| Submit your comments on this article |
| Iraq |
| More on the reputed negotiations |
| 2003-03-20 |
| Severely edited to just the new stuff Launching what President Bush called âthe early stages of the war,â U.S. warships began firing missiles Thursday on Baghdad and continued into Friday morning. In a ground offensive launched Thursday from Kuwait, U.S. and British troops moved into southern Iraq, reportedly capturing a border town. U.S. officials emphasized that the action was not the major âshock and aweâ attack they had vowed to unleash. NBC News reported that U.S. forces appeared to be holding back because the Pentagon was pursuing surrender talks with Iraqâs elite Republican Guard. Aha. The offensive began after the Defense Department warned that Iraqi President Saddam Husseinâs days were numbered. In Baghdad, missiles hit Saddamâs sprawling main palace complex on the banks of the Tigris River, as well as one of his family homes. Fires broke out around the Planning Ministry in the center of Baghdad, and other blazes could be seen in the southeast of the city. Firefighters and ambulances were at the scene. One of the buildings housed an office of Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz. You might think about heading north now, Tariq. A senior U.S. official told NBC Newsâ Robert Windrem that the targets included strongholds of the Republican Guard, Iraqâs special security organization, which is run by Saddamâs son Qusai. Still, the second round of attacks on Baghdad lasted only about 10 minutes, with dozens of U.S. bombs and missiles raining down on a handful of leadership targets. The all-clear siren sounded later, and the city fell quiet except for the roar of generators. NBC Newsâ Jim Miklaszewski reported Thursday from the Pentagon that the short, intensive attacks suggested that the Pentagonâs campaign of âshock and aweâ had turned into âshock and pauseâ as military officials stepped back to assess just how far they would have to go to achieve the ultimate objective: taking out Saddam. After the first two days of airstrikes, Pentagon officials said serious cracks in the Iraqi regime had led to secret surrender talks with Iraqi military leaders. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said the United States was talking directly to Iraqi military leaders, even those in the Special Republican Guard, who are drawn from the elite Republican Guard corps and are noted for their loyalty to Saddam. That'll twist Sammy's shorts, if of course he's still alive. The Iraqis were being told that they could avoid all-out war if they took out Saddam themselves, Rumsfeld said. âThere are communications in every conceivable mode and method, public and private, to the Iraqi forces that they can act with honor and turn over their weapons and walk away from them and they will not be hurt,â Rumsfeld told reporters Thursday night in Washington. If Sammy's really dead, this might be the start of the collapse. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #1 -- Iraqâs elite Republican Guard.-- Won't Iraq be better off w/these guys dead? I see even more trouble in the future. |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-03-21 01:05:04 |