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U.S. Army Starts Push on Republican Guard
NYtimes
By MICHAEL R. GORDON
March 24, 2003
CORPS ASSAULT COMMAND POST, near Najaf, Iraq, March 23 — American forces tonight began the battle for the "Red Zone," the area around Baghdad that is defended by the Iraqi Republican Guard and is one of the most treacherous regions of the country for the invading allied forces.
The strikes tonight by Army attack helicopters and Army surface-to-surface missiles represent the first American ground attacks on the Republican Guard. The aim was to soften up the Medina division, one of the three Republican Guard divisions that guard the approaches to Baghdad. The American firepower was intense, but the United States forces did not emerge unscathed. One pilot was wounded by small-arms fire but managed to fly back.
The assault underscored the risks of a war that began with lightning speed and is now approaching its most crucial phase. Optimistic statements in Washington may have created expectations that this war would be swift and relatively casualty-free. Certainly, allied forces have covered considerable ground and thrust deep into Iraq. But now that the military has raced toward central Iraq, American forces are girding for real battle.
"This is going to be a fight, not a one-day campaign," a senior military officer said. "Air is central, but it did not break his back inside of Baghdad."
And now there are dangers to the rear too. American forces have been attacked by the fedayeen, militia that are under the command of Saddam Hussein's son Uday, which have begun attacks in the south to harass and try to slow the advancing American troops and supply columns.
The first few days were intense, but perhaps the easiest part of a complex war. Many of the Iraqi soldiers the allies confronted were ill motivated and ill trained. Some surrendered, and many simply vanished. Even so, some of the celebrated capitulations have turned out to be less than advertised. American officials were quick to announce the surrender of the commander of the 51st Iraqi Division. Today, they discovered that the "commander" was actually a junior officer masquerading as a higher-up in an attempt to win better treatment.
The thunderous air strikes in Baghdad have no doubt taken a toll on the Iraqi military, but they have not destroyed its ability to direct its forces, according to senior American military officials. Before the attacks today, the three Republican Guard divisions surrounding the capital were close to full strength.
The command and control of the Special Republican Guard, which is charged with defending the interior of the capital, is still intact, according to the American military officials.
Special Republican Guard forces have not collapsed but are defending key sites in the city, including command centers and Baghdad's airport. To shield themselves from airstrikes, they are taking refuge in schools, mosques and other structures off limits to air attack.
Iraq still retains the ability to fire and guide mobile surface-to-air missiles, according to Air Force officials. Much of the antiaircraft artillery is still active. Despite all the Pentagon's boasts about the ability to use air power to shock the Iraqi adversary and perhaps encourage surrender, the air defenses in and around Baghdad are still functional, though diminished.
Lt. Gen. David McKiernan, the land-war commander, flew by helicopter deep into Iraq to confer about the coming assault on the Republican Guard with Lt. Gen. William S. Wallace, the commander of the Army's V Corps who will lead the attack on Baghdad. This reporter accompanied General McKiernan.
As General McKiernan flew into Iraq, long convoys of trucks, armored vehicles and Humvees could be seen from the air. The columns kicked up a swirl of dust as the American forces pushed north past the palm groves, irrigation canals, barren desert and small towns that are characteristic of southern Iraq.
Troops have occasionally been snarled in traffic jams, which can stop traffic for hours, as the supplies for the final assault on Baghdad are pushed north.
The American forces have been moving so fast that it took a bit of doing to find General Wallace's command post, a tracked C-2 command vehicle filled with electronic gear. After the helicopter landed, the two American commanders huddled in the cramped vehicle to plot the initial assaults on the Republican Guard.
There are six Republican Guard divisions in and around Baghdad. Early today, American planes focused on the Medina, attacking their command posts, armor and artillery. American commanders want to stop the Republican Guard forces from moving inside Baghdad, where they could engage in urban warfare, or from moving south toward American troops. Attacks on artillery were a high priority, in part because it can be used to fire the chemical shells that Iraq is believed to possess.
The initial assault on the Medina division was carried out by several squadrons of Apache attack helicopters from the Army's 11th Attack Helicopter Regiment. More than 30 of the surface-to-surface missiles, called Atacms and considered one of the Army's most devastating weapons, were also unleashed.
