmish crossing the border
• Crash of CH-46 chopper kills 16 British, U.S. troops
• 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, British troops cross border after intense artillery barrage
• "Shock and awe" phase of war on hold while state of Iraqi leadership assessed after initial airstrikes

[Bob Hubbard]

• U.S., British troops seize strategically important H-2, H-3 airfields in western Iraq, senior U.S. military official says
• Official also says strategic oil fields near Basra taken, hundreds of Iraqis taken prisoner
• U.S. 7th Cavalry rumbling toward Baghdad unopposed in "wave of steel," U.S. forces inserted in northern Iraq
• First coalition fatality, an American Marine, killed in combat

• Coalition forces have taken control of the strategic Faw Peninsula, according to Lt. Col. Rick Long, spokesman for the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. The peninsula includes key oil installations, as well as the port city of Umm Qasr -- Iraq's only outlet to the Gulf. The old port was taken by British troops; U.S Marines seized the new port.

• Retreating Iraqi forces set fire to as many as 30 oil wells among hundreds in southern Iraq, British Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon said Friday. CNN's Diana Muriel, with British troops in southern Iraq, said the thick, black smoke made it difficult to see, and the haze spread south over Kuwait City.

• Australian special forces are now operating inside Iraq, gathering details on Iraqi troop movements and military targets, Australia's defense department said.

[karatekid1975]

Originally posted by Seig
As a vet during the last period of conflict n Iraq, all I can say is I hope they find the bastard and.......this is a family forum........:flammad:

I'm with you, dude!

[Bob Hubbard]

BATTLES
• A contingent of more than 1,000 Turkish troops began crossing the border into Northern Iraq Friday, CNN Turk television reported. The Turks contend they need troops in northern Iraq to "manage the humanitarian situation" -- partly by keeping Kurdish refugees from crossing over into Turkey.
• Iraq's 51st Division -- an Army unit that was deployed in southern Iraq -- surrendered to U.S. troops, Pentagon officials said Friday. The number of troops in the division was not immediately known, but it is likely in the thousands, perhaps 8,000 to 10,000. Surrender 101
• Videotape shot by Kuwaiti TV crews Friday showed a group of about a dozen Iraqis warmly welcoming U.S. soldiers who briefly took up positions in the Iraqi village of Safwan. "Long live the soldiers!" one cheered.

AIRSTRIKES
• New explosions were heard on the outskirts of Baghdad early Saturday shortly after renewed air raid warnings sounded in the Iraqi capital.
• U.S. forces expect to unleash about 1,500 bombs and missiles across Iraq in the first 24 hours of its "shock and awe" A-Day air strike campaign which began Friday, Pentagon officials told CNN. Full story | 3D Model: F-117 Stealth fighter
• Iraq's Information Minister said airstrikes damaged Baghdad's "Peace Palace," a building used for visiting dignitaries. He said the "Flowers Palace" -- a museum that once was a palace for the king during the days of royal rule -- also was hit.
• Iraqi officials tried to reassure citizens amid waves of U.S.-led airstrikes Friday, broadcasting patriotic appeals and images of President Saddam Hussein despite western speculation that he had been killed in an early attack.

US/Allied CASUALTIES (14 confirmed KIA)
• Two U.S. Marines were killed in action Friday, the first reported U.S. combat casualties in Iraq, according to U.S. military officials.
• Eight British troops and four U.S. troops killed in the crash of a U.S. Marine CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter early Friday in Kuwait.

[cali_tkdbruin]

Thanks for the update, no need for me to tune into CNN and Fox News. :D

The Turks jumping into the fray by crossing the Iraqi border really complicates things for we Americans... :shrug:

[Johnathan Napalm]

The US and the British will win this war so fast and decisive that they will be embarrassed! :D

All those who stood opposed to the US and the UK, will lost clout and credibility. From now on, it is Pax Americana! The French, the German, the Russians, the Chinese, have just put themselves in the back seat.

This proves that America can and will go her own way. And only America's words counts.

So long UN! So long Chirac. :D

[Bob Hubbard]

So far, in the first days of the military campaign, 21 deaths have been confirmed among coalition troops -- 14 Britons and seven Americans.

In addition, four U.S. soldiers were killed Saturday in central Iraq, according to a reporter from Britain's Sky TV who was traveling with them. Journalist Colin Brazier said the four reconnaissance scouts were ambushed while driving Humvee vehicles at the head of a column.

Other developments
• About 35 cargo ships carrying equipment for the U.S. Army's Fourth Infantry Division, originally slated to move into Iraq from northern Turkey, will be moved instead through the Suez Canal and then on to the Persian Gulf and Kuwait, Pentagon officials said Saturday. Turkey did not agree to allow the U.S. to use its territory to attack Iraq, so the Fourth will be part of the follow-on force instead of the original combat force.

• A Tomahawk cruise missile might have missed its Iraqi target, instead landing in southwest Iran, Pentagon officials said Saturday. Military officials are investigating the possibility. Hundreds of cruise missiles were used during the coalition bombing attacks Friday.

• CNN's Nic Robertson, who was expelled from Iraq along with three other CNN staff members, said Friday's punishing aerial campaign seemed to focus on Iraq's presidential palace, across the river from their hotel. He said the explosions appeared limited to governmental areas. The number of direct hits the palace took during the seven-minute barrage was "incredible," Robertson said. Iraqi officials said two major buildings -- the "Peace Palace" and the "Flower Palace" -- were turned "into ruins" and that more than 200 civilians were injured.

• Kurdish forces told CNN's Brent Sadler that over the next seven days, thousands of U.S. airborne troops are expected to fly into northern Iraq from eastern Jordan, bypassing Turkish airspace.

Aviation ordnancemen move JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Ammunition) GPS-guided bombs on the deck of the USS Theodore Roosevelt on Saturday.

• There are conflicting reports whether Turkish troops have crossed the border into Iraq. The Turks contend they need a buffer zone in northern Iraq to "manage the humanitarian situation" -- partly by keeping Kurdish refugees from crossing over into Turkey. U.S. officials do not want Turkish troops moving into Kurdish-controlled areas of northern Iraq for fear there will be clashes between Turkish and Kurdish troops.

