BREAKING NEWS ONLY

[Joe]

That's correct. Initial reports claimed the opposite, however it is now confirmed that your numbers are correct.

[Master of Ossus]

That's correct. Initial reports claimed the opposite, however it is now confirmed that your numbers are correct.

That's good, seeing as how we just sent those numbers off to the presses.

Obviously our hearts are with the families of the fallen soldiers, from both countries.

[Sea Skimmer]

The reports I've seen (including one from one of my own reporters) state that it is, in fact, 12 British commandoes and 4 American aviators.

Probably they are Marines, with the media slightly confused because the marine units are called commandoes. With the Americans its no question, only the USMC flies the CH-46


Some good news. The lead units of the invasion force are being reported as over 150 kilometers inside of Iraq.

[Vympel]

Apparently the much touted 'shock and awe' phase is on hold.

In other news:

US Marines Halted by Iraqi Fire, Call in Artillery
Fri March 21, 2003 12:26 AM ET
SOUTHERN IRAQ (Reuters) - U.S. Marines invading Iraq on Friday were halted just 200 yards into the country by Iraqi anti-tank missiles and small-arms fire, a Reuters correspondent with the U.S. forces said.
"There is quite a big gun fight going on," said correspondent Adrian Croft. "We've baled out of our truck. The U.S. forces have called in British artillery fire which is raining down on the Iraqi positions."

He said the Iraqis had fired Soviet-designed anti-tank weapons known to NATO forces as SAGGER missiles. He did not know if the Marines had suffered any casualties and could not say exactly where the Marines had crossed into Iraq.

Casualties from SAGGERS? Definitely if they hit and they were USMC LAVs. M1s- forget it no chance.

[Shinova]

Iran hostage crisis comes to mind when I read the phrase "helicopter crash".


Did they foul up again or something, or was it the storm, or was it the Iraqis?

[Vympel]

Iran hostage crisis comes to mind when I read the phrase "helicopter crash".


Did they foul up again or something, or was it the storm, or was it the Iraqis?

The Iran event was a SNAFU of the first order- this is just a typical helo crash.

[weemadando]

Iran hostage crisis comes to mind when I read the phrase "helicopter crash".


Did they foul up again or something, or was it the storm, or was it the Iraqis?

The Iran event was a SNAFU of the first order- this is just a typical helo crash.

Now that Burnett isn't here - I can reveal the true reason for the Iran Hostage Crisis fuck up.

They involved the Marines.

[Sea Skimmer]

Casualties from SAGGERS? Definitely if they hit and they were USMC LAVs. M1s- forget it no chance.

If they hit is a big if given the terrian. The crews would be lucky to live long enough to see there missile miss.

[K. A. Pital]

Russia is sending ships in the Gulf. Putin called the war a big political mistake.
Many thousand people protest all over the world. Recent protest waves in major cities include over 15.000 people. Russians gather in front of the American (huh-huh, I don't know how to call it) and call for stopping the war right now. In Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Australia and in the USA people come with "Bush and Blair are killers". In Berlin a mass demostration occured.
There have been reports from Reiter that the US forces are now in a hard enagement with the Iraq Army or have come to a presumably mined territory, because they slowed down half-way to the capital. 4 Kuweit soldiers have died from a mine near the border of Iraq. It was repoerted to be an accident, not a planned action of the enemy.

P.S. I feel really sorry for anyone who died and will die in this insane war. I feel sorry for having the same surname as the president of the US.
We have to stop the madness right now.

[Enlightenment]

British-led forces capture al-Faw peninsula, begin consolidating control.

Some Iraqis making like the French, some standing to fight.

http://theglobeandmail.com/servlet/stor ... ernational


Pentagon claims Iraqi military resistance is not nationallly coordinated in wake of opening-hour decapitation attack.

http://theglobeandmail.com/servlet/stor ... ernational

[Vympel]

Pentagon claims Iraqi military resistance is not nationallly coordinated in wake of opening-hour decapitation attack.

Talk about overconfident.

"March 20, 2002, 10:15, Moscow - The sand storm raging over Iraq is seriously interfering with the US plans for the first air strike. So far the US Air Force was unable to launch any large-scale bombing raids against the positions of the Iraqi forces along the line of contact in southern Iraq. A sand cloud is covering the Iraqi positions and air strikes were carried out by the US only using cruise missile and only against well-known stationary targets.

