Rapid push north continues
Darren Lake JDW Staff Reporter
London
Coalition forces continue their rapid advance into Iraq with fighting
reported as far north as the town of Najaf, just 160km south of the Iraqi
capital Baghdad.
As the UK and US armoured columns advance into the country, however, they
are facing resistance from Iraqi forces �?? both conscripts and special
troops. As the invading force continues to push quickly into southern
Iraq it is, in fact, having to invest and then skirt around areas of
stiff resistance.
Firefights continued near the port of Umm Qasr close to the Kuwaiti
border until late morning on 22 March, with around 120 Iraqi troops
reported to be holding out against soldiers from I Marine Expeditionary
Force. That resistance was only broken after airstrikes were called in.
Umm Qasr is vital to coalition plans as it will be the main access route
for much-needed logistics support and humanitarian aid.
Iraqi resistance also continued in and around the city of Basra further
to the north, but US commanders were hoping to negotiate a surrender of
the forces there. However, all openly available evidence suggests that
the Iraqi Army is putting up more resistance than expected. According to
Air Marshal Brian Burridge, commander of all the UK forces in the Gulf,
the regular army's resolve has been stiffened by the deployment to key
areas in the south of various special units staunchly loyal to Saddam
such as elements of the Special Security Organisation.
There were hopes that severing the Iraqi regime's command and control
with local level commanders would make it easier to convince Iraqi troops
not to fight. However, with the evidence that loyal forces have ben
deployed to keep an eye on the more suspect regular army, coalition
attempts to win Iraqi surrender will not be easy.
This could lead the coalition into the dangerous position of having to
push on towards Baghdad with significant areas of southern Iraq still
outside their control. Such vulnerable interior lines of communication
could become a significant problem for coalition forces despite their
superior firepower.
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