• Four people were shot dead and dozens more were injured Friday as police clashed with demonstrators trying to storm the U.S. Embassy in Yemen, witnesses told CNN, on a second day of worldwide protests against the war in Iraq.

[karatekid1975]

To the Brits ..... :asian: :cheers: You guys Rock! Thanks dudes :cool:

[cali_tkdbruin]

Conflicting reports just coming out say that the four ambused American military scouts may not have been killed, but just wounded. Here's hoping the guys didn't pay the ultimate price with their lives.
If anyone knows the latest news please inform us... :asian:

[theletch1]

As a vet during the last period of conflict n Iraq, all I can say is I hope they find the bastard and.......this is a family forum........

Was at Camp Lejeune during last one. Do you have the same itch I've been fighting the last several days?

Fair winds and following seas to All coalition troops.

Respectfully,
theletch1:asian:

[Bob Hubbard]

Holy ****!
===========
Soldier detained in grenade attack on 101st Airborne
Investigators: Suspect had been cited for insubordination
Saturday, March 22, 2003 Posted: 11:09 PM EST (0409 GMT)

CAMP PENNSYLVANIA, Kuwait (CNN) -- A U.S. soldier has been detained and is being questioned in connection with a grenade and small arms attack early Sunday at an Army camp in northern Kuwait, the U.S. Central Command said.

The attack at Camp Pennsylvania, where soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division are stationed, wounded 13 people -- six of them seriously -- U.S. military officials said. Central Command said the suspect is assigned to the division.

Financial Times correspondent Charles Clover -- who is embedded with the unit -- said he was told by Col. Ben Hodges, a commander of the 1st Brigade, that the soldier lobbed three grenades into the three tents housing commanding officers from the tactical operations center. At least two of the grenades exploded, Hodges told Clover.

Two people were wounded by gunfire, Clover said, the others by fragments.

Central Command said two were treated at the scene, and the 11 others were taken by helicopter to Army combat support hospitals in the region. The Army criminal investigation command is conducting the probe into the incident.

Video obtained by CNN showed the suspect sitting on the ground with his legs in front of him. His head was partially covered by his camouflage jacket, and he appeared to have bloodstains on his leg and his back or arm.

A base spokesman at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where the 101st is based, said news of the incident upset families at the base was a blow to morale.

Military criminal investigators said the suspect was recently reprimanded for insubordination and was told he would stay behind when his unit left camp for Iraq, according to Time magazine correspondent Jim Lacey, who is accompanying the unit.

Lacey said he was told by a military commander that the soldier lobbed three grenades into the operations center and yelled, "You're under attack!" A major told Lacey he saw a grenade roll by him before an explosion.

Lacey, who was in a tent about 20 yards from the blast, helped move two of the wounded to an ambulance. "The carnage inside those tents was pretty severe," he said.

Lacey said a "full company" of soldiers was guarding the camp's perimeter before the blast, but there had been traffic in and out, including "trucks, buses, and contractors. It's not a foolproof system."

About 2,100 soldiers are encamped at the post. Lacey said soldiers were assembled and deployed around the compound after the blast.

[Bob Hubbard]

WAR UPDATE BATTLEFIELD


BATTLES
• A U.S. soldier has been detained in connection with a grenade and small arms attack early Sunday at an Army camp in northern Kuwait, the U.S. Central Command said. The attack at a camp for the 101st Airborne Division wounded 13 people, U.S. military officials said. Military criminal investigators say the soldier detained was recently reprimanded for insubordination, Time Magazine's Jim Lacey said.
• U.S.-led coalition troops have advanced more than 150 miles into Iraqi territory and have crossed the Euphrates River using existing bridges, the Pentagon said Saturday.
• Tukish military officials denied Saturday sending Turkish troops into Northern Iraq. Late Friday, CNN Turk reported seeing more than 1,000 Turkish troops crossing the border.

AIRSTRIKES
• Heavy U.S. airstrikes continued around Iraq Sunday with both manned and unmanned aircraft, according to a Pentagon official. Air Force and Navy aircraft Saturday flew 1,500 sorties, 800 of those actual air strikes.
• The northern cities of Mosul and Kirkuk, major oil-producing centers, were the target of bombing for the third night in a row Saturday night. More explosions were heard in Baghdad early Sunday.
• An Iraqi missile was fired at a U.S. Army base in northern Kuwait early Sunday but was destroyed in the air by two U.S. Patriot missiles, commanders at the base said.
• Three Tomahawk missiles fired by the United States might have missed their intended target, possibly landing in southwestern Iran, state department officials said Saturday. The State Department is trying to hold off a potential diplomatic crisis with Iran, sending messages through a Swiss intermediary.
• Thousands of U.S. airborne troops are expected to fly into northern Iraq from eastern Jordan, bypassing Turkish airspace, Kurdish sources tell CNN.


CASUALTIES
• Six British crewmembers and one American died when two U.K. Navy Sea King helicopters collided over the Persian Gulf, U.K. officials said Saturday.
• Iraqi officials reported Saturday that 207 civilians had been injured in air strikes on Baghdad.
• An Australian cameraman and three Kurdish soldiers died Saturday when a bomber blew up his taxi at a checkpoint in northern Iraq, a Time Magazine reporter said.
• At least 14 British and seven American military personnel have died as a result of the conflict, according to coalition military sources.

[Bob Hubbard]

WAR UPDATE BATTLEFIELD
From CNN.Com

POWs Reported Taken:

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A group of fewer than 10 U.S. soldiers have been captured or killed by Iraqi military forces, Pentagon officials said Sunday.

The process of informing the soldiers' families has begun, officials said.

The soldiers, attached to a maintenance unit in south-central Iraq, went astray and were confronted by Iraqi military, officials said.

Some U.S. soldiers were killed, and others were being held as prisoners of war, officials said.

Iraqi television filmed interviews Sunday with what it said were American soldiers captured in southern Iraq.

The Arabic language, Qatar-based news network Al-Jazeera broadcast a tape Sunday of what appear to be U.S. soldiers identifying themselves and their place of origin. At least two of the soldiers interviewed appeared to be wounded; one of the wounded was a woman.

Richard Myers, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, called the soldiers' appearance a violation of the Geneva Convention.

"This is just one more crime by the Iraqi regime," a grim-faced Myers told reporters at the Pentagon shortly after the capture had been confirmed.