"We have to shape the fight," General Wallace, his voice so hoarse it was barely audible, said before the attack began.
American commanders call this "shaping fires," an effort to weaken the enemy so he can be destroyed in follow-on attacks.
It was just the first step of a combined arms offensive intended to deal the Republican Guard a decisive defeat. The hope is that a firm blow against the Medina will help persuade other Republican Guard units not to resist.
The attack served another purpose as well. American officials are trying to regain the initiative during a day in which they were surprised by attacks by the fedayeen militia columns.
Thousands of fedayeen fighters, who wear black uniforms or civilian clothes, are now in the southern zone, according to American estimates, and have produced the largest American casualties so far. Their fervor and determination to fight outside Baghdad caught American forces by surprise and appeared to be part of a calculated effort to attack vulnerable American supply convoys as they head north.
There was no disguising the fact that the attacks by the fedayeen were a setback and a surprise. General Wallace said he had expected to run across the militia in the cities, but had not anticipated that they would venture out of towns to take on American forces.
Not all of the military in the south may be fedayeen. Some may be hard-core members of Mr. Hussein's Baath Party or security officers who were deployed in Iraqi divisions to stop them from surrendering and who have taken up arms now that their units have dissipated.
American officials say they are driving S.U.V.'s or trucks and are armed with machine guns, antitank weapons and rocket-propelled grenades. They have reportedly been using taxi cabs and have been seen in one small town handing out small arms.
The strategy of the American forces has been to bypass Basra and other cities as they drive toward Baghdad. But some of the bridges the Americans need to head north are close to cities.
As the Americans have pushed north, the fedayeen and other security forces have sought to hamper their advance by coming out to ambush the invading forces. Instead of fighting American armored formations in the open desert, the fedayeen seem to be positioning themselves to attack more vulnerable columns and supply trucks as they roll north. Instead of a head-to-head confrontation, they are raising the specter of guerrilla war.
One encounter with the fedayeen occurred when Task Force Tawara encountered a group of Iraqis that pretended to be surrendering, only to turn on the marines near Nasariya. Six marines were killed, and at least 14 wounded marines were evacuated. Some reports put the number of wounded at 82.
NYtimes
By MICHAEL R. GORDON
March 24, 2003
CORPS ASSAULT COMMAND POST, near Najaf, Iraq, March 23 — American forces tonight began the battle for the "Red Zone," the area around Baghdad that is defended by the Iraqi Republican Guard and is one of the most treacherous regions of the country for the invading allied forces.
The strikes tonight by Army attack helicopters and Army surface-to-surface missiles represent the first American ground attacks on the Republican Guard. The aim was to soften up the Medina division, one of the three Republican Guard divisions that guard the approaches to Baghdad. The American firepower was intense, but the United States forces did not emerge unscathed. One pilot was wounded by small-arms fire but managed to fly back.
The assault underscored the risks of a war that began with lightning speed and is now approaching its most crucial phase. Optimistic statements in Washington may have created expectations that this war would be swift and relatively casualty-free. Certainly, allied forces have covered considerable ground and thrust deep into Iraq. But now that the military has raced toward central Iraq, American forces are girding for real battle.
"This is going to be a fight, not a one-day campaign," a senior military officer said. "Air is central, but it did not break his back inside of Baghdad."
And now there are dangers to the rear too. American forces have been attacked by the fedayeen, militia that are under the command of Saddam Hussein's son Uday, which have begun attacks in the south to harass and try to slow the advancing American troops and supply columns.
The first few days were intense, but perhaps the easiest part of a complex war. Many of the Iraqi soldiers the allies confronted were ill motivated and ill trained. Some surrendered, and many simply vanished. Even so, some of the celebrated capitulations have turned out to be less than advertised. American officials were quick to announce the surrender of the commander of the 51st Iraqi Division. Today, they discovered that the "commander" was actually a junior officer masquerading as a higher-up in an attempt to win better treatment.
The thunderous air strikes in Baghdad have no doubt taken a toll on the Iraqi military, but they have not destroyed its ability to direct its forces, according to senior American military officials. Before the attacks today, the three Republican Guard divisions surrounding the capital were close to full strength.
The command and control of the Special Republican Guard, which is charged with defending the interior of the capital, is still intact, according to the American military officials.
