BASRA, Iraq April 7 —
British forces took control of the heart of Basra on Monday, met
by few pockets of resistance and greeted by hundreds of people who
shook their hands and welcomed them to Iraq's second-largest
city.
Royal Marine commandos seized a vacant, pink-hued marble palace
belonging to President Saddam Hussein. Elsewhere in the impoverished
city, there was widespread looting in the city's narrowing streets,
and even reports of some retaliatory attacks by Iraqis against
militiamen still loyal to Saddam.
"The last 48 hours have been historic for Basra. After decades
under the heel of Saddam's brutal regime, U.K. forces are in the
process of delivering liberation to the people of Basra," Air
Marshal Brian Burridge told reporters in Qatar.
"There will be some difficult days ahead, but the Baathist regime
is finished in Basra."
For two weeks, the British had held off from storming the city of
1.3 million people to avoid civilian casualties in what they feared
would become bloody urban fighting against Saddam's Fedayeen
fighters and other loyalists.
Commanders also had hoped to use the time to gain the trust of
local residents, mainly Shiite Muslims, who had been crushed by
Saddam's Sunni government after an uprising at the end of the 1991
Gulf War.
But local resistance to allied forces weakened and, in an
airstrike Saturday in Basra, one of the most brutal members of
Saddam's inner circle, Ali Hassan al-Majid, was believed to have
been killed in his home. He had been dubbed "Chemical Ali" by
opponents for ordering a 1988 poison gas attack that killed
thousands of Kurds.
Troops broke down the doors to the ornate palace, finding carved
teak woodwork, marble floors, vaulted ceilings and stained-glass
windows. The palace, which apparently had been unoccupied for
months, was empty except for a flock of doves.
At the Central Bank of Iraq, Basra residents streamed out
carrying chairs, tables and carpets. A group of looters targeted
schools and shops and one man walked with a chandelier under his
arm. And at the Sheraton Hotel, people loaded chairs and sofas into
horse-drawn carts. Some even wheeled the hotel's grand piano down a
street.
Military officials said they were more concerned that ammunition
would be looted and used in the sporadic fighting that continued as
they tightened their grip on the city.
Gunfire could be heard throughout the day and a half-dozen attack
helicopters buzzed overhead. Inside Basra's College of Religious
Literature, which British troops seized Sunday, more than 250
mortars, rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns were found.
"We know local militia have been ordered not to wear their
uniforms. There are arms caches everywhere. They fire at us, lay
down their arms, wave a white flag, and move on," said Capt. Niall
Brennan of the Irish Guards.
The success of the troops saw a brutal response from some
civilians. Several militiamen were seen being killed by throngs of
civilians, Press Association said. A British soldier was also told
that civilians had killed a policeman, according to British press
pool reports.
On Sunday, British officials made a massive push into the
city.
The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards advanced in Challenger 2 tanks and
the Black Watch invaded in armored vehicles, while the Royal
Regiment of Fusiliers pushed in from the southwest, and Royal Marine
commandos came in from the south, according to Press
Association.
The original objective was to take the outskirts but resistance
was found to be light, so the British forces advanced quickly.
The 7th Armored Brigade, or the Desert Rats, killed an unknown
number of paramilitary fighters and took others prisoner as the unit
pushed in from the west. Commanders said the bulk of Iraqi forces
may have fled 48 hours before the latest incursion, according to
British pool reports.
The Defense Ministry said three British soldiers were killed
Sunday.
On Monday, the 3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment took up foot
patrol in the city center after a massive convoy of British infantry
started rolling into Basra from the southern outskirts earlier in
the day.
The paratroopers had been warned that resisters would use
balconies, alleyways and hidden alcoves of the old town to mount
surprise attacks. But, as they walked into old Basra, they saw the
area was clear.
"Saddam destroyed everything. He destroyed the water, he
destroyed the people. The people of Basra are very happy today,"
said one man, who refused to give his name, giving a thumbs up to a
passing soldier.
Hundreds of people poured out to welcome and shake hands with the
soldiers. Women in chadors hovered in the background, and soldiers
talked and joked with civilians and let some boys look through their
gunsights.
The humanitarian situation remained bleak, with many residents
desperate for fresh water.
"All the citizens are very thirsty," said a man who would only
identify himself as Ali. He was holding his year-old daughter.
"I feel very afraid for her, and for my friend's baby," he said.
"I've been without water for three days."
photo credit
and caption:
Members of HQ 3 Commando Brigade
in the center of Basra, southern Iraq after British troops
took control of the city, Monday 7, April 2003. (AP
Photo/Simon Walker, Pool)
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