The news came as coalition ground forces faced pockets of strong resistance as they drove Sunday through the Iraqi desert toward Baghdad and other strategic targets.

U.S. Marines encountered heavy resistance and have suffered casualties Sunday in fighting near the southeastern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah.

Marines entered the city after Iraqi forces ambushed a U.S. military convoy bringing supplies to coalition forces in the region, according to CNN's Alessio Vinci, who is with the Marines.

Coalition forces had opted Saturday not to try to occupy Nasiriyah in order to speed up their advance to Baghdad.

Several thousand Marines are involved in the operation, according to Vinci.



BATTLES
• U.S. Marines encountered heavy resistance and have suffered casualties Sunday in fighting near the southeastern Iraqi city of Nasiriya. Marines entered the town after Iraqi forces ambushed a U.S. military convoy carrying supplies.
• The U.S. Army 7th Cavalry's 3rd Squadron encountered heavy artillery fire Sunday in south-central Iraq. Earlier, reconnaissance soldiers told CNN that Iraqi forces were using women and children as human shields at key military positions.
• Australian commandos operating deep in Iraq called in allied fighter jets to destroy an Iraqi ballistic missile site, defense and government officials said Sunday. Full story
• U.S. Marines Sunday ended a skirmish with a small pocket of Iraqi forces in the port city of Umm Qasr, calling in an air strike from a Harrier jet and rounding up prisoners of war. Full story
Gallery: Photos of the war | Video: U.S. war report


AIRSTRIKES
• Iraqi crews searched the Tigris River on Sunday, looking for a coalition warplane that crashed in Baghdad, Arab media reported. U.S. and U.K. military sources said they have no reports of downed aircraft.
• A Patriot missile shot down a British Tornado GR4 aircraft with two crewmembers near the Iraq-Kuwait border, U.K. officials said Sunday. Full story
• Iran said Sunday a missile that landed in the western region of Sardasht last week belongs to Iraq -- not the United States, as first suspected. U.S. officials say they are still probing another incident in which three U.S. Tomahawk missiles fired Friday mistakenly landed in southwestern Iran.
• Manned and unmanned coalition planes continued to strike targets around Iraq on Sunday, honing in on Baghdad as well as the oil-rich northern Iraqi cities of Mosul and Kirkuk, a Pentagon official said.


CASUALTIES
• One U.S. soldier was killed and another injured in a vehicle accident Sunday in southern Iraq.
• Jordan's foreign minister said Sunday that airstrikes in Mosul killed four Jordanian students, adding that it is unclear who fired the missiles.
• At least 14 U.K. and 9 U.S. military personnel have died during the conflict, according to coalition military sources. Fewer than 10 soldiers may be unaccounted for in southern Iraq, Gen. Richard Myers said.

[Bob Hubbard]

WAR UPDATE BATTLEFIELD


AIRSTRIKES


• U.S. Apache attack helicopters clashed with the 2nd Armored Brigade of the Republican Guard's Medina Division early Monday in an intense firefight that lasted about three hours, CNN's Karl Penhaul reported. The helicopters encountered heavy anti-aircraft fire at Karbala, about 60 miles south of Baghdad. One pilot called the situation a "hornet's nest."
Full Story | Gallery: U.S. helicopters
• U.S. Central Command confirmed Monday that an Apache helicopter is missing after the Karbala firefight. U.S. Gen. Tommy Franks said the Apache's crew is considered "missing in action." Video: Apaches hit 'hornet's nest'
• New explosions jolted Baghdad early Monday. One of the buildings struck was an Iraqi Air Force building. Other targets hit appeared to be buildings struck in previous days. Full Story
• Coalition airstrikes hit the Iraqi oil hub of Kirkuk early Monday, CNN Correspondent Kevin Sites reported.
• Eight Iraqi missiles were launched by Iraqi forces against Kuwait Monday, but none landed in the country, U.S. and Kuwait officials said. Six missiles were destroyed by Patriot missile batteries, U.S. military officials said, while two others landed in southern Iraq.

BATTLES


• Coalition troops are about 60 miles south of Baghdad and could soon encounter a Republican Guard division guarding the city, British Prime Minister Tony Blair told Parliament Monday.
• U.S. Marines battled Iraqi forces Monday to establish control of a north-south route near an Nasiriya. The skirmishes followed a day in which Iraqi forces killed and wounded several Marines in what a senior U.S. officer called "the sharpest engagement of the war thus far."
Full Story | Audio Slide Show: Battle at Nasiriya
Coalition forces are in control of the airport at Basra, Iraq's second largest city, said U.S. Army Gen. Tommy Franks, commander of U.S. Central Command.
• Franks also said that U.S. officials expect Red Cross representatives to visit captured U.S. troops in Iraq "very soon.
• U.S. Marines took control of the regional headquarters of Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath Party in Umm Qasr Sunday night. Full Story
Gallery: Photos of the war | Video: U.S. war report

CASUALTIES


• A British soldier was killed in action Monday near Basra, the first reported British combat death, according to the British Defense Ministry. Coalition deaths in the Iraq war now total more than 38.
Killed in Action: List of U.S. fatalities
• The first wave of wounded U.S. troops arrived Monday at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. Live television pictures showed the 12 injured troops carried off a C-141 cargo plane by stretcher. Full Story
• Iraqi Information Minister Mohamed Saeed al Sahaf said Monday that at least 62 civilians had been killed and many more wounded in the past 24 hours. The number of civilian deaths could not be independently verified by CNN.

[jfarnsworth]

Kaith,
Thanks for all of the updates.:asian:

[Jill666]

Yes, thank you & keep 'em coming

:asian:

[Bob Hubbard]

No problem. I'm practically living on CNN right now... am trying to post up semi regular updates as things majorly happen. Fastest way of course is to hit CNN directly, though I'm also surfing the BBC, and running 1 arabic news site thru the translator.

Concerning the dead POWs... at least 1 appears to have taken a very close range shot to the head...another looks to have suffered shrapnel wounds to the head under the helmet line. The pictures I saw showed several caucasians in an obvious state of shock.

I didnt linger long...some of the pictures were quite bothering, to say the least.

