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----- Original Message -----
From: Tarek Fatah
To: TMC-The Muslim Chronicle
Sent: Sunday, March 23, 2003 10:13 AM
Subject: Russian view of the US Invasion of Iraq
Friends,
Here is a view of the war from a Russian perspective.
The IRAQWAR.RU analytical center was created recently by a group of
journalists and military experts from Russia to provide accurate and
up-to-date news and analysis of the war against Iraq.
The following is the English translation of the www.iraqwar.ru report
based
on the Russian military intelligence reports.
Tarek Fatah
=================
War in Iraq - situation at Basra and An-Nasiriya
http://www.aeronautics.ru/news/news002/news074.htm
March 22, 2002, 1300hrs MSK (GMT +3), Moscow - Additional information
about
the situation in the primary combat areas in southern Iraq became
available
by 1300hrs (Moscow time, GMT +3). The US command reports about the
supposed
surrender of the entire Iraqi 51st Infantry Division turned out to be a
complete fabrication. According to our sources the 51st Division
continues
to fight on the approaches to Basra and we can only talk about
individual
cases of Iraqi soldiers being captured in combat.
Elements of the US 3rd Infantry Division and the 1st Marine Infantry
Division ended up in an exceptionally difficult situation. While
attempting to encircle Basra from the north and to block An-Nasiriya
elements the 3rd
and 1st infantry divisions found themselves wedged between the defending
Iraqi forces. The Iraqi command used this situation and delivered a
decisive counterattack with up to 80 tanks in the open flank of the US
forces,
slicing through their combat orders. As the result of this counterattack
these US units are now at risk of being
separated from the main coalition forces and being surrounded.
By 1100hrs MSK Iraqi units advanced into the US attack front by 10-15
kilometers and Gen. Tommy Franks, the commander of the coalition forces,
ordered his troops to switch entirely to defensive operations. At the
same
time he issued orders to the forward-deployed coalition tank units to
halt their reconnaissance operations in the directions of Es-Samaba and
An-Najaf and to move immediately to support the defending US forces.
However, the situation is complicated by the fact that a part of the
coalition tanks are currently disabled due to the lack of fuel and are
awaiting the arrival of fuel convoys. Thus the tanks are able to
gradually rejoin combat in small numbers as the fuel becomes available.
Currently the US and the Iraqi tank forces are engaged in mobile head-on
combat approximately 70-90 kilometers to the south of An-Nasiriya.
Combat orders have been received by the carrier borne aviation in the
Persian Gulf,
which until now did not take part in this battle. At the same time
orders were issued to all available coalition strike aircraft in Qatar
to scramble in support of the defending coalition forces.
Intercepted radio communications indicate that during the morning period
of March 22 the US forces lost 10-15 tanks destroyed or disabled and up
to 30 other armored vehicles. Medevac helicopters flew more than 30
search-and-rescue missions, which suggests heavy coalition losses.
Our sources report that during the early morning hours in southwestern
Iraq in the vicinity of Akashat the Iraqi forces have engaged and
surrounded a tactical paratroop unit of the 101st Airborne Division.
Some of the
surrounded paratroopers were able to break out into the desert, where
they request air support and finally lost their Iraqi pursuers. However,
up to 30 US troops were killed or captured in this engagement.
Additionally, [Russian] radio intercept units report that one the US
attack helicopters providing close air support was shot down. The top
US military command is planning to enhance the coalition command. During
the Joint Chief of Staff meeting its Chairman Gen. Richard Mayers
expressed strong criticism of the actions by the coalition commander
Gen. Franks and proposed to strengthen his headquarters with several
other senior military commanders. Gen. Franks is required to do
everything he can to change the current situation on the front. Analysts
believe that, if during the next 3-5 days Gen. Franks fails to achieve
any significant results, than it is entirely possible that he will be
replaced as the commander of the coalition forces.
Update: The coalition forces were able to capture a bridge in the
suburbs of Nasiriya. Their control of the Basra airport is tentative at
best as large numbers of Iraqi forces continue to resist with heavy
artillery and machine gun fire. Around Basra the coalition forces have
advanced at most by 1.5 kilometers. Gen. Franks has announced a change
in plans: the coalition forces are no longer set on capturing Basra so
not to "create military confrontations in that city." The coalition
forces still do not control Umm Qasr and appear to be losing territory.
(source: iraqwar.ru, 03-22-03, translated by Venik)
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