Main air strikes are currently being carried out against the Iraqi positions in the vicinity of Basra. According to Russian radio intercepts of US military communications some 40 cruise missile launches and 200 combat flights were carried out by the US during the first 6 hours of the war against Iraq.

The US command is troubled by the news of the withdrawal of the Iraqi Republican Guard division from Basra region. Available information suggests that the defense of Basra will be carried out only by the regional defense units and by the Basra garrison, which numbers some 30,000 soldiers and officers, about 200 T-55 and T-62 tanks and up to 300 pieces of artillery. This points to a possibility that the Iraqi command is not concentrating on strong defense of the border regions but, instead, withdrawing its most combat-capable units deeper inside the country.

Military command of the anti-Iraq coalition demanded from its air forces an immediate increase in the intensity of air strikes. At the same time the Coalition is in a rush to process all the recon information obtained during the initial air strikes. Aerial and satellite reconnaissance forces of the Coalition are concentrating on detecting Iraqi air defenses as well as command and control facilities used by the Iraqis to deflect the first wave of air strikes.

Based on radio intercepts, several US combat units deployed in the demilitarized zone were bombarded by Iraqi artillery around 0730hrs Moscow time. American commanders requested emergency artillery and air support. Up to five USAF planes were forced to return back to their bases after suffering onboard equipment failures. At 0950hrs Moscow time one of the helicopters of the US 101st airborne division crashed due to low visibility conditions. So far there is no information about casualties in this crash.

In the next 24 hours Americans are anticipating news of “sharp political changes” in Iraq. Analysts believe that an overthrow plot against Saddam Hussein prepared by the CIA during the past few months is the reason behind such expectations. However, Russian agents are reporting that this plot was either uncovered in time or was under control of the Iraqi security agencies from the very beginning. This information is confirmed by a certain air of unease within the CIA command center in Qatar, as the expected overthrow of Hussein was supposed to take place several days ago.

According to the information received from Baghdad, the US air strikes directed against the Iraqi leadership did not acheive their goals. Saddam Hussein and all key members of his cabinet are alive and distributed across several different locations. It is likely that Iraq’s political and military leadership will be organized in accordance with the so-called “network” principle, originally implemented in Iraq in 1991 and later adopted by Yugoslavia in 1999. Iraqi political and military leadership will be constantly moving across a network of bunkers and other secure locations, conducting all communications using only secure lines and refraining from concentrating in one place more than two key leaders.

Information obtained by the radio intercept units of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces (GRU VS RF) shows that the majority of the Iraqi air defenses did not take part in the deflection of the initial US air strike. Not a single surface-to-air missile was launched during this first wave of strikes. Moreover, immediately following the initial air raid alert all Iraqi radars with known positions ceased operation and over 300 decoy radar transmitters were engaged. This indicates that the Iraqi command is relying on preserving as many of its air defense assets as possible and that it is preparing for long-term conflict. At the same time at least four cruise missiles were shot down by anti-aircraft artillery fire.

In an emergency phone conversation with the President of the United States George Bush the British Prime Minister Tony Blair expressed his strong disappointment with the fact that the British military and political leadership was informed about the planned start of the combat operations just 20 minutes before the first air strike. Blair called this decision by Bush “unfriendly” and characterized the US actions as a breach of trust between the two allies. All of this gives a double meaning to the role of Britain in the military partnership with the US, especially against the background of a major internal split in the ruling political coalition in the UK.

Update:

The US military confirms the loss of an MH-53J Pave Low special operations helicopter in southern Iraq. IraqWar.Ru was the first to report the loss yesterday. The US military officials have refused to specify the exact location of the crash or the exact number of personnel aboard the helicopter in addition to the standard crew of six. The helicopter is capable of transporting of up to 38 troops. The MH-53J that crash landed in southern Iraq was later destroyed by the US forces to avoid its capture by the Iraqi forces."

[Sea Skimmer]

British losses in the helicopter crash are down to eight. But what that fact has been confirmed and is coming from the British military, it hasn't been said if that means only twelve people died or if there where in fact eight Americans.