:(

[Bob Hubbard]

WAR UPDATE

AIRSTRIKES
• Coalition forces advanced toward the Iraqi capital Monday, with ground troops moving closer and precision-guided bombs hitting more key targets. Five waves of explosions rocked Baghdad, the most recent coming early Tuesday. Full Story
• Coalition airstrikes hit the Iraqi oil hub of Kirkuk early Monday. Bombings also were reported in Mosul in northern Iraq. Full Story
• Apache helicopters encountered heavy anti-aircraft fire at Karbala, about 60 miles south of Baghdad. One pilot called the situation a "hornet's nest." Full Story |
Video: Apaches hit 'hornet's nest'
• Eight Iraqi missiles were launched against Kuwait Monday, but Patriot missile batteries destroyed six missiles, U.S. military officials said, while two others landed in southern Iraq.
Gallery: Photos of war

BATTLES
• Pentagon officials Monday confirmed that two Apache helicopter pilots were taken prisoner. The Pentagon identified the two, who were shown on video on Abu Dhabi TV, as David S. Williams of Florida and Ronald D. Young of Georgia, both chief warrant officers.
• Pentagon officials lashed out Monday, saying Iraqi troops are falsely indicating their surrender and fighting coalition troops in civilian clothes. Full Story
• The number of U.S. forces in northern Iraq jumped to over 200 and appeared to be growing Monday as U.S. aircraft arrived steadily. Full Story
• Coalition troops are about 60 miles south of Baghdad and could soon encounter a Republican Guard division guarding the city, British Prime Minister Tony Blair told Parliament Monday. Full Story
• U.S. troops battled Iraqi forces early Tuesday outside Nasiriya, home to key Euphrates River bridges. Full Story | Audio Slide Show: Battle at Nasiriya
Gallery: Photos of the war | Video: U.S. war report

CASUALTIES
• A British soldier was killed in action Monday near Basra, the first reported British combat death, according to the British Defense Ministry. Coalition deaths in the Iraq war now total more than 39.
Killed in Action: List of U.S. fatalities
• The first wave of wounded U.S. troops arrived Monday at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. Full Story
• An Army Reservist who died in a vehicle accident in Iraq was identified Monday. Spc. Brandon S. Tobler, 19, was assigned to the 671st Engineer Brigade.
• A Syrian bus inside Iraq carrying 37 Syrian civilian passengers was hit by a U.S. bomb Monday, killing five and injuring at least 15, Syrian officials said. A Pentagon official said the raid's intended target was a bridge

[Master of Blades]

I've been practically living on BBC News 24....its really horrific some of it :(

[Seig]

The sad part is that Saddam is probably getting as much Intel from CNN and MSNBC as he is from his own advisors.

[jfarnsworth]

There are some things that should not be made public.

[Seig]

Originally posted by jfarnsworth
There are some things that should not be made public.
I agree 100%, but unfortunately, the media of this country has a way of telling the terrorist and other slime ball, dirt bag ********* exactly what our weaknesses are and how to exploit them.

[theletch1]

When I was in the service I was attached to 2nd SRIG, any time we wanted to confirm a piece of intelligence we just turned on CNN!!! I was listening to the news while I was on the road last night and a report was coming in from a "non-imbedded" reporter. He began giving his exact location (he was following Marines from 15MEU). The stateside reporter stoped im in mid sentence and reminded him that he shouldn't give too much info as the Iraqis would have access to his report. Overall I've been fairly impressed with the constraint shown by CNN, Fox and the BBC (that we get on the radio here). You know they some pretty gruesome footage but they are not showing it.

[Johnathan Napalm]

The BATTLE THAT IS NOT COVERED BY CNN!

(Note: MT's filter filtered out "S hite militial" into *****e militial ! :rolleyes: )

Franks command at Doha learned that Saddam Hussein ordered his son Uday Monday, March 24, to send out army and Baath party agents with pockets full of cash on two missions: to stir up a Palestinian-style Intifada against coalition troops among the civilian populations of the towns bypassed by the allies, and to prevent the Americans and British igniting popular uprisings against the Saddam regime.

Franks counteracted by throwing into the arena a secret weapon, a 3,000-man opposition *****e militia organized by Majid al-Khoei, the 34-year old son of Ayatollah Khoei, the legendary spiritual leader of Iraq’s *****es. The militia, trained and funded by the US war command, waited in Qatar for the signal to go into action.

Monday night, March 25, the *****e militiamen reached the southern outskirts of Basra at the same time as Uday Hussein’s agents entered from the north. Trapped between the two foes were elements of the British 7th Armored Division’s “Desert Rats” positioned in the southern and western sections of Basra. By Tuesday morning, Uday’s forces with 50 tanks had evicted the British troops from Basra. By Tuesday night, they were back for the final showdown.

This is the background to the riots and armed clashes sweeping the southern city Tuesday, March 25. It also inspired the fervent hope expressed by US defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld at his news briefing that the Basra uprising would succeed.

What makes control of Basra so important for the Baghdad campaign?

DEBKAfile’s military sources reveal that allied generals are banking heavily on a successful *****e uprising against the Saddam regime in Basra under Majid Khoei’s leadership spreading to the *****e holy cities of Najef and Karbala on the route to Baghdad and also infecting the *****e troops serving with the Special Republican Divisions defending the capital. Especially targeted are the *****es of the Iraqi Army’s 2nd Army which is posted in Baghdad.

However, if Uday beats General Franks to the draw and is able to incite the *****es to rise up in support of the Iraqi army, thereby retaining hold of Basra – even for a brief period - the *****e community of at least 12 million will not dare to line up behind Majid Khoei. There will be nothing then to stop the Iraqi guerrilla war against allied supply lines growing into a wholesale paramilitary campaign against the American and British military presence in Iraq.

Much for the forthcoming contest in Baghdad is therefore riding on the outcome of the fight for Basra, in which British troops and *****e militiamen, under cover of American fighter planes and helicopters, are pitted against the paramilitary forces of Uday Hussein, supported by elements of the Iraqi 11th, 51s and 6th Divisions, as well as Saddam’s Fedayeen and the local Baath militia.

[Bob Hubbard]

Hmm... it shouldnt be filtering out shite. I'll look into it.
(Update - it didnt filter me, so no clue. Try editing the post or send it to me and I'll repost it for ya. Then again, upon counting what is ***ed out and what you indicat it was, there seems to be a discrepency. I think something was spelled diferently.)