Special Republican Guard forces have not collapsed but are defending key sites in the city, including command centers and Baghdad's airport. To shield themselves from airstrikes, they are taking refuge in schools, mosques and other structures off limits to air attack.
Iraq still retains the ability to fire and guide mobile surface-to-air missiles, according to Air Force officials. Much of the antiaircraft artillery is still active. Despite all the Pentagon's boasts about the ability to use air power to shock the Iraqi adversary and perhaps encourage surrender, the air defenses in and around Baghdad are still functional, though diminished.
Lt. Gen. David McKiernan, the land-war commander, flew by helicopter deep into Iraq to confer about the coming assault on the Republican Guard with Lt. Gen. William S. Wallace, the commander of the Army's V Corps who will lead the attack on Baghdad. This reporter accompanied General McKiernan.
As General McKiernan flew into Iraq, long convoys of trucks, armored vehicles and Humvees could be seen from the air. The columns kicked up a swirl of dust as the American forces pushed north past the palm groves, irrigation canals, barren desert and small towns that are characteristic of southern Iraq.
Troops have occasionally been snarled in traffic jams, which can stop traffic for hours, as the supplies for the final assault on Baghdad are pushed north.
The American forces have been moving so fast that it took a bit of doing to find General Wallace's command post, a tracked C-2 command vehicle filled with electronic gear. After the helicopter landed, the two American commanders huddled in the cramped vehicle to plot the initial assaults on the Republican Guard.
There are six Republican Guard divisions in and around Baghdad. Early today, American planes focused on the Medina, attacking their command posts, armor and artillery. American commanders want to stop the Republican Guard forces from moving inside Baghdad, where they could engage in urban warfare, or from moving south toward American troops. Attacks on artillery were a high priority, in part because it can be used to fire the chemical shells that Iraq is believed to possess.
The initial assault on the Medina division was carried out by several squadrons of Apache attack helicopters from the Army's 11th Attack Helicopter Regiment. More than 30 of the surface-to-surface missiles, called Atacms and considered one of the Army's most devastating weapons, were also unleashed.
"We have to shape the fight," General Wallace, his voice so hoarse it was barely audible, said before the attack began.
American commanders call this "shaping fires," an effort to weaken the enemy so he can be destroyed in follow-on attacks.
It was just the first step of a combined arms offensive intended to deal the Republican Guard a decisive defeat. The hope is that a firm blow against the Medina will help persuade other Republican Guard units not to resist.
The attack served another purpose as well. American officials are trying to regain the initiative during a day in which they were surprised by attacks by the fedayeen militia columns.
Thousands of fedayeen fighters, who wear black uniforms or civilian clothes, are now in the southern zone, according to American estimates, and have produced the largest American casualties so far. Their fervor and determination to fight outside Baghdad caught American forces by surprise and appeared to be part of a calculated effort to attack vulnerable American supply convoys as they head north.
There was no disguising the fact that the attacks by the fedayeen were a setback and a surprise. General Wallace said he had expected to run across the militia in the cities, but had not anticipated that they would venture out of towns to take on American forces.
Not all of the military in the south may be fedayeen. Some may be hard-core members of Mr. Hussein's Baath Party or security officers who were deployed in Iraqi divisions to stop them from surrendering and who have taken up arms now that their units have dissipated.
American officials say they are driving S.U.V.'s or trucks and are armed with machine guns, antitank weapons and rocket-propelled grenades. They have reportedly been using taxi cabs and have been seen in one small town handing out small arms.
The strategy of the American forces has been to bypass Basra and other cities as they drive toward Baghdad. But some of the bridges the Americans need to head north are close to cities.
As the Americans have pushed north, the fedayeen and other security forces have sought to hamper their advance by coming out to ambush the invading forces. Instead of fighting American armored formations in the open desert, the fedayeen seem to be positioning themselves to attack more vulnerable columns and supply trucks as they roll north. Instead of a head-to-head confrontation, they are raising the specter of guerrilla war.
One encounter with the fedayeen occurred when Task Force Tawara encountered a group of Iraqis that pretended to be surrendering, only to turn on the marines near Nasariya. Six marines were killed, and at least 14 wounded marines were evacuated. Some reports put the number of wounded at 82.