[K. A. Pital]

Americans shot at their tank
"A Cobra helicopter ocassionally hot a missile on a M1 Abrams tank. 1 soldie is wounded, according to the Ha'aretz sources".

[K. A. Pital]

Saddam Hussein is alive and well
The Iraq representative in Russia refuted rumors of Hussein being killed or wounded during american strikes. He noted that these rumors are a part of "psychological war" against Iraq.

The rumors of Hussein's death came into newspapers and television this very morning. The Washington Post claimed that Hussein was in the bunker which was struck first by the forces of the Coalition.

However, the footage with Hussein was analyzed thoroughly, including 3d-modelling of face features, and it was confirmed that it's the real Hussein.

[Enlightenment]

B-52s have taken off from RAF Fairford in UK as of 05:10 UTC -5.

[MKSheppard]

CNN:

7th Cavalry to be in Baghdad in 3 days!

NO RESISTANCE AT ALL

(shots of Bradleys racing across desert thru videophones)

[MKSheppard]

MSNBC is showing great footage LIVE from the top of a armored vehicle
racing towards baghdad!

[Warspite]

MSNBC is showing great footage LIVE from the top of a armored vehicle
racing towards baghdad!

CNN is showing better ones, nah!

[MKSheppard]

CNN is showing better ones, nah!

The CNN one is choppy from a videophone, the MSNBC one is live and
very good quality.

anyway:

Heinz Guderian would be proud of us:

"Der Motor des Panzers ist ebenso seine Waffe wie die Kanone."

(The engine of the Panzer is a weapon just as the main-gun).

Right now, I'm watching MSNBC and CNN showing US Armored
columns racing across the Iraqi desert with no resistance at all
at very high speeds.

We may just win this war with only a few shots fired by completely
outmaneuvering the Iraqi military...and that's the way it should be.

[Warspite]

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,3 ... 98,00.html


YES! Go Dambusters!




Shep:

Doubt it, after all, they are still far from Bagdad, and with indications coming that Republican units are being concentrated around Bagdad, where the real strategic target lies, the hard fighting hasn't started yet. They are still km's from Basrah, and that's near the Gulf, it's still a long way to Bagdad.




Geoffrey Hoon Delivering speech at the Commons.

[MKSheppard]

Under footage of US tanks in the desert, Aaron Brown of CNN
said that it reminds him of "Rommel in the desert."



Supposedly, lots of US Vehicles have a variant of the "Afrika Korps"
logo painted on them....they removed the swastika under the
palm tree, and replaced it with crossed pistols.

EDIT: found one:

[K. A. Pital]

The Iraq shows no serious resistance whatsoever. Late news show american soldiers running through the desert. Now rumors about a son of Hussein killed in the bunker appear, with the same "American army source" note. They seem to be undisproved yet.

Evil Offtop: General Heinz Guderian would not have been proud at this war. The Iraq cannot give any resistance. It's like slaughtering children.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

There's fighting around al-Basrah and I wouldn't be surprised to hear of the surrender of that city within short order. Umm Qasr has already definitely fallen. The 7th Cavalry is in excess of 100 miles into Iraq - And even via the Iraqi road system it's only 425-odd miles using the route they're taking to get to Baghdad. They're not using the roads; it'll be less. They'll probably go up through Karbala, or at least that's what my limited knowledge lends itself to.

Combined with the Kurdish operations in the north, the situation is well in hand. I don't expect any resistance to speak of for the advance on Baghdad at least until they attempt to cross the Euphrates. At their current pace that could be in as little as about two more days.

Assuming there is any serious Iraqi resistance, it will probably be concentrated around Baghdad and Tikrit, and I don't expect to see it west of the Euphrates or much further south than Babil province. Perhaps to the level of al-Kut at the most. Short of al-Basrah I don't expect to see much fighting south of that at any rate.

[MKSheppard]

British Royal Marines were just on MSNBC, and I was quite impressed
by their professionalism in handling the Iraqi POWs.

*waves Union Jack around madly*

[The Duchess of Zeon]

With permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to make a statement about military action in Iraq. British forces have been heavily engaged in maritime, land and air operations overnight. These operations are continuing, and I know the House will understand why I cannot give all of the details.