===========
WAR UPDATE

BATTLES
• In a move that appeared to be the precursor to opening a northern front, about 1,000 U.S. paratroopers parachuted into a Kurdish-controlled area early Thursday. The paratroopers, from the U.S. Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade, secured an oilfield for coalition use. Securing the airfield will allow more coalition troops and armor to be brought in, as well as humanitarian supplies. Full Story
• The U.S. military gave conflicting reports over whether Iraqi Republican Guard troops were moving south toward Najaf. CNN Correspondent Walter Rodgers cited sources as saying 1,000 Iraqi armored vehicles left the Baghded area. But a senior defense official said such accounts appeared to be based on inaccurate intelligence. Full Story
• U.S. war planners may have miscalculated the strength and capability of Iraq's paramilitary fighters, one Pentagon official said Wednesday for the first time. One knowledgeable official told CNN that "I think we underestimated" the Saddam Fedayeen, a group of paramilitary fighters said to be loyal to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's son Uday. Full Story
• Coalition forces have moved more than 220 miles into Iraqi territory in six days despite inclement weather, the Pentagon said.


AIRSTRIKES
• British aircraft bombed a column of about 70 Iraqi armored vehicles as it made its way south of Basra toward Umm Qasr, a port city now under coalition control. Coalition officials were not sure whether the column represented a counterattack on the Umm Qasr area or a tactical retreat from Basra. Full Story
• Central Command confirmed precision-guided weapons were used to attack nine missiles and launchers in a residential area of Baghdad. Military officials say they don't know whether any of those weapons went astray, causing civilian casualties in a marketplace as claimed by Iraqis. Full Story
• Coalition jets pounded a ridge outside the northeastern Iraqi city of Chamchamal early Wednesday, destroying an Iraqi command-and-control bunker, next to a road leading to Kirkuk.

CASUALTIES
• Coalition deaths in the Iraq war now total 47.
Killed in Action: List of coalition fatalities
• Iraqi officials say at least 93 civilians have died since the U.S.-led invasion began. Hundreds have been wounded, the Iraqi government said. On Wednesday, Iraqi officials said U.S. munitions killed 15 Iraqi civilians at a popular market in Baghdad. CNN cannot independently verify Iraq's figures.

[Johnathan Napalm]

Hhaha. Actually, it filtered out "Sh iite militias", the opposition group that live in Southern Iraq.

[Johnathan Napalm]

New Intel:


2,500 Lebanese Hizballah volunteers for Saddam’s army are on their way to Baghdad through Syria in a convoy organized by Syrian Army

DEBKAfile reported earlier that a Syrian bus hit by a US missile was part of the flow of Syrian-sponsored volunteers to Baghdad

Kuwait says its Patriot anti-missile battery shot down one of possible two Iraqi missiles believed Scuds fired at US Ali Salem air base north of Kuwait City Thursday

Battle rages south of Basra second day Thursday as US-British artillery and warplanes pound large Iraqi tank column on way from Basra to Faw Peninsula to recover lost ground. UK spokesman reports 14 Iraqi tanks destroyed.

Southward breakouts of Special Republican Guards from Baghdad area reported Wednesday night and Thursday

DEBKAfile: Fresh movements indicate Saddam has switched tactics - sending elite forces to meet advancing US troops head-on outside Baghdad. Al Medina Division heading towards Najef, Nebuchadnezzar moving towards al Kut

US 101st Airborne steals march, turns up west of Karbala after quiet advance from Kuwait along Iraqi-Saudi frontier.

DEBKAfile: Its mission is to open and secure front line west of Baghdad - first engaging Special Republican Guards Hamourabi Division, crossing Euphrates and taking over Baghdad’s Saddam Hussein International Airport

1000 US paratroops land under cover of dark early Thursday night at Harir airfield northwest of Kurdish town of Irbil. DEBKAfile: Parachutists from 173rd Airborne Brigade based in northern Italy


Large Iraqi column of military vehicles is still moving south towards Najef in central Iraq, scene of earlier battle with US troops in which Iraqis sustained hundreds of losses

[brianhunter]

Originally posted by nightingale8472
When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.
--Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970)

Did he say that with the needle in his arm or without!?!?

[Master of Blades]

Originally posted by brianhunter
Did he say that with the needle in his arm or without!?!?

That was low.......now stop trying to Hi-jack this thread! :mad:

[brianhunter]

Originally posted by Master of Blades
That was low.......now stop trying to Hi-jack this thread! :mad:

hey now I was only hijacking the initial hijacker! if thats possible :confused:

[Master of Blades]

Originally posted by brianhunter
hey now I was only hijacking the initial hijacker! if thats possible :confused:


Okay....last post, your tempting me to just Hi-jack this thread and I been to too many Hi-jackers Anonymous meetings to start now! :shrug:

[Bob Hubbard]

ok, points made....

That dot drifting away? thats the topic, lets all hop on it. :)

[Bob Hubbard]

BATTLES


• After braving nearly constant fire for 72 hours, the U.S. Army's 3-7th Cavalry fighting near Najaf got a break Thursday -- reinforcements got a chance to go to the back of the line for a short respite.
• About 1,000 U.S. soldiers parachuted from C-17 transport aircraft into Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq. The paratroopers of the U.S. Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade secured an airfield and an airlift of troops, tanks and equipment for the U.S. Army's 1st Infantry Division has begun. Full Story | Airborne in the north
• British forces are positioned on the outskirts of Basra but face "stiff opposition" from a mixture of Iraqi forces, Air Marshal Brian Burridge, the commander of British forces in the Gulf, said Thursday. Full Story
• Kurdish forces moved on Thursday onto a ridgeline near Chamchagal that had apparently been abandoned by Iraqi troops, a Kurdish officer said. The Iraqi position had been bombed repeatedly by coalition aircraft over the last several days.
• The Republican Guard have positioned themselves in rings around Baghdad and Saddam Hussein's ancestral home of Tikrit, U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said Thursday.
Gallery: War photos | Audio Slide Show: In harm's way

