March 24 —
Coalition planes targeted Republican Guard forces just south of
Baghdad in perhaps the largest assault to date on Saddam Hussein's
highly trained troops, U.S. officials said.
Gen. Tommy Franks said Saddam's regime is weakened but still
issuing orders to military units which are not always complying.
Franks said his forces have captured 3,000 prisoners.
Coalition troops pressed toward Baghdad but many were halted by a
sandstorm near the holy city of Karbala, 50 miles to the south.
Troops farther south were facing deadly ambushes and discovering
that many Iraqi fighters had discarded their uniforms in favor of
civilian clothes. In the Rumailah oil fields, five Iraqis in
civilian clothes who appeared to be surrendering fired machine guns
at British soldiers. U.S. Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks said seven fires
were burning in the field.
In hopes of showing that he remained at the helm, Saddam boasted
in a televised speech that "victory will be ours soon." U.S. and
British officials said the language was so general that it was
unclear when the tape was made.
Iraq claimed to have shot down two U.S. helicopters and taken
pilots prisoner, a day after more than 20 Americans were killed or
captured. Franks said two pilots were missing, but he dismissed
reports the helicopter was downed by "farmers."
In his first appearance since the start of the war, 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.
Baghdad came under another heavy air attack but life returned to
many streets later in the day, with stores reopening and traffic
heavy in some areas. Authorities dug trenches around military
offices as smoke from fires set to conceal bombing targets hung over
the city.
The northern front appeared to be building, with American planes
landing in Kurdish territory and airstrikes pounding positions of an
Islamic group with alleged al-Qaida and Baghdad ties. Coalition
warplanes bombed military barracks near Kurdish-held Chamchamal,
near the oil center of Kirkuk.
A British soldier was killed in combat in southern Iraq, the
first such British death since the war began. Sixteen other British
servicemen have died, in two helicopter accidents and the downing of
a British jet by friendly fire from a U.S. missile battery. Two
others were reported missing.
President Bush planned to tell congressional leaders that the war
will cost between $70 billion and $80 billion.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan warned of a humanitarian crisis
in Basra, scene of fierce fighting. Annan said "urgent measures"
were needed to restore the city's electricity and water supply.
A U.S. missile hit a passenger bus in Iraq that was carrying
Syrian civilians fleeing the war, killing five and wounding 10,
according to Syria's official news agency.
A U.S. envoy rushed back to Turkey to discuss Turkish plans to
send troops into northern Iraq despite Washington's objections. The
European Union head office also warned Turkey not to enter northern
Iraq, hinting that doing so would damage its chances of joining the
15-nation bloc.
Oil prices surged after the stiffening resistance from Iraqi
troops raised fears the war might take longer than anticipated.
photo credit
and caption:
Iraqi workers at the information
ministry watch Iraqi President Saddam Hussein adress the
nation in a speech broadcast on Iraqi television, Monday March
24, 2003. Saddam Hussein said victory was close for the Iraqi
people. (AP Photo/Ali
Heider)
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