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| Iraq | |
| Troops ’poised to enter Basra’ | |
| 2003-03-26 | |
| Coalition forces are reportedly standing by to enter the southern Iraqi city of Basra to support a possible civilian uprising. British troops are also said to be fighting Iraqi paramilitary units and soldiers attempting to flee the country's second city through its western outskirts. I've got a mental image of these guys shielding their heads whilst running through the skirts of giant kitchen utensil-wielding housewives towards a line coalition tanks. Iraqi soldiers are believed to have opened fire on residents who joined revolts against Saddam Hussein - although reports of an uprising were described as "lies" by Baghdad. "Oh, it's true, it's so truuuuue, the people hate us! We're a detested bunch of thugs and murderers, and we've got just days to live! D'OH! What have I said?! I mean, LIES, ALL LIES!!! British Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon said that the situation in the city on Wednesday morning was "unclear", while some reports said that its streets were quiet. British military officials said overnight air raids on Basra city centre destroyed the headquarters of Saddam Hussein's ruling Ba'ath Party and several Iraqi mortar positions. British forces spokesman Group Captain Al Lockwood told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that before Basra was entered commanders would look "very, very carefully at all options available to us". Just don't take too long, pls. He said the streets of Basra were quiet on Wednesday, adding: "We are therefore very carefully assessing the situation to see how we can capitalise on it this morning." One unnamed British officer said the decision was taken to not go into Basra overnight because of fears that civilians could be mistakenly hit in any fighting. Describing the apparent rebellion Mr Lockwood said: "It started yesterday afternoon — it appeared some of the population rose up and started attacking the elements defending the city, these more and more appear to be criminal elements and members of the ruling Ba'ath Party. I'm curious to know precisely what he means by "criminal elements" — and surely the Ba'athists are cell-fodder if anyone is. "The attack from the local population obviously gave them cause for concern, to the extent that they started mortaring them." UK forces then targeted the mortar positions and dropped a precision bomb on the headquarters of Saddam Hussein's ruling Ba'ath Party, Mr Lockwood said. Mr Hoon told the BBC that there had been an attempted uprising on some scale in Basra, which had been met with mortar and gun fire by soldiers. The defence secretary said: "Certainly there have been disturbances, local people rising up against the regime."
We appreciate the lessons, thanks. Really. | |
| Posted by:Bulldog |
| #3 BBC and others now report a column of about 100 iraqi vehicles LEAVING Basra, headed SOUTH for Fao Peninsula. Either trying to recapture Fao (?!?!?) or trying to flee uprising (more likely, IMHO) In either case, they are being hit hard by coalition air. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-03-26 12:06:41 |
| #2 More from a BBC embedded: "Southern Iraq :: Tim Franks :: 1325GMT It's very difficult to pin down what is actually happening in Basra. We've been metaphorically pinning British military spokesmen against the wall all day and last night saying "Come on - what is the evidence of this uprising?" All they have said to us is that they are absolutely 100 percent, copper-bottom certain that there was some sort of uprising. They don't know its scale, they don't know where exactly it happened but they are certain there was some sort of disturbance there. Indeed since then it's been a very active morning - street to street fighting between British forces and Iraqi forces just to the west of Basra and in the outskirts of the city." |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-03-26 08:48:41 |
| #1 now the Supreme Assembly says its disturbances and not quite an uprising. Al jazeera reporter inside Basra sees no uprising. OTOH UK forces, saw mortar fire from one part of city to another, and less targeting of UK forces as mortars fire inside city. Coalition spokespeople continue to be cautious. Sounds like there have been people out on the streets in SOME parts of the city, with the Fedayeen responding - but no generalized citywide uprising yet. Unclear how it is turning out. Brit forces will fire on regime mortars - both cause this is a good opportunity to do so, and to support uprising. I assume there are coalition spec. forces inside the city, or at least intel assets, and that coalition knows considerably more about what is going on then they are saying. I assume that they are looking for right opportunity to go in - perhaps waiting for arrival of HMS (?) Sir Galahad, with food and water for inhabitants. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-03-26 08:32:16 |