AIRSTRIKES


• A barrage of explosions were heard in Baghdad late Thursday, Dubai-based Al Arabiya TV reported. It was the fourth wave of explosions reported Thursday. Huge plumes of thick, black smoke from an unknown source rose over the city. Full Story
• There will be no cease-fire in Iraq as long as Saddam Hussein remains in power, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Thursday. Full Story
• B-52 bombers struck a convoy of Iraqi military vehicles overnight before they could reach U.S. Army 3rd Infantry Division troops in Najaf, about 60 miles south of Baghdad, CNN Correspondent Walter Rodgers reported Thursday. U.S. Air Force air traffic controllers told Rodgers, embedded with the 3rd Infantry, that "wave after wave" of B-52s "pounded" the convoy "almost into oblivion."
Full Story | Soldier details firefight
• Coalition aircraft bombed Iraqi positions at least four times near a Kurdish-controlled area of northern Iraq Thursday, sending up thick columns of smoke.
• At least two Patriot missiles Thursday intercepted an Iraqi missile that was launched toward Kuwait, according to a Kuwaiti military spokesman.


CASUALTIES


• Coalition deaths in the war total 47.
Killed in Action: List of coalition fatalities
• Iraq's health minister said Thursday more than 350 Iraqis have been killed in the war. CNN cannot verify Iraq's claims

[brianhunter]

I just heard a news reports saying soldiers might have just come across (found) a russian chemical warhead anyone else heard about this? Would explain the chemical protection (MOP) suits!

[Bob Hubbard]

Ok...Devils Advocate here....the presence of the safety gear does not indicate intent to use, or possesion of the weapons.

I am sure that Iraq does in fact have them (cuz, they used em before). The big question is, if they have em, why havent they used em yet? Obviously the best place to have used em was in the open desert, not in the cities, and it seems like the allies are in the process of laying seige to the main cities while destroying all enemy forces in the field.

The discovery of a couple is to be expected... the discovery of a large cashe on the other hand...thats major...as is the use of such things.

Another point to consider...we most likely do have tactical nukes in the field, as well as chemical warfare agents of our own.

[brianhunter]

Originally posted by Kaith Rustaz

Another point to consider...we most likely do have tactical nukes in the field, as well as chemical warfare agents of our own.

How is that? When have we ever gassed anyone? I was in the 1st Infantry Division 1/16th Infantry (Mechanized Bradley fighting vehicles) When we where organized in a task force we also had Abrahms with us. Thats about as much in the fight as you can get and I never EVER remember us having chemical weapons or being trained to deal with us having them and firing them. I was in that unit a good part of the 90's. What would lead you to think that way?

[brianhunter]

Originally posted by Kaith Rustaz
Ok...Devils Advocate here....the presence of the safety gear does not indicate intent to use, or possesion of the weapons.



Sorry for the broken post.....but this is an army that wont even buy boots and bullets for its militia and we are actually believing they are issuing "safety" equipment because the US is gonna gas them?

[Bob Hubbard]

RE: Us use of CW - I remember reading about the previous Gulf war that the US and their allies did have chemical warfare agents, but wouldnt use theirs first. (Sorry, its been a long time since I read that...)

RE: Chem suits - you make a very good point. I'm just giving the benifit of the doubt. It may be that they expect the US to play by their rules. Inseficient data for me to make an accurate judgement...at this time.



Update: More U.S. troops, armor head to Iraq
(CNN) – As President Bush declared the war in Iraq would last "however long it takes to win," the Pentagon announced Thursday 120,000 additional troops were being deployed to the region.

Twenty thousand troops from the U.S. 4th Infantry Division will leave Fort Hood, Texas, for Iraq in the next few days, and another 100,000 ground troops have received deployment orders and will head to the Persian Gulf region next month, Pentagon officials said.

The new troops will also include more heavy mechanized divisions, the officials said.


This brings the US Deployment to around 400-450,000 If I remember right...

[Bob Hubbard]

BATTLES


• U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said that military supplies, including night-vision goggles, are being transported into Iraq from Syria. "We consider such trafficking as hostile acts and will hold the Syrian government responsible for the incidents," Rumsfeld said Friday at a Pentagon briefing.
• U.S. Army soldiers defeated Iraqi paramilitary attacks north of Najaf while Marines from the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force advanced beyond Qalat Sikar in southern Iraq, U.S. Central Command spokesman Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks said Friday.
• Three U.S. Marine infantry battalions occupy the northern and southern parts of Nasiriya, military officials told CNN Friday. Full Story
• The northern Iraqi city of Chamchamal, which is now under the control of Iraqi Kurds, has come under artillery fire from Iraqi positions to the east toward Kirkuk, CNN Correspondent Kevin Sites reported.
• Thousands of civilians trying to flee Basra Friday were fired upon by Iraqi paramilitaries, British military officials said. Full Story | Video Securing Basra
• An airlift of troops, tanks and equipment continued Friday at the Harir airfield in northern Iraq that 1,000 U.S. paratroopers secured on Thursday. Full Story | Audio Slide Show: Paratroopers drop
• About 30,000 troops from the Army's 4th Infantry Division and other units will leave for Iraq in a few days, and another 100,000 ground troops will deploy next month, Pentagon officials said. Full Story
Gallery: War photos | Audio Slide Show: In harm's way

AIRSTRIKES


• U.S.-led aircraft unleashed one of the heaviest bombardments on Baghdad overnight, including a strike on Iraq's International Communications Center. Full Story | Animation: 'Bunker-buster' bombs
• U.S. special operations aircraft destroyed two Iraqi paramilitary headquarters in Nasiriya, U.S. Central Command spokesman Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks said Friday.
• For the second day in a row, coalition airstrikes Friday targeted Iraqi troops along a ridge in northern Iraq near a Kurdish-controlled area, following overnight attacks on the nearby city of Mosul. Full Story
• The Republican Guard's Medina Division, which defends Baghdad's southern perimeter, has been badly degraded by constant coalition bombings, a U.S. Army source told CNN Correspondent Walter Rodgers.
• Coalition forces destroyed an Iraqi missile launcher near Basra believed to be responsible for missiles fired against Kuwait, military sources told CNN.
• U.S. and British forces Friday began preparing an air base in southeast Iraq for use by coalition aircraft, CNN Correspondent Bob Franken reported. Full Story
Weapons: Aircraft, munitions, 3-D models

CASUALTIES


• Coalition deaths in the war total 50.
Killed in Action: List of coalition fatalities
• Iraq's health minister said Thursday more than 350 Iraqi civilians have been killed in the war. CNN cannot verify Iraq's claims. Full Story


POWs/MIAs


• Sixteen Marines are listed as missing after fighting near Nasiriya, military officials said Friday.