Before I set out what has been happening, I regret that I have to confirm that a United States CH-46 helicopter carrying British and United States personnel crashed in Kuwait, close to the border with Iraq. I can also confirm there were a number of fatalities. A recovery team is at the site of the crash. Our urgent priority is to confirm the identities of those who died and notify the next of kin at the earliest opportunity. The cause of the incident is being investigated, but I can assure the House that it was not the result of enemy action. I recognise that this will be of little comfort to the families of those killed. I hope the House will understand that we will not issue further details until next of kin have been informed.

That helicopter was engaged in an operation led by 3 Commando Brigade on the Al Faw peninsula in south-eastern Iraq. At approximately 2000 hours British time yesterday, 40 Commando began an assault on the southern tip of the peninsula, using support helicopters from Kuwait and from the Amphibious Task Group in the North Arabian Gulf. The tip of the peninsula was secured as planned. Some resistance, including the use of mortars and artillery, has been encountered and there was a small-scale engagement with individual Iraqi troops resulting in four known Iraqi fatalities. This engagement is continuing.

Importantly, most of the oil infrastructure on the peninsula has been secured intact. I can confirm, however, reports that the Iraqi regime has set fire to a number of oil wells. Our latest information is that around 30 oil wells are alight, among hundreds in southern Iraq. A primary aim of our current operations is to prevent further opportunities for such vandalism, and to enable remedial action to be taken as soon as is practical. The security of Iraq's oil infrastructure will, of course, be a key factor in enabling the Iraqi people to rebuild their country.

At 0430 hours this morning, coalition ground forces including elements under the command of 3 Commando Brigade, commenced an operation to seize the port of Umm Qasr and a nearby naval base. In addition, this morning, 42 Commando deployed by British aircraft to a blocking position north of the Al Faw. Throughout this operation, Royal Navy ships including HMS CHATHAM and MARLBOROUGH provided naval gun-fire support to 3 Commando Brigade. Umm Qasr, which is roughly equivalent in size to Southampton, will be vital to the economic future of southern Iraq, and Royal Navy mine countermeasures vessels are on stand-by to conduct mine clearance operations to provide a secure shipping route into the port. Although action is continuing, we expect Umm Qasr to be fully under coalition control shortly.

In addition to the Al Faw operation, coalition land operations across the Kuwai-Iraq border are well underway. Preparatory action began yesterday afternoon using fixed-wing and rotary air forces and artillery. At 1715 hours yesterday, the 5th US Regimental Combat Team launched operations to secure the South Rumaila oilfield and gas and oil platforms in southern Iraq.

At 0300 hours this morning, the main land offensive began with coalition forces advancing across the Kuwait-Iraq border. The two battle-groups of 7th Armoured Brigade are providing flank protection for this assault. We understand that stiff resistance has been encountered, and that 7th Armoured Brigade has engaged in contact with Iraqi forces.

Turning now to air operations, at 1800 hours yesterday evening 50 Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles were launched at targets in Baghdad closely associated with the Iraqi regime. A number of the missiles were launched from Royal Navy submarines, all of which hit their targets. A large number of RAF aircraft, including combat and support aircraft, have been active during the past 24 hours, including Tornado GR4s using Enhanced Paveway 2 missiles.

I am now able to give further details on yesterday's attack by Iraqi forces. Between 0720 and 1510 hours yesterday, Iraq launched at least five missiles of various types into Kuwait in the vicinity of coalition forces. Three landed and two were intercepted by Patriot missiles. There were no injuries. Troops put on their NBC equipment as a precautionary measure.

Mr Speaker, it is now less than 24 hours since these operations were launched. They are making steady progress. Our objectives remain as set out in the document placed in the Library of the House yesterday. They are to remove the Iraqi regime and its weapons of mass destruction. We have no quarrel with the Iraqi people and will continue to take every precaution to minimise the risk of civilian casualties.

But as the helicopter crash has shown, our own people are always at risk in a military operation. I pay tribute to the courage of those who tragically lost their lives last night. Our thoughts are with their families, and we hope for the safe return of all their colleagues.

http://www.operations.mod.uk/telic/sofs ... em_id=2275