29 March 2003
Iraqi Military, Political Assets Are Being Targeted, U.S. Says
(U.S. Central Command briefing, March 29: Iraq operational update) (900) In their 10th day of operations in Iraq, U.S. and coalition forces continue to target Iraqi regime military and political assets, as well as to bring humanitarian relief to civilians, according to U.S. military spokesmen in Qatar. Major General Victor "Gene" Renuart, director of operations for U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), and Deputy Director of Operations Brigadier General Vincent Brooks briefed media March 29 at CENTCOM's forward headquarters at Camp As Sayliyah near Doha, Qatar. Renuart said coalition forces "continue to make good progress in accordance with our plan." He said they are applying "good pressure across a broad area of lines of operations. This allows us to put pressure on the regime. It allows us to communicate with the Iraqi civilian leaders in the various communities and to take that information and then target some of these terror cells [Fedayeen Saddam] that are holding hostage many of these cities of southern Iraq. It also allows us to work in the west and in the north with a number of tribal leaders to continue to expand influence of free Iraqis throughout those parts of the country." Renuart said one example of targeting the Fedayeen Saddam occurred March 28 when a small team of special operating forces working in Basra identified a meeting of about 200 Ba'ath Party members in a building, then called in an air attack using a precision-guided munition that destroyed the building. General Brooks showed video footage of what he said was that building being destroyed. Brooks described it as one of nine Ba'ath Party facilities around the country that were attacked overnight. Brooks said special operations forces staged successful missions on March 28, and gave four examples. Two were close-air support missions against enemy compounds in As Samawah and Ar Rubah. A third was an interdiction in western Iraq, against a group of 30 Iraqis who were dressed as civilians but carrying mortars, Iraqi military uniforms, petroleum bombs and cash. The fourth example was a raid by U.S. Army Rangers against an Iraqi commando headquarters, which Brooks said controlled most of the commando operations in the western desert. Renuart said the Basra oil refinery, one of three in Iraq, was secured by coalition forces March 28. Brooks said work to put out oil well fires in the southern oil fields continues, and now only three wells are still burning. Humanitarian relief efforts marked a milestone March 28, Brooks said, because the British ship Sir Galahad docked at the port of Umm Qasr and brought needed supplies, which began to be distributed in Umm Qasr and elsewhere as security conditions allowed. Renuart also thanked Kuwait and other Gulf nations for contributing to the humanitarian aid effort. In response to questions from the media, Renuart said: -- Occasionally battlefield commanders refuse to allow embedded media to use cellular telephones to ensure that the enemy is not able to intercept the signal and thereby be alerted to the presence or movement of coalition forces. -- Some ship-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles have malfunctioned while flying over Saudi Arabia on their way to Iraq, and have landed in Saudi territory. While the problem is being investigated, some routes through Saudi Arabia are not being used to avoid hurting Saudi civilians. Other routes or other systems are being used. -- A successful helicopter attack against the Republican Guards Medina division occurred March 28. Tanks, armored personnel carriers, artillery, mobile surface-to-air missile radars and multi-purpose vehicles were destroyed. All aircraft returned successfully, though two experienced maintenance problems. -- Although Renuart was unable to provide details, CENTCOM issued a statement saying that five U.S. soldiers were killed on March 29 when a car bomb exploded at a Third Infantry Division check point in central Iraq. Renuart said the incident is being investigated. -- There is "no pause on the battlefield." Air operations, artillery raids, deep attacks and long-range patrols all can be happening while a particular troop formation happens not to be moving on a particular day. Focus can shift geographically, as well, Renuart noted. -- Although there have been harassing attacks on coalition supply lines, they have not stopped the movement of supplies northward into Iraq. The attacks are becoming fewer in number with fewer forces being used. -- The investigation of the explosion in the Baghdad market area is still ongoing. -- Investigations are under way as to the source of the Chinese-origin missile that exploded at a Kuwait City shopping mall in the early morning hours of March 29. -- Bodies of U.S. soldiers are now being recovered in An Nasiriyah, and a mortuary affairs team is on the way there to determine identity and ascertain whether war crimes may have been committed. -- The Iraqi air forces have not flown any airplanes to date. Coalition forces have kept Iraqi airfields closed. -- Renuart could not confirm that the International Committee of the Red Cross has visited Iraqi prisoners yet, because they have not yet been brought to a central location. Red Cross personnel have been to the construction site for the prisoner facility. -- Concerning Syrian shipments into Iraq, "We will take action to not allow any kind of reinforcement or equipment to come from -- really -- any outside country to the battlefield, Renuart said. (Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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