[brianhunter]

I appreciate the updates! Its nice to see just the facts without the fluff and bias!

[Bob Hubbard]

No problem. I intend to continue through out the war, as best as I can find the info. :)

=========
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/03/28/sprj.irq.marine.bodies/index.html
U.S. Marines Friday recovered the bodies of seven fallen comrades who died in intense fighting around Nasiriya in southern Iraqi Sunday, officials said.

The city has been the scene of the fiercest fighting the Marine Corps has been involved in since Vietnam, senior Marines told CNN, and still is not under coalition control five days after coalition forces first engaged Iraqi paramilitaries.

"Marines care for their own," Ritchie said. "And that is in life and in death. And so they see their duty not complete until they are resting in their homeland with their families."

=========
• Pentagon sources told CNN Friday that a B-2 Stealth bomber dropped two 4,500-pound GBU-37 "bunker buster" bombs in Baghdad Thursday. It was the first time the powerful bombs have been used in this war.
(CNN has some good animations on their website of this and other things) http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2003/iraq/war.tracker/index.html
=========

[Bob Hubbard]

AIR WAR


• Northern strikes: A pair of U.S. Navy F-14 Tomcats launched an airstrike in northern Iraq about Monday. The F-14s struck a ridge where Iraqi troops have been entrenched about 25 miles east of Mosul.
F-14 Tomcat | 3D model
• Back on air: Iraqi Television resumed broadcasting after briefly being taken off the air Monday by coalition bombing. The Iraqi Ministry of Information in central Baghdad also was hit by airstrikes Monday, U.S. Central Command said. Full Story
• Baghdad targets: U.S. airstrikes on Baghdad Sunday hit the Abu Gharayb palace and the Rustiybaya barracks, which is home to paramilitary forces loyal to the Iraqi leader, U.S. military officials said.
• Republican Guard: Coalition airstrikes on Sunday "pummeled" the Republican Guard's Medina Division near Karbala, a U.S. military official said. Other Republican Guard units also were bombed, including the Hammurabi and Baghdad divisions.


GROUND WAR


• Van shooting: U.S. soldiers fired on a van carrying women and children when it failed to stop at a military checkpoint near Najaf, killing seven people and wounding two others, Central Command said Monday.
• Iraqi POWs: A Red Cross team met with captured Iraqi troops Monday and plans to hold more meetings later this week, the Red Cross said. A British official said about 8,000 POWs are being held by the coalition, many of whom surrendered.
• Nasiriya raids: U.S. Marines staged raids 30 miles north of Nasiriya on Monday in search of Gen. Ali Hassan al Majeed, Saddam Hussein's cousin who commands Iraqi forces in the south, CNN Correspondent Art Harris reported. Full Story
• Najaf prisoners: U.S. Army soldiers fought with Iraqis near Najaf, killing more than 100 and capturing about 50, a U.S. official said Monday. Elements of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division seized an airfield near Najaf without a fight. Full Story
• Special operations: Using information from locals, coalition special operation forces are attacking "regime complexes" around Iraq, U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks said Monday.
• Air base attack: Brooks also said that U.S. Marines from the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force raided Tallil Air Base in southern Iraq and seized a large weapons cache. Marines also raided Fajr, where they captured Baath Party members, found weapons caches and destroyed Iraqi air defense equipment, Brooks said.
Gallery: War photos

CASUALTIES


• Coalition: 67 coalition deaths reported.
List of coalition fatalities
• Marines die: Four U.S. Marines were killed when the driver of their tank was shot and the tank plunged into the river, U.S. Central Command said Monday.


POWs/MIAs


• Missing or captured: Seven U.S. military members are being held as POWs, and 19 are listed as missing in action.
Coalition POWs/MIAs


HUMANITARIAN RELIEF


• Food money: The World Food Program Monday said it received $115 million in cash and assistance three days after launching its $1.3 billion emergency food aid appeal for Iraq.
• Clean water: A pipeline began flowing Monday from Kuwait to the Iraqi port city of Umm Qasr to deliver fresh water, U.S. Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks said Monday.

[Elfan]

Kaith, what news sites to you general frequent to find this news?

[Bob Hubbard]

CNN.com mostly.

[Bob Hubbard]

Sources are reporting that the rescued American POW is Jessica Lynch.

[cali_tkdbruin]

Originally posted by Kaith Rustaz
Sources are reporting that the rescued American POW is Jessica Lynch.

Yes, I'm sure everyone knows by now, but, MSNBC, CNN, etc., and the army have all confirmed that USA Delta Force operators have rescued our POW, PFC Lynch, from an Iraqi hospital.

Excellent News! :)

[Johnathan Napalm]

VICTORY over IRAQ near!

1. The Republican Guards, the Special Republican Guards are in disarray, giving up positions to coalitions without a fight, failure to destroy bridges as they retreat. Chain of command is in a state of confusion.

2. Saddam and his sons have not been seened. Members of his family have been sited in other Arab capitals. Even some of his top military men have fled Iraq. His orders are supposedly read/announced by his henchmen only.

3. Over a half a dozen of his generals have been captured. Even more colonels are POW. US supply convoys are no longer been shot at. A call for artillery fire and machine gun fires from the convoys have silented those attacks, permanently it seems.

4. Iraqi tribes are fighting alongside US special forces in the west and in the south. (The Kurds from the north, of course)

5. Iraqi citizens are guiding coalition troops around minefields, locating ammo storage.

6. In after-battle survey, you will read about how well the US and the British troops have performed. They make you proud. The Brits are truly "magnificent barstards"! :) The US crack units again live up our finest tradition!

Yet, if you read those Times, Newsweek, newspaper, CNN blah blahblah, you would thought the US was doomed into another Vietnam and Somalia. HA!

[cali_tkdbruin]

Originally posted by Johnathan Napalm
VICTORY over IRAQ near!

