| Submit your comments on this article |
| Iraq |
| Republican Guards' last stand may be at Tikrit |
| 2003-04-12 |
| US commanders say that even as the Iraqi military melts away around the country, remnants of a once huge army have been seen digging around a possible last line of defence, Tikrit. The town of 200,000 people, on the banks of the Tigris river north of Baghdad, is Saddam's hometown and stronghold. Many of those at the heart of his clan-based government and military rule were Tikritis. "We're certainly focused on Tikrit to prevent the former Iraqi government from being able to use it as a place to restore command and control, or to hide," U.S. Brigadier-General Vincent Brooks said on Friday. Saddam's concentration of power in the hands of his closest family, and distrust of most people outside his own Al-Majid Al-Tikriti tribe, mean that this town forms the backbone of his most loyal military forces. Tikrit -- birthplace of the 12th century Muslim warrior Saladin and located 90 miles north west of Baghdad -- may provide stiffer resistance. Brooks said U.S. military leaders were not pretending Tikrit could be taken without a fight. "We're engaging them hard, hitting remnants of the Republican Guard," he said. The US Central Command in Qatar said Republican Guard and other Iraqi troops regrouping in Tikrit had been battered by air strikes for five days now. It's feared that Saddam ally, Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, may have moved missiles to the area ahead of a potential battle. Defence officials in Washington said a "few thousand" Special Republican Guard remained in northern Iraq in the Tikrit and Bayji areas. Jazeera seems to be hoping against hope that the Iraqis will pull something out of their berets... |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #1 "...even as the Iraqi military melts away around the country, remnants of a once huge army have been seen digging around a possible last line of defence, Tikrit." I have every confidence that our bombers will make the Iraqi military "melt away" around Tikrit too. |
| Posted by: Tom 2003-04-12 11:06:36 |