Yet, if you read those Times, Newsweek, newspaper, CNN blah blahblah, you would thought the US was doomed into another Vietnam and Somalia. HA!

Lets just wrap up this campaign ASAP, then we can rejoice in victory. There's still plenty of work to be done. In addition, the work will continue long after the coalition victory has been achieved. The US, UK and allies will have to deal with the power vacuum resulting from the evil Saddam's demise, and also we'll have to deal with rebuilding the damaged country. Yes, there is still plenty of work to be done...

[Johnathan Napalm]

Post war plans have long been created and prepared. It is not an after-thought. Contractors have been invited to bids for rebuilding projects, months BEFORE fighting started.

If you listened to the media, you would think the US was flying blind into this thing and was just hopping along, on its way to doom and gloom.

A lots of pre planning, planning have gone into this long before the first troop set foot on Iraq.

[tshadowchaser]

I just want to wish all of those fighting for freedom best wishes and good health.
My hopes are that after this is all over that the country and people we are trying to help appreciate what we have done.

[cali_tkdbruin]

Originally posted by Johnathan Napalm


A lots of pre planning, planning have gone into this long before the first troop set foot on Iraq.

True, you are correct sir! Long range post war plans were surely in place before the first missle was fired. However, anyone who thinks that we are going to just pack up and leave after the last battle is over is quite mistaken. Our armed forces are going to remain in Iraq for some time after victory has been attained in order to prevent chaos and anarchy, and to help transition in a new Iraqi government. Hence my comment, there is still plenty of work to be done...

[Johnathan Napalm]

No. We are not going to just fold tent and go home. Troops will be stationed there for a long time.

[Johnathan Napalm]

Latest intelligence: (Which, like my previous post, you will read about it in the media tommorrow or the coming days)

"....it is safe to say that Saddam and the senior members of his family are no longer at the helm of government. Iraq is undoubtedly in the process of regime change, the main objective of the Iraq War. Anything beyond that is hazy. Other members of the Saddam regime may have seized power after the ruler himself departed. The new ruling caste may be divided between a faction negotiating terms of surrender with the Americans and a second, which is determined to fight on. The whole truth of the day’s events on April 2 may never be fully discovered. The war may come to an abrupt end, but not the Iraq crisis which promises more upheaval ahead......."


"....In the last week, most Iraqi troops have discovered, or heard, that the coalition troops are equally lethal in cities. While there may be a Battle of Baghdad, the street fighting won't favor the Iraqis. The only other weapon Iraq has is nerve or mustard gas. But to use either of these so close to downtown Baghdad, would kill and injure far more Iraqis than coalition troops......"

The media naysayers are still several days behind interms of battlefield intelligence. The armchair quarterbacks are still talking about "the US facing uncertain options in Baghdad." :rolleyes:

[Rich Parsons]

Originally posted by Johnathan Napalm
No. We are not going to just fold tent and go home. Troops will be stationed there for a long time.


JN,

This is the first thing you have said, that I can 100% agree with. :). Now, I think it will be coalition troops not just US that will be stationed there for a while.

[Bob Hubbard]

GROUND WAR


• Completely encircled: U.S. Marines and soldiers control all roads into and out of Baghdad, sources told CNN. Full Story
• Tanks back in: Elements of the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Division launched fresh reconnaissance missions Sunday near the center of Baghdad, Army sources said. U.S. 3rd Infantry Division
• Basra gains: U.K. commandos have encircled south Basra, and overnight the 7th Armored Brigade secured a "chunk of central Basra," British military officials said. Full Story | British commandos
• Slow advance: A column of U.S. Marine vehicles trudged north toward Baghdad early Sunday, taking aim at small pockets of resistance along the way. Heavy fighting held up the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, for part of the night, said CNN's Martin Savidge, who is embedded with the unit. Full Story | U.S. Marines
• Two-pronged assault: U.S. forces entered Baghdad on two fronts -- the Army V Corps out of the southwest from Karbala and the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force out of the southeast from Kut. 1st MEF
Gallery: War photos | Map: Troop movements

AIR WAR


• Allied convoy bombed: A U.S. warplane mistakenly bombed a Kurdish convoy near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, killing at least 18 Kurdish fighters and injuring at least 45 Kurds -- including a senior commander. The Kurds were engaged in an intense battle in the area.
• Focus on Baghdad: Coalition jets roared over Iraq's capital Sunday, as explosions punctuated the fearful calm. Sources told CNN of blasts emanating from southwest Baghdad, near the airport, as artillery fire rose into the sky.
• Perpetual patrol: At least two coalition warplanes will fly over Baghdad at all times, a U.S. military official said. The planes will be able to summon six other aircraft to provide close air support. Full story
• Bombing in north: U.S. F-15 fighters and B-52 bombers dropped at least 28 500-pound bombs on Iraqi positions in northern Iraq. Coalition ground forces there are an hour's drive north of the Iraqi capital.
• Basra strike: An airstrike late Saturday on the Basra home of the Iraqi general known as "Chemical Ali" killed one of his bodyguards, a U.S. military official said Sunday. Full story


CASUALTIES


• Coalition: 108 coalition deaths reported.
List of coalition fatalities
• Journalist dies: NBC reporter David Bloom, 39, died suddenly of a non-combat ailment while covering the war in Iraq, the network said Sunday.
• More friendly fire: An accidental F-15E Strike Eagle airstrike killed three U.S. service members and injured five others, U.S. officials said.
• Iraqi military: U.S. incursions Saturday into Baghdad killed and wounded more than 2,000 Iraqi soldiers, U.S. Central Command said. Iraqi officials have not provided military casualty details.
• Helicopter crash: Six U.S. soldiers died when their UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed in central Iraq late Wednesday, U.S. Central Command said Sunday. Black Hawk


POWs/MIAs


• Missing or captured: Seven U.S. troops are being held as POWs, and eight are listed as missing in action.
Coalition POWs/MIAs
• Search for pilot: Coalition forces searched for an F/A-18C Hornet pilot after the aircraft crashed Wednesday over central Iraq, U.S. Central Command said Sunday.
• Iraqi POWs: About 6,500 Iraqi soldiers, including some who surrendered without a fight, are in coalition custody, U.S. Central Command